[Episode Discussion] 2.16 Blood Must Have Blood, Part 2

[tassosss]

Season 2 comes to an end. Thoughts?


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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.



 

Comments

[tassosss]

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This is a deceptively simple episode. So much happens in a relatively few short strokes that somehow fill everything. And it works devastatingly well.

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Jaha has gone around another bend. Murphy is totally his favorite, has been for a long time.

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Octavia's anger at Clarke hurts. She's holding a grudge, letting all her frustration with the whole situation fall on Clarke, and it isn't fair, even if it is understandable. And Clarke finally cracks under it all. She's out of ideas. But the two of them are together, which is important.

REUNION! I love this scene, where the group gets back together again. The look Bellamy and Clarke share, Octavia's hug with the boys. Jasper and Monty glomming onto Clarke. Clarke's thank you to Maya. This right here, these people. This episode is all about the little moments that binds these people together, keeps them fighting.

And then Octavia draws her sword like a badass as they head inside.

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Indra and Lincoln. THIS IS WHY INDRA IS MY FAVORITE! She comes across as seeing in such black and white terms. Blood for blood, follow orders without questions. But she understands Lexa's decision to let the missile fall. She understands Lincoln's feelings for Octavia and his personal code of ethics. And more, I think she really does care what happens to Octavia, she wants her to make it out alive, and she let's Lincoln have the choice of whether to stay or go because she knows the path he wants to follow. And that's to go back and help Octavia and her people.

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In Mount Weather, the dining room of "Feel Guilty When These People Are Threatened" contrasts sharply with the "Torture Chamber of Screaming While They're Drilled Into Alive."

And look! Now the rest of the people we care about are captured!

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Does Dante's quarantine room have more paintings in it? I know The Scream is new (and how appropriate.) Has all he's been doing for the last couple hours been collecting all the art into his room? Does he plan on committing suicide? He doesn't want to be with his people, we learn that.

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Do not push Clarke to the edge and then fuck with her. She will fuck up up right back. What gets me about Clarke in the first scene in the control room is how quiet she is. How calm. She's in tears. She threatens Dante and when neither he nor Cage waver (and I think Cage is calling her bluff too) she follows through.

Clarke upped the stakes. Cage retaliates. Kane's face when they pull Abby onto the table, oh the wretched fear. Clarke's face as she watches, and she and Bellamy go back and forth about finding another way - there is none, and they both know it. Monty figuring out how to carry it out. And it has to be Monty, he has the skills, but he also has the will. I think that often gets forgotten about Monty. He's the one who told Maya when they first found out about the grounders being used as blood bags that the Mountain Men should just die.

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Octavia the seasoned warrior sitting still, while Jasper freaks the fuck out. Poor Jasper. So desperate but he's right they have to try. Though if he did succeed, would it have changed anything? Wouldn't the other Mountain Men keep going to honor their fallen leader's dream of reaching the ground? Assassination isn't a guaranteed solution either.

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Murphy in the bunker is completely surreal.

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And then it all goes to hell. Octavia and Maya are found out -- Octavia is a badass warrior -- but they still get caught, stuck in a room full of people. And there's no time left. Monty has the fix. Who do they save?

Clarke and Bellamy. Levers and doors. That's what it all comes down to again.

Watching all the Mountain Men die, watching Maya die, it's horrible. It's supposed to be horrible. Because this is a horrible fucked up situation and there's no neat solution, only death.

But watching Octavia releasing Kane is cathartic. As is seeing Clarke and Abby reunite, and Clarke can crack under the horror she's done with her mom. Abby maybe understands Clarke now, understands what Clarke so so early on about horror and what it's like to be in the midst of it and try to fight back.

Kane telling Bellamy, he did good, is such a contrast to the contempt he held him in in the beginning.

And Lincoln, finally finally getting his revenge and redemption both.

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I don't have a lot to say about the return to Camp Jaha except that final scene between Bellamy and Clarke makes me cry every time. Clarke you don't have to so this alone. Except she's not ready for anything approaching forgiveness yet.

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I have no thoughts on ALIE yet. I guess we'll see where that goes soon.Collapse


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May we meet again indeed.

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On Thursday.