The 100 - Review of the New Apocalyptic Series Aimed at Young Adults

Main cast of The 100, from left to right: Thomas McDonell (Finn),
Eliza Taylor (Clarke), Bob Morley (Bellamy),
Devon Bostick (Jasper), Marie Avgeropoulos (Octavia),
Lindsey Morgan (Raven), Ricky Whittle (Lincoln),
Christopher Larkin (Monty), Paige Turco (Abby),
Isaiah Washington(Jaha) and Henry Ian Cusick (Kane).
Photo Credit: Wikipedia Fair Use

I won't make you wait for the good stuff... This is a GREAT new TV show that is now in it's second season - highly recommended, NINE out of Ten Star Rating!

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” ― Albert Einstein (I've had people ask me why Einstein would have said something like this - simply because it gets children to think outside of the box. If he had other reasons for saying it, I can't imagine what they were. ;)

The 100 ('the hundred' is how it is said) is based on the novel of the same name.

WARNING: Season One Spoilers!

First, I'm not usually into 'apocalyptic' stuff unless it is seriously steeped in Science Fiction and/or History; and The 100 has tons of both - very entertaining and even endearing.

This is a post-apocalyptic tale about the remnants of the Human Race trying to survive three generations from when a nuclear world war wiped out most Humans on the planet.

But luckily, not everyone was on the planet when the fireworks went off. Twelve nations had orbiting space stations; and they have continued to survive in the hopes of being able to return to the rehabilitating planet, someday.

In the beginning, the space stations each had their own orbits - but there were still many hard feelings going around; and someone blew up one of the stations. As a result, "Unity Day" came about the day they finished connecting all the space stations together into one Human 'Ark'.

Three generations later, the Ark is falling apart and running out of the ability to support the 2000+ inhabitants; PLUS there is the impending decision that the Ark's leaders have to make for their 'Exodus Plan'.

They are all on the Titanic while it's sinking... And there are only enough life boats for 700 people to escape down to the planet WHEN the time is right - and that time NEEDS to be NOW.

So, a decision is made to send 100 'prisoners' down in a very risky attempt to find out if Earth is inhabitable, yet - they don't really expect it to be for a couple more decades, at least.

The prisoners are basically a mix of juvenile delinquents who have done minor offenses; although some of them are thieves and murders, etc. One girl, Octavia, was doing time JUST for being born - because it was illegal for people on the Ark to have more than one child. (Her mother was 'floated' for her criminal offense.)

Her very protective older brother, Bellamy - manages to underhandedly catch a ride on the shuttle that is taking The 100 down to the planet; and he - along with the daughter of the Chief Medical Officer on the Ark, Clark - sort of become co-leaders of this band of misfits.

As they are on their way down to the surface, they are told that they are being sent because they are expendable; and their only job is to survive.

The first scenes of these kids landing on the planet are really cool - none of them have ever felt a breeze or breathed in lungfuls of real air. The scenery alone is mesmerizing for them - all the green trees.

But, things are not all hunky-dory in this new paradise as they find out when they come across a sweet-looking deer who is nibbling on blades of grass in a meadow. In the middle of their Oooo's and Ahhh's, it hears them and lifts it's head to look - THAT is when they see that the deer has TWO semi-bloody faces due to nuclear radiation affecting genetics.

The first season of this series often reminded me of 'Lord of the Flies', at times. Except these kids are TOUGH; and they learn how to put up with each other to work together to survive.

At the end of the first season... The ENTIRE Ark was actually sent down to Earth in a last-minute and almost hopeless attempt to continue surviving. However, some people survived including Clark's mom and a handful of others.

We also saw the kids on the planet in a life-and-death battle with OTHER Human survivors who had survived on the planet - many of them are deformed, but not all of them.

After the battle is over... A 'real' army of 'Mountain People' who have obviously been hunkering down in a shelter that was intended to survive any apocalypse comes in with gas to subdue the entire crowd; and they are taken to the mountain shelter where they wake up, wondering where they are and what the heck is going on, now!

Yes, there is lots of death and hardships that these Human Remnants face daily - but the really scary thing about this show is that it is a story that could have actually happened to the Human Race OVER and over and over again.

But, only a select few people who survived each apocalypse would probably have held onto previous knowledge of Human existence (while taking it to their graves) in order to keep the current surviving Human civilizations being formed on the planet from experiencing more trauma from the past - so that they could continue forward - however each little Human cluster could find ways to survive and rebuild the future.

I'm not saying that something like this has EVER actually happened before... This is just what has happened as a result of watching this TV series. It makes you think.

But, many people DO believe that the Earth has gone through many cataclysmic events previous to our current civilization. And if you think about each new apocalypse as potentially being the catalyst for NEW Human civilizations - it's actually kind of inspiring.

Especially with a series like The 100 to help put things in perspective...

If you think about things that way for a bit... The collective Human Civilization in between each apocalypse could be seen as a metaphor for life.

We're reborn out of the ashes like a Phoenix each time - and we rise out of the dust to survive. But, Humans would also 'grow up' through an infancy, terrible twos, the toddler years, childhood, adolescence, young adult years, a middle age, golden years - and then death and rebirth again, as the circle of life continues.

Additionally, just because previous apocalyptic events may have happened; doesn't necessarily mean that there will be another one for a very long time - long enough for the Human Race to theoretically continue evolving and composite through several millennia to become ONE 'beige race'.

If we ever manage to get that far... I can only imagine that we'll look back on our ridiculous racial history and think ourselves nothing but a bunch of silly goons, ha! (And LOOK how NEAT we used to look in all those different COLORS! ;)

If you are someone who believes in any apocalyptic predictions and/or prophesies - REMEMBER that you need to live your own life WHILE you're holding on to these beliefs. What God are you living for and having Faith in? Did he/she tell you to worry incessantly about the future?

Consider the Lillies of the Field, for all of the diamonds and all their worth have not the wealth of them... Psalms.

Use your brain in other, far more productive ways until whatever is supposedly going to happen, happens. And in the meantime, shows like The 100 are good for keeping your imagination sharp and running wild. Because in the end, the future is what we ALL make it out to be - both individually and collectively.

Looking for Another Great Show to Watch?

This would be a good example of 'one of our own' real
early civilizations that potentially survived an apocalypse
to help the world grow into the civilization that it currently is.
- Yeah, Fascinating!

Vikings on The History Channel
is BETTER than 'Game of Thrones'!!