War is brewing between Wonkru and the Prison Crew over the survival of the human race. As both sides begin preparations, new problems arise.
The 100 – “Shifting Sands”, Season 5, Episode 05
Airdate: May 22nd, 2018
Director: Dean White
Writer: Jason Rothenberg
Based on the Book by: Kass Morgan
What You Should Know:
The prisoners, with their superior firepower, have laid claim to the valley upon the threat of war, and now with the 283 prisoners on Eligius IV let loose, the prisoners also have an army to back their claim. Octavia and Wonkru, however, newly leased from the bunker, do not intend to give up the valley without a fight.
What You’ll Find Out:
Wonkru recklessly begins to prepare for war without the input of Clark, the only person on Earth with intimate knowledge and intelligence regarding the valley and the surrounding terrain. What we begin to see is that Wonkru has responded to Bloodreina’s leadership in an almost blind and cult-like manner, making them more dangerous than anticipated, not only for the enemy prisoner army but also for potential allies with differing opinions to those held by Octavia. Bellamy disagrees briefly with Octavia and is held at gunpoint by several Wonkru members, illustrating the potentially terminal loyalty.
As Wonkru begins their march to war, the prison crew has finally been returned to Earth, inhabiting the village that has been Clark’s home for the past six years, along with Marcus and Abby, as well as Raven and Murphy. While Marcus and Abby investigate medical records that indicate a spreading cancer among the former minors (or an aberration that may or may not be cancerous), Raven and Murphy are tortured as to how to unlock the hacked weapons systems, an answer that they, unfortunately, do not have, as they were not the ones to hack that particular system. It is revealed that Shaw actually locked the prison crew out of the weapon system, and it will be Shaw who eventually unlocks them after freeing Murphy and protecting Raven. Shaw finds himself in the unenviable position of being indispensable as the only pilot among the prison crew, but still not being really one of the prison crew (although how he ended up with them has yet to be revealed).
As Wonkru marches across the wastelands leading the valley, they encounter a number of obstacles. Parasitic worms seem to inhabit the desert, burrowing into people and laying their eggs. That is the way ahead, while the way back to Polis becomes blocked by a glass-throwing sandstorm. Staying still is no longer an option, however, as the prison transport, now with fully capable missile systems, is bearing down on their encampment. The solution—the only viable solution for the survival of most, but not all—is to huddle together to protect the injured (by the worms) Bloodreina in the midst of the sandstorm, a move that costs Wonkru eleven soldiers, but possibly gains them a greater advantage for the long-term in the respect of Diyoza for Octavia and her ability to command loyalty.
In the final sequence, the remaining Ark refugees are finally reunited with a retreating Wonkru, and while most of the reunions seem happy (Madi and Clark, Bellamy and Echo), the look exchanged between Octavia and Echo is a clear reminder of grievances not yet forgotten.
What Just Happened?
There are a number of story elements introduced in this episode that mark it as an interesting swivel point for the narrative moving forward. Chief among these is the introduction of the disease spreading among the former miners. Whether or not Abby is able to come up with a treatment in the wasteland of the post-Praimfaya Earth will certainly be a question that dominates her time with the prison crew, but it also opens the door for the notion that other pre-AIDA health conditions could resurface along with the return of a population that never had generations on the Ark. There is a sense of the narrative of colonial powers bringing their diseases to a new world percolating here, a device that could be used to the benefit or the detriment of the current state of politics in The 100.
Shaw’s role as a potential mole for Wonkru (or at least Skykru) seems murky at best for the time being. The release of Murphy yet keeping him collared and thus trackable may have been done in the effort of credibility, but it also marks a clear survival instinct in Shaw that could override any sense of the loyalty in any given direction.
Marcus, ever the politician, appears to forge an alliance with Diyoza, offering intelligence on Wonkru in exchange for his safety. While there is a part of me that hopes his betrayal is a part of a grand scheme to take down the prison crew from within, there is an equal part of me that remembers Marcus from the Ark and cannot help but wonder whether he has any loyalties to anybody but himself.
Rating: 8/10
Final Thought: With the narrative fractured and pulling in several different directions at this time, I believe we are primed to see a number of changing allegiances over the next few weeks. Unlikely alliances have been a hallmark of the show for five years, and this season appears to be maintaining that consistency.
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