Written by Avani Goswami
Bellamy’s back in the latest episode of The 100, ‘Etherea.’ The episode fills us in on where he’s been and leaves us with a twist.
‘Etherea’ off with Levitt (Jason Diaz, The Handmaid’s Tale) finding out Bellamy (Bob Morley, Home & Away) is alive and travelled through a portal to another planet, which we all knew happened anyway. The episode focuses on Bellamy from there on out and his adventure on a mountain planet called Etherea. But he’s not flying solo. The Disciple he was with when he “died” is with him, known as the Conductor (Jonathan Scarfe, The Equalizer 2), though we never find that out in the episode. They form an unlikely bond in order to survive, though the Conductor is reluctant about it at first.
Bellamy and him spend time in a cave, dubbed Cave of Ascent, where Bellamy takes his booklet about the Shepherd (John Pyper-Ferguson, Suits) and begins reading it. He’s disbelieving at first, but as the two of them travel the rocky frontier and brave snowstorms, he begins listening to his travel companion more and the ideas of the Shepherd. We also find out some information about the Shepherd and his family, and discover they must have once stayed in the places Bellamy and his friend use for shelter.
The two of them find a glowing ray of light, which is described as some kind of transcendent being? Then, Bellamy and his friend basically pray, trying to reach some level of transcendence, or connect with the Shepherd. Bellamy finds himself having a version of an out of body experience, where he sees his mother, Aurora (Monique Ganderton, Avengers: Endgame). This is definitely a great surprise. I love seeing any references to the past before the show comes to a close. But after the sweet reunion, the snowstorm clears and Bellamy begins to believe in the idea of the Shepherd. It’s solidified when he and his friend chant the Shepherd’s words back to one another and he saves the Conductor’s life.
They find the anomaly stone and get back to Bardo, where Bellamy kneels to Bill Cadogan and calls him “my Shepherd.” Then we get to see Clarke (Eliza Taylor, The November Man), Octavia (Marie Avgeropoulos, Wonder Woman: Bloodline), and Echo (Tasya Teles, The Perfect Pickup), ready to take the next step in their plan, when they finally see Bellamy and discover he’s alive.
There’s a sweet line from Octavia about how no one can keep the Blake’s down, but the Disciples have their weapons trained on them, so it’s all very tense. When Clarke hugs Bellamy and reveals the truth, that she doesn’t have the key, which is the flame, she tells Bellamy to keep quiet about it. Bellamy, newly loyal to the Shepherd, gives away the information right away. Ouch. That one hurt.
Honestly, I’m not so quick to buy the idea of Bellamy as a religious person. I can see it after all he’s been through. Believing in Bill Cadogan, though? Following him after Bellamy knows the truth about the man and his doomsday cult? I’m not sure if that sounds like Bellamy. To be fair, he has been brainwashed. It seems like this twist will make for some good, angsty scenes in the next few episodes, but we are so close to the finale. I wonder if we have enough time to see this storyline through, and if we’re losing precious time with one of my original favorite characters, especially after he’s been gone all season. So even though I’m excited to see where brainwashed Bellamy leads, I’m less excited that it’s so close to the end of the entire show.
There are still so many questions to answer, like the rise of Sheidheda (JR Bourne, Teen Wolf), the whereabouts of Gaia (Tati Gabrielle, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), and the last war. Not to mention the development of so many relationships, hopefully most of which will have satisfying conclusions. And now we have brainwashed Bellamy on our hands. It’s a lot to take in, and I hope there’s enough time to fully realize this plotline and show us Bellamy’s true character, because I think it’s cutting a little too close to the end.
The 100 Season 7 Episode 11, ‘Etherea’ is now streaming on The CW App.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anRUYC4UD2c
