THE 100 Bats Far Above "The 48"

Article first published as TV Review: 'The 100' - 'The 48' on Blogcritics.

Warning: The following contains some spoilers from the season premiere of The 100.

CW’s The 100 is back for a second season this week. As the premiere episode opens, our cast remains scattered after the chaos of the season-ending battle last spring. Clarke (Eliza Taylor) and forty-seven others have been taken below ground by a group of survivors trying to live much the same way people used to on Earth, hence the title of the hour, “The 48.” Octavia (Maria Avgeropoulos) lies dying from the poison arrow she is shot with, Raven (Lindsey Morgan) is stuck with an unexpected companion, and Bellamy (Bob Morley) tracks a captured Finn (Thomas McDonell) through the forest.

Clarke’s subplot gets the biggest focus, as one might expect, since she is the main protagonist. She wakes up in a white room, confused, not knowing where she is or how she got there. The 100 does a good job of communicating the terror of being in an unfamiliar environment, letting the audience see things through Clarke’s eyes, and only after a bit of action do we find out what’s going on.

Clarke soon meets Dante (Raymond J. Barry, Justified), the leader of the so-called Mountain Men. He and his people are generous, offering the ‘rescued’ teenagers clean clothing and good food. Much of the group is very happy to be there, but Clarke is suspicious, believing the whole thing is too good to be true. “The 48″ doesn’t tell us whether or not Clarke is right, as most smartly-written dramas keep us guessing, letting things unfold in such a way that Dante could be a hero, a villain, or something in between. It will be interesting to see how things with him play out.

Clarke’s story is intriguing, but The 100 is smart to divide its cast because it allows for other avenues to be explored at the same time. Various combinations of personalities can be tossed together, played with for awhile, then remixed to keep the story interesting. For example, Murphy (Richard Harmon) winds up spending time with one of our main group. No one likes him, but by constructing the story in such a way that a beloved cast member is forced to spend time with him, it allows the conflict needed for drama and keeps things moving along. Thankfully, “The 48″ doesn’t end this pairing in a predictable way, either.

What many viewers will be wondering throughout this initial installment is, where are those that fell to the ground from space? Abigail (Paige Turco) and Marcus (Henry Ian Cusick) do show up about two-thirds of the way through the episode. I won’t spoil where they enter or what they do, but one thing is definitely clear: their presence marks a shift in the balance of power. The kids, despite having been back on the planet for only a short time, have their own hierarchy and rules now. Does anyone really think their parents and elders will just join that framework? Of course not. Which makes for another thread I’m anxious to see more of.

Finally, there is one main character who appears to be done in last year’s season finale but is definitely not. I was quite surprised to see this person pop up in “The 48″ and I’m not sure exactly why the writers have decided to keep them. Yet, like most of the other story lines, this one is mysterious enough to draw one in, and I definitely look forward to seeing how the writers get this person out of the corner they’ve written them into.

I’ve striven to tease without revealing, but I found The 100‘s season premiere quite good. It picks back up nicely from where it leaves off, and it begins a number of new plots that should serve the show well.

The 100 airs Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET on the CW.

Count to 100

Article first published as THE 100 Review on Seat42F.

THE 100 is the best show currently airing on the CW. I say this confidently having only seen a single episode, and without the first installment having been publicly aired yet. It still hits a few of the basic groaner elements that the teen-focused network always hits, but overall, it’s much more intelligently written and complexly laid out than anything else on that channel. It took a considerable amount of will power to sit down and write this review now, instead of marathoning episodes two through six first.

The premise itself is really cool. Earth was decimated in a nuclear war nearly a century ago, and 4,000 survivors from a dozen international space stations are all that remains of the human race, living in a massive structure in orbit known as the Ark. With resources running scarce, and reluctant to reveal this to the general populace, the leaders of the Ark decide to send one hundred juvenile delinquents down to the ground to see if the globe is livable again.

These kids are picked because they are expendable, criminals locked up for various offenses. The criminal justice system on the Ark has been wheedled down to just two penalties: an internment for minors and death for adults, no matter what the infraction. Hence why none of the away team is over the age of eighteen, though all are nearly that old, meaning a very high percentage of the youth get into trouble and face punishment in this society.

It’s a bleak portrait, one of a crumbling race. I love a good dystopian tale as much as the next person, and there are some nice bits of Battlestar Galactica, a terrific series taking place after mankind is almost extinct, mixed in, including actor Alessandro Juliani. With the stress level so high, it’s no wonder the teens act out, and so this all makes perfect sense in the framing of the enticing tale.

Even better, the politics of the commanders are explored. Current Chancellor Jaha (Isaiah Washington, Grey’s Anatomy) is hopeful the mission to Earth will save his people, and he’s supported by his doctor, Abigail Griffin (Paige Turco, Person of Interest). But Jaha’s second-in-command, Kane (Henry Ian Cusick, Lost), is much more pessimistic, and plans to start weeding the survivors, writing off the kids entirely.

I wish more of THE 100 centered around the adults. This arc easily makes up the best scenes of the pilot, and all three performers mentioned in the above paragraph are very good. While out of contact with those on the surface, they have to make tough decisions with little information, and the drama gets quite intense in the initial hour. I do wonder how the power struggle, which includes main characters on opposite sides so you know it’ll be drawn out, will shake down.

The only weakness readily discernible in this part of the show is the unequal way in which the law is applied. That would never stand in such a fragile balance, as the civilization teeters on the brink of anarchy. It’s necessary for the story, as presented, to break these rules, but one wishes the writers had come up with something a little more brilliant.

The stuff on Earth is a little weaker, mainly because it plays into the CW’s formula of having children act like grownups, and some of the personalities border on unrealistic. Clarke Griffin (Eliza Taylor, Neighbours), Abigail’s daughter, is our plucky hero, determined to succeed, noble and compassionate by nature. She is joined by the chancellor’s son, Wells (Eli Goree, Emily Owens M.D.), who got himself sent down on purpose to protect Clarke, feeling guilty for his part in what went down with Clarke’s recently executed father. There’s also wild, reckless Finn (Thomas McDonell, Suburgatory), but he quickly fills the role of nice guy putting on a front, making the girls swoon, and not causing any real mischief.

While these three teens are good, others are less certain. Octavia (Marie Avgeropoulos, Cult) is tasting freedom for the first time, having been imprisoned all her life just for being illegally born, though she has a better disposition than her brother, Bellamy (Bob Morley, Home and Away). As justifiable as the chip on his shoulder is, Bellamy shouldn’t throw in with creepy John (Richard Harmon, Continuum) as he does, as that spells nothing but trouble for them all. John and Bellamy don’t exactly enact The Hunger Games, but they do establish a (less violent) rule of those on the planet, and that will serve up the tension needed in the story.

I do think some of the stuff the kids encounter is pretty cool, including some unexpected changes on Earth, and a journey fraught with hidden dangers. As much as the adult section is superior, the younger generation shows promise, and as the talent hones their acting chops, they could hold their own on the show in a year or two. Yes, I know the youngsters are the ones referred to in the title, but in the premiere, at least, the mature players hold just as important a role.

For now, the worst parts I can see of THE 100 are still as strong as the better elements of most of the CW’s fare, and the scenes that are amazing raise it up. I’m not saying it would dominate on another network, though it could get by on any of the broadcast ones or even SyFy, but for the CW, it’s at the top of the pack.

THE 100 premieres Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET on the CW.

Person of Interest searches in vain for the "Root Cause"

CBS's Person of Interest's newest installment is "Root Cause." The latest number to pop up from the machine is for a man named Scott Powell (Myk Watford), who, after losing his job and lying to his family about it, wracked by debt, and pushed to the breaking point, sure looks guilty. But Reese (Jim Caviezel) realizes, almost too late, that it's a frame job, set up to make it look like Powell assassinates a Congressman, through Powell is really innocent. Finch (Michael Emerson) looks for a way to prove that innocence, relying on Carter's (Taraji P. Henson) inside info, and bringing in a previous P.O.I., Zoe Morgan (Paige Turco, Damages, April O'Neal from the early '90's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies), to help. But he is thwarted by an expert hacker, the woman behind the frame job, who calls herself Root (Rachel Miner, Californication, Guiding Light), and knows Finch's name. 

Person of Interest is shaping up to be a mostly procedural series, but with enough serial elements to keep things interesting. For instance, the Congressman that is killed in "Root Cause" has been seen on posters and in the background during other episodes. Which leads one to believe that Root is involved in other events in prior episodes, but has just never been seen before this week. What is her connection to Finch? How does she know him? Does she have a grudge, or fancy herself in competition with, the fellow computer whiz? Or is he merely just crossing paths with her because her goals run contrary to his? There are so many questions, and so few answers. It seems Person of Interest will likely continue to dole out information in small, tantalizing pieces, thus keeping interest high.

Which is good, because the initial arc, that of Finch and Reese clashing with Carter, seems to be at an end. She still doesn't completely trust the pair, but seems to have acknowledged that they work for the greater good. Until they cause something really bad to happen, or betray her trust in a very serious way, she will probably stay on board. She is actively helping them a little, keeping the lines of communication open, and has stopped hunting them. She's kind of unneeded in "Root Cause," but it's been better in other episodes.

While her turnaround does seem a little too easy, and a waste of a great dynamic, it's also nice to have things resolved. Of course, that basically makes Fusco (Kevin Chapman) expendable, and true to that form, he does not appear in "Root Cause." Of course, this story may be reawakened if Fusco and Carter, who each do not realize that the other knows Finch and Reese, ever come to odds. Will they be the pawns in a Reese versus Finch battle?

That is a whole other ongoing story that is barely touched on this week. Reese is secretly investigating Finch, as Reese is more suspicious of his partner than Carter is of either of them. It really makes sense for Reese's character to be paranoid, despite the ways that Finch has been shown to earn Reese's trust. Still, as Finch's past remains unclear, it would not be surprising if Reese uncovers something very bad that leads to a (temporary) falling out between the two. Which could be a heck of a story.

As Person of Interest continues to take shape as a series, it's inevitable that recurring characters get added to the mix. Zoe looks to be the first one, and is a fine choice. Turco hasn't been in the Hollywood spotlight all that much lately, so she seems like a fresh face. She serves as a love interest for Reese, someone Finch is intrigued by, and a wild card, as she has her own agenda and past, as well as a murky job description. The character is great, and is welcome as much as the writers can find ways to use her.

As for "Root Cause" itself, and the case of the week contained within the episode, it's a thrilling, tightly played out plot, with some terrific twists, and wonderful action sequences. The case of Powell being framed and hunted is intriguing, and Reese crossing a major line by breaking Powell out of federal custody in the way that he does is fantastic. There really can be no complaints about this story, making "Root Cause" another excellent installment in a series that is quickly becoming a favorite.

Watch Person of Interest Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

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