The 100

Why this teen-oriented drama from the CW network is the scifi surprise of the season.

The CW network as been dipping its toes into the (futuristic genre) pool with The Tomorrow People and Star-Crossed, both of which, in different ways, have failed to live up to their basic premises (another blog for another day). Third time's a charm, however, with The 100 proving it's got the scifi chops to last the distance.

Just to clarify, everyone reall-y wants to get off this thing.

The tagline for the show is "Survival isn't who you are. It's who you become" which nicely sums it up. The cast includes Richard Harmon (Continuum), Henry Ian Cusick (Lost), Paige Turco (Person of Interest), Australian actors Eliza Taylor and Bob Morley (because Aussies are awesome, although I might be biased), and Thomas McDonell, who played the young version of Johnny Depp's character Barnaby Collins in Dark Shadows.

Aw, let's enjoy the shiny, happy moments inbetween the violence.
You know, all three seconds of them.

To give the briefest of summaries, The 100 is set almost a hundred years after a nuclear apocalypse. Upside, humanity survived, the remnants living on a space station. Down side, air's running out unexpectedly. A hundred juvenile delinquents are jettisoned down to Earth a century or so before the planet's expected to be habitable, just to test the waters. Sounds cruel, but is actually preferable to being "floated", the favoured form of future corporal punishment on the station that sees the accused jettisoned into space.

The 100, 99, 98... would probably be a better title since characters have been dropping like flies (yes, this is a ham-fisted Lord of the Flies reference, in case you were wondering). Death's been a recurring theme on this program. It aint Disney, that's for sure. By episodes five and six I was starting to get fatality fatigue, partly because the deaths are used for maximum emotional and narrative punch. This is some nice writing, notable due to the repercussion attached to each incident (even those that occurred pre-show).

Seriously, these kids aren't messing around.

There's been a backlash against teen-focused television drama in recent times, probably as a result of a slight prime time saturation. Personally, I can see the allure of teen characters in terms of narrative. Teenagers are often volatile, impulsive, unpredictable, and these are all helpful traits when trying to create believable dramatic scenarios.

Teens are also at a point in life when they're in flux/deciding their place in the world, a set-up that offers a lot more scope for adventure than a settled married character might believably pursue. Obviously exceptions exist, but I think in general there's more avenue for immediate chaos in a teenage character's experience of the everyday world than the average adults.

You'd look tired too if you'd copped a spear through the chest.

A kind of emotional honesty is also at play since an element of innocence is still present. In summary, I don't discriminate against teen television because I feel scoffing at teen characters is perilously close to scoffing at science fiction as a genre; both practices embody tired attitudes and lame attempts at ennui that are, frankly, just embarrassing.

I'm also a fan of programs that work within a specific set of guidelines. It's one thing to celebrate and enjoy shows from cable stations (here's looking at you Game of Thrones and True Detective) that are allowed a creative freedom I'm sure is giddy for the writers, but it's another to appreciate the work of writers who are keeping to specific network requests, classification requirements, and time constraints.

A doctor and a mechanic. The female role models are pretty solid.

The 100 is suitably dark for a post-apocalyptic program, aside from some restraint due to timeslot and budget. I've very much enjoy seeing how this is handled because (to reiterate), it takes a certain skill to work within very particular boundaries. 

On a side note, I'm also not a fan of predictive science - I've seen many critiques of the conditions on Earth post-apocalypse, notably the resulting mutations in the show, and honestly, I'm fine with a guess, even a (probably) inaccurate one. Let the storytelling breath, people!

A good time in history to consider vegetarianism.

I find it kind of hilarious how many people complain about the way the teenage characters act on Earth. One thing audiences always seem to underestimate is how individuals react to high pressure, unfamiliar situations. Incredible stupid decisions seem par for the course in this scenario. I'm enjoying watching The 100 discover the downfalls of a lawless society, or the dangers of large water bodies, even the unexpected alliances and yes, romances. (Hey, if you could die any day, why not?) And let's not forget they're the product of an insular society with a very different ideology. In summary, cut the storytellers some slack.

Octavia grew up under the floorboards (the space station version of them) due to a one child policy on The Ark which her mother was executed for breaking. Unfortunately life on Earth's proving no Sound of Music experience either.

Technically, I really like the way it's edited together and some of the shots are beautiful. The forest location is stunning. The special effects are good quality, especially for a program on a smaller network. Occasionally the modern tracks of music super-imposed over scenes can be jarring, and the teens are slightly too clean, but that's more an (arguably) necessary side effect of commercialisation, especially since I'm guessing product placements proving problematic.

It's not a party without a budding sociopath, am I right?

Tension rises every episode, especially when the air on The Ark (that's the name of the space station) begins to run out a lot faster than expected. If the deaths on the ground got to you, wait for the cullings in space. The 100 isn't holding back any punches as the season unfolds. I'd originally heard episodes 5 and 6 are harsh, but apparently toward the end of the season the intensity picks up. (At this point, that sounds difficult to imagine.)

To clarify, the story splits between two narratives - the one on The Ark, and the one on the ground. Both scenarios involve power struggles that will impact a lot of lives. It also means the show splits between the teen-focused storylines on the ground and the adult storylines in space.

Abby finds it tough to trust Kane. Possibly because he's tried to execute her twice, and also maybe because he executed her husband, then imprisoned her daughter (but hey, I'm just making wild guesses here).

Mostly I'm enjoying The 100 because it's displaying narrative elements that embody the best kind of science fiction; the structure of possible future societies explored, ethical grey areas examined, the (often unexpected) repercussions of both noble decisions and selfish needs addressed. Basically humanities greatest traits, and its most deplorable ones, put under a microscope.

This scene is chilling.

You can't really ask much more of a television program. I'm definitely entertained, and in for the whole season. Fingers crossed it gets a second outing x