There are just a handful of episodes left before The 100 bids adieu. And while I became a fan rather late in the series’ run, I’m still really eager to see how the journey ends for Clarke and co. However, that eagerness is quickly becoming impatience. Season seven is making a solid case for why some shows are better binged.
The 100 has always had a sprawling cast and juggled multiple storylines and settings, but this season has really taken things up a notch. Besides our core characters, there are numerous factions at odds, an entire planetary system at play, and oh apparently time passes differently on different planets. The resulting storytelling is both ambitious and a momentum killer.
A Look at Season 7 To Date
Without delving too deep into spoilers, here’s how this season’s storylines have been parsed out between episodes, planets, and timelines:
7×1 – Sanctum
7×2 – Skyring (flashbacks)
7×3 – Sanctum
7×4 – Skyring (flashbacks and present day), Sanctum, (and Nakara for a hot second)
7×5 – Bardo (flashbacks and present day) and Sanctum
7×6 – Bardo (flashbacks), Sanctum, and Nakara
7×7 – Sanctum, Bardo (and The Ring with flashbacks for a hot second)
7×8 – Earth (backdoor pilot for prequel)
7×9 – Bardo (flashbacks) and Sanctum
– 2 Week Break –
7×10 – Bardo and Sanctum
7×11 – Etherea (and Bardo for a hot second)
7×12 – Bardo and Sanctum
7×13 – Bardo and Sanctum
– 3 Week Break –
[Mild spoilers ahead.]
Just four episodes remain in the final season. Oh, and if you looked at the information above and thought locations and plotlines were finally being condensed for the final stretch, think again. There’s still several big bads, a looming war to end all wars, a character that’s been unaccounted for since episode 4, and another couple of characters that were shipped off to an unknown planet at the end of episode 13. But hey, I think everyone is finally operating in the present day.
Obviously the show’s creative team cannot control how or when The CW chooses to employ breaks. And given the current lack of new content in the pipeline, I don’t blame The CW for dragging it out either. However, it’s hard to deny that this season has continually felt like two steps forward and one step back. Like Dioza said, “Time dilation is a bitch.”
Typically I’m all for the episode-a-week model. I like live tweeting with other fans, I like mulling things over between each episode, and I even like to rewatch episodes that recently aired. (I hoard them on my DVR.) But this season has had long gaps in character appearances and with a runtime of just 44 mins per episode, The 100 has really struggled to give storylines quality screen time each week. For example, Clarke’s adventure group arrived on planet Bardo right at the end of episode 7; however, it wasn’t until episode 10 that their storyline resumed. So not only was it 3 episodes later, but also after a 2 week hiatus.
In general, the 100 has spent far too little time with the delinquents and Grounders that we’ve all come to know and love. If this season were binge watched though I have no doubt that the experience would be far more forgiving in spite of the long lapses. After all, watching five episodes back-to-back-to-back is hardly any time at all compared to waiting over a month for forward progress with the show’s lead protagonist.
Here’s hoping that The CW airs the remaining four episodes uninterrupted, and that it all comes together in the end. And when the final season of The 100 hits Netflix, may we meet again.
