Home Entertainment You Should Be Watching – THE 100

You Should Be Watching – THE 100

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When you’re hungry, just about anything tastes like filet mignon, and when it comes to good sci-fi shows on TV, I was famished. And so with starvation as my motivator, I checked out The 100, a show that is not only clearly trying to tap into the latest YA craze, but also has all the trappings of a typical teen-centric series on The CW.  So yes, there are lots of attractive people – who somehow stay attractive no matter how much dirt they have strategically dabbed onto their faces – having adventures to a contemporary music soundtrack, while a bunch of them make googly eyes at each other.

Because of all of that, when I suddenly found myself enjoying the show quite a bit, I told myself that it must just be my grumbling stomach overriding my taste. But the more I watched, the more I enjoyed, as the show actually turned out to be quite a sci-fi thrill ride.

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So what is it about? 97 years after a vast nuclear war rendered the planet unsafe, the last vestiges of mankind struggle for survival on the Ark, a structure made up from the hodge-podge collection of space stations from various nations, who happened to be orbiting the Earth when disaster struck. A new human society has emerged on the Ark, but as the once-meager population kept increasing, resources dwindled, forcing the creation of an extremely strict law that any crime – no matter the severity – is punishable by death. The only exemptions are criminals under the age of 18, who are kept locked in a prison.

But when the Ark’s life support systems are discovered to be failing far quicker than expected, 100 of the juvenile prisoners – deemed expendable – are secretly jettisoned down to the surface of Earth by the ruling council in a two-fold desperate attempt to buy the Ark more time, and to test if the planet has become habitable again.

Murphy’s Law

As the group of youngsters soon find out though, not only is the planet habitable again, but it is already inhabited and the locals are not too friendly. But as members of the 100 get to go all Lord of the Flies – just with more teenage partying, boozing and Imagine Dragons soundtracks – this dangerous discovery is overlooked all for a bit of freedom. Soon factions form as some want to keep the Ark in the dark about what they’ve found while others just want to see their families again, while up on the Ark tensions also bubble over as people discover their kids have been used as guinea pigs, apparently all for nothing.

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That’s just the first episode or so, and as you can see there is a lot of story potential there. What really got me to keep watching though was just how much the show was willing to get its hands dirty. People die – a lot – in horrifically unexpected ways, the show’s heroes – led by “princess” Clarke Griffin (Eliza Taylor) – turn out to have completely nasty sides to them, and often the story and characters get shockingly dark. Yes, every once in a while they take a break from all this surprisingly unflinching character drama just to get all cheesy romantic and have an excuse to show beautiful people jumping each other’s beautiful bones – which may actually be a plus to some of you – and there of course the occasional moments of “logic be damned, I’m doing this for the drama!”, but look past all that and you find some real strong entertainment here.

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The show’s cast is led by the aforementioned Taylor and rounded out by a number of young actors/actresses like Bobby Morley and Thomas McDonell, but also some small screen veterans like Henry Ian Cusick (Lost) and Isaiah Washington (Grey’s Anatomy), and while none of them will be challenging the Bryan Cranstons and Matthew McConaugheys of the TV awards scenes anytime soon, they all do solid work. Much like the rest of the show’s production actually, as it doesn’t get too obviously green-screen, as these types of shows often do, when it shows off either the post-apocalyptic landscapes of Earth or the dilapidated steel and glass environs of the Ark.

Internationally, the show’s 13-episode first season just concluded recently, and it’s already been renewed for a second season. Locally it’s airing on DSTV’s Channel 113, Wednesdays at 20:00, and is currently up to episode 3.

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Last Updated: June 24, 2014

16 Comments

  1. I’m watching this, and I like it a lot!! It helps that the two main lady characters are not bad on the eye, but the storyline so far has me gripped…. Only at episode 4 now, but I am interested to see where this goes!!

    Reply

  2. Rince&exhale

    June 24, 2014 at 13:51

    I hope this doesn’t turn into another series where they are trapped in the past on Earth with dinosaurs.

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      June 24, 2014 at 13:54

      I doubt they’d get sent back to Earth just to sit in some old age home.

      Reply

  3. alcatraz5953

    June 24, 2014 at 13:52

    Think I’m on episode 5 or 6 now, I enjoy it, but I don’t enjoy it. It has moments of brilliance, and then it has moments where I cant for the life of me understand why I’m watching it. 7/10 from me

    Reply

    • Kervyn Cloete

      June 24, 2014 at 14:20

      Yeah, that’s my experience as well. Just when I’m getting ready to scream at the screen for them doing something really cheesy or silly, they go and do something completely awesome, and I’m back to being hooked again.

      Reply

  4. Alien Emperor Trevor

    June 24, 2014 at 13:53

    I only watched the pilot, it looked like it could develop into something good. But yes, very VERY teen-angst & pretty people.

    Reply

    • Rince&exhale

      June 24, 2014 at 13:55

      Like VD?

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        June 24, 2014 at 14:02

        Don’t know, never had an STD.

        Reply

        • Admiral Chief Cyber Commando

          June 24, 2014 at 14:18

          Seems your life of celibacy is paying off

          Reply

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            June 24, 2014 at 14:24

            Win!?

      • Admiral Chief Cyber Commando

        June 24, 2014 at 14:18

        Ginger-itis?

        😛

        JK

        Reply

  5. Tidycpc

    June 24, 2014 at 14:05

    Thanks

    Reply

  6. Gavin Mannion

    June 24, 2014 at 14:21

    I watched this on Hulu and I have to agree it just gets better and better.

    There is a moment in the final episode regarding a guys head and a blade that will live with me forever..

    I think the writing needs a bit of help but a second season should give them the cash to fix that

    Reply

  7. James Francis

    June 24, 2014 at 15:34

    Sci-fi with beautiful people on CW? Normally I’d avoid it, but now I’ll check out the first few episodes. I just hope it is nothing like the awful Revolution…

    Reply

  8. Justin Hess

    June 24, 2014 at 15:39

    Judging by those pics, the post-apocalypse looks alot like British Columbia. Like most other shows on the CW

    Reply

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