100 Thoughts On The 100: Speculation for The 100 Season 5

Last weekend, the San Diego Comic Con gods blessed us again. Every year, news and panel clips that come out of the world’s largest comic book convention give me life. But this year, following an explosive season finale, the cast of The 100 headed to San Diego. Their Q+A responses set off a wave of speculation for The 100 season 5… and I am even more excited than I was in May.

https://youtu.be/vNbDzDsS-9g

From the story told in the sizzle reel and from comments made by show creator Jason Rothenberg, it’s clear that Clarke has told Madi all about her life, her friends, and what happened before the death wave. All we know about Madi is that she’s a nightblood child found by Clarke after the death wave hit. She appears at the tail end of the season four finale, after a six-year time jump. Most info about her has come from Rothenberg since the finale aired.

The sizzle reel doesn’t offer much information about the prisoner transport ship that landed on the ground in the final moments of season four. However, Rothenberg revealed that in The 100 season 5, many parallels exist between the delinquents landing in the first season and these prisoners landing now.

Rothenberg spoke at length (in teasers) about coming changes in The 100 season 5 during the SDCC panel. Thus, I have some theories.

Bellamy and Clarke are going to try out actual parenting.

Once Bellarke started working together, they basically became the parental figures to the rest of the delinquents. Fandom constantly makes cracks about Bellamy being everyone’s dad, and Clarke being everyone’s mom. The comparison definitely isn’t wrong — these two lead their people, but also have to keep everyone in line. Bellamy’s devotion to his sister makes him a perpetual big brother figure. Clarke is eager to save everyone, whatever the cost.

With the introduction of Madi, Clarke has taken on an even more motherly role. They’ve been alone for more than six years. Every day, Clarke has gotten on the radio and attempted to contact Bellamy on the Ark. When Madi tells the story of Clarke’s people, Clarke interjects to make sure Bellamy is included in the narrative. They keep each other grounded. I can only imagine that will extend to taking care of Madi together… which Rothenberg basically confirmed. He said at the SDCC panel, “Bellamy is going to have to help Clarke come to see that we have to do things different now. She just wants to protect her child. She just wants to protect her home.”

Bring on parental Bellarke. I’m so here for it.

Major players definitely survived.

It’s a relief to know that Bellamy and the others are coming back to Earth. I didn’t think the show would kill everyone, but I always get nervous when these kids are separated. Six years is a long time to be away from someone, especially when you really only knew each other for a few months in a life or death situation. That’s weird. Everyone is going to be really different.

Rothenberg commented on their appearances being different, but that can’t be all. Octavia and Clarke have obviously had to adapt their leadership skills — Octavia to keep peace among the clans in the bunker and Clarke to keep her and Madi alive — but what about the kids who went to space? What about Miller? What happened to the adults?

Clarke tells Bellamy during her daily radio check-in that she’s stopped trying to dig out the bunker because it’s covered in too much rubble. But if the bunker was only built and stocked to withstand five years of death wave radiation and it’s been more than six… that probably isn’t good. 

I predict at least some of our faves have gone through some horrible things underground. I just hope they’re all able to function once the bunker is opened.

The prisoners are going to make Clarke’s life a living Hell.

Apparently, the prisoners in the transport that Clarke sees in the finale are from our time. Rothenberg said they were probably in cryo, sent to space before the first nuclear apocalypse. That means they’re really behind on what’s been happening in the world (and in the galaxy), and their fashion choices probably leave a lot to be desired. (That’s a joke. They’re probably all in prison jumpsuits. Orange ones.)

Posing a parallel between these prisoners meeting grounder!Clarke and the delinquents meeting the grounders in season one has a lot of cool potential. Xenophobia is rampant on this show. Thus, the prisoners likely won’t be interested in working with Clarke to find a way for everyone to live fruitfully. If they’re from our time, they’re probably even more immersed in the ideals of settler colonialism than even Clarke was… which is frightening. 

I predict a lot of violence in The 100 season 5, from all sides, though I think characters will actively try for negotiation first. Six years is a long time to think about what went wrong before the death wave. Surely, peace has started to look better and better in that time.

Everyone in space hooked up at least once.

Rothenberg said that with “six years of time to kill, there’s not a lot to do”, in reference to the two couples and three single people who returned to the Ark to escape the death wave. Monty, Harper, Murphy, Emori, Raven, Bellamy, and Echo all went to space. Monty and Harper were together, as well as Murphy and Emori… but Rothenberg isn’t wrong. Boredom breeds all kinds of things. Space orgy? Totally possible.

I predict that sexual tension is extra high by the time they come down from space. I also wonder if…

Madi won’t be the only kid on the ground.

Whether someone got pregnant in space or someone(s) got pregnant in the bunker, there’s no way Madi is the only kid on Earth. Obviously, some children are in the bunker itself from when Jaha and Kane chose the survivors for Skaicru. I assume they’re still around. But after more than six years, there have to be at least a few people who have had or are having kids. The strain on resources would be interesting to explore, from a storytelling perspective, and it would be especially interesting to see how everyone handles kids being around.

I predict that “it takes a village to raise a child” will take on a whole new meaning in The 100 season 5… and I’m ready to explore survival on Earth as the ultimate goal, rather than fighting off another death wave.