[Episode Discussion] 1.10 I Am Become Death

[tassosss]

How this works: for those that want to do a rewatch of the show, we have a weekly discussion post where you can put reactions, links to old reaction posts, questions, thoughts, squee, joy, headshaking and anything else that strikes you. I'll have a prompting question or two to get things going if you don't know what to say but want to join in.

BEWARE! This is a spoiler zone! Unless someone requests a spoiler-free post for each episode, assume spoilers for all aired episodes through the end of season 2.

***

I am become death, the destroyer of worlds. In this episode we have the return of one character, biological weapons, rocket fuel, and Raven. Thoughts and reactions?

Comments

[tassosss]

This is one of my favorite episodes because it has a lot going on and a lot of character moments. I haven't rewatched in a while, but there are a few things I want to mention. This is the only episode that doesn't have an Ark subplot, which gives it a lot more room to breathe.

- Hydrazine driving the plot! That stuff is nasty, and just as volatile in real life as Raven says it is. There is serious training and safety precautions for working with that stuff, and I love that it's central to the plot.

- Raven. Raven wins this episode, from being the brains, to making Bellamy jump by telling him "boom", to volunteering by leaving first to go to the bridge. Then at the end, she breaks up with Finn in a heartbreaking scene that is about her having respect for herself and knowing what she wants. She just wins everything.

- The first time I watched this episode, Murphy's return made me so antsy. I didn't trust him, I didn't like him. I kept waiting for him to betray everyone - and then that last scene at the end seems to confirm everything. But thinking about it knowing his backstory and seeing him in season 2, I wonder if he walks into camp with the intention to kill anyone. I don't doubt as soon as he saw Connor it was his first thought, but I guess I'm interested in his characters absent arc.

- A favorite moment is when Clarke agrees with Bellamy and says Octavia should be locked up for her own protection, then as soon as he's gone turns around and send Octavia on a mission to Lincoln. Those are my girls.

- Octavia and Lincoln - I will never not love the two of them together. And here we find out that Lincoln is now caught between two worlds because he loves her. He wants out of this crazy brewing war and wants her to come with him.

- Biological warfare is terrifying. Bleeding from the eyes is terrifying. Everytime one of the characters came down with the sickness, I was waiting for them to die because I already learned not to trust this show to keep people alive. The moment between Bellamy and Octavia was one of the best.

- Another favorite moment, earlier, when Clarke has put the drop ship under quarantine, and then there's panic because kids outside are symptomatic. Clarke gets a gun and gets everyone's attention, and then Bellamy socks in the face and disarms the one kid still ready to shoot. It's harsh but effective.

- Monty and Jasper have the epic friend fight in this episode. Jasper is a dick and posturing about being in the firefight in the previous episode and kicks Monty to the curb. I feel for him so much because it's the classic best friend finds new friends thing that many people go through. But in the end Monty comes and saves Jasper when he's in over his head at the bridge.

- I think one of the things I love best about this episode is that it's one that sidelines the leadership with sickness and forces the supporting characters to step up. Raven is ready to go, but Jasper so is not, and it's Monty that ends up coming through.

- Also, in one of my favorite little bits of characterization, when Clarke quotes Oppenheimer then is about to explain who he is to Bellamy, he says "I know who Oppenheimer is." He's not some uneducated low class kid. He knows the history, he knows the significance, he's far from stupid. That's how Bellamy is coded, and in one line the show turns that on its head.