Let’s start this preview with a show of hands. How many people called the ending of season one of The 100? How many thought, “Holy crap, when does season two get here?”
Well, it’s here! The 100 returns on Wednesday for it’s 16 episode season two. Out of all the new shows last season, The 100 turned out to be the biggest pleasant surprise. Well, I shouldn’t say pleasant, because the show often strayed into dark territory, but the heart and emotion in the story telling was something that eludes so many shows that rely on regular formulas. Nothing has been regular about this show, including the number of times it triggered a few tears in my eyes. The 100 made me care about these characters, hurt when these characters hurt, and my jaw dropped to the floor just like them when inexplicable things happened, which they often did.
Season two kicks off in a very strange place, with Clarke being held at the mysterious Mount Weather in the beautiful white room. Who are “The Mountain Men” and why are they to be feared? That is where one of the big mysteries begin. The other arcs run with Kane, Abby and the Ark survivors on the ground trying to acclimate themselves, Lincoln and Octavia living among The Grounders, and Jaha alone in the sky waiting for his fate.
Season two also has some exciting changes behind the scenes. EP Jason Rothenberg has a whole new writing team, a few who are Battlestar Galactica alum, while he takes over full time showrunning duties. The creative direction is adding a new energy to the show in the writer’s room as well, especially when they have 3 more episodes to work with this season.
Synopsis and Previews
Below is the official CW synopsis for the season opener, titled “The 48.”
Picking up where the season one finale ended, Clarke (Eliza Taylor) is still alone in the white room, frantically trying to make sense of her bizarre surroundings, while the fate of Bellamy (Bob Morley), Finn (Thomas McDonell) and Raven (Lindsey Morgan) is still unknown. Lincoln (Ricky Whittle) and Octavia’s (Marie Avgeropoulos) daring plan is thwarted and an enemy returns. Meanwhile, Abby (Paige Turco), Kane (Henry Ian Cusick) and the survivors of the Ark must face physical and moral dilemmas in their dangerous and beautiful new world. Finally, Jaha (Isaiah Washington) makes a heroic decision. Devon Bostick and Chris Larkin also star. Dean White directed the episode written by Jason Rothenberg (#201). Original airdate 10/22/2014.
Here’s the preview clip from The CW:
The Interviews
Eliza Taylor (Clarke), talked with us at Comic Con about the predicament facing Clarke and what to expect from her character in season two.
The surviving adults, unknown in number, are out to find the others while experiencing the harsh conditions that this Earth has to offer. How fast before they find the kids? Quicker than you think admits Executive Producer Jason Rothenburg in our Comic Con interview. He drops a HUGE bomb in this interview about the fate of Bellamy, so with his interview I’ll issue a MAJOR SPOILER ALERT. It’s also a really fun interview too. He’s in a great mood!
Also, there’s a full transcript of the Jason Rothenberg Interview here: https://www.tvfortherestofus.com/index.php/interviews/793-full-transcript-interview-with-the-100-executive-producer-jason-rothenberg-sdcc-2014
Another bombshell in the season one finale was that Chancellor Jaha sacrificed himself for the good of those on the Ark, choosing to stay behind so the various sections of the Ark could fall to Earth. Isaiah Washington’s presence for the interview confirmed that he is in season two, but for how long? What will the fate of Jaha be? He doesn’t say much about that in this interview, but he is able to gloat about what he told us during the season one interviews, that this show would be a success. He’s already laid out a plan for a long term future!
Also on Earth is the love story of Lincoln and Octavia. They will be living among The Grounders and will give their side of this saga, including why The Grounders fear The Reapers so much. Among the teasers we got in the interviews with both Marie Avgeropoulos (Octavia) and Ricky Whittle (Lincoln), as well as Rothenberg, there will be a new language on the show, the language of The Grounders.
Unfortunately, the video with our interview with Ricky Whittle didn’t turn out, so here’s an entire transcript of the interview. As you can tell, he’s really excited about what’s coming in season two. His enthusiasm is quite infectious!
Your character was initially called “Grounder”
RW: The Grounder. I had a “the” in there. The, the, the, the grounder.
Then your metamorphosis happened and you’ve become an actual person with a name.
RW: I have. I mean, he always had a name, he was just a little shy. He didn’t really want to tell anyone. When people are stabbing you through the hand, whipping you and electrocuting you, you kind of keep it to yourself. You know what, you’re going to do I’m not saying nothing. No one actually said, “Listen fella, we’re sorry. We’re sorry and if you give us the antidote, we’ll let you go. Let’s take you down now. We’re sorry. We came into your neighborhood, came into your cave, hit you in the head, we’re sorry buddy.” But no one did that. So no, I’m not going to speak.
How much fun has it been playing this character?
RW: It’s not too often that an actor can pick a show or a character and go, “That’s the one I wanted to be.” When I watch (The) Walking Dead, I want to be Norman Reedus’ character. I love that show, I love that character, he’s an incredible actor, incredible character, incredible show. The 100 is a show that I would watch. If I wasn’t in it I would watch The 100. Lincoln is a character that I would want to play. And it’s not often an actor can say that. I’m really blessed, the writers and producers have given me an incredible storyline, and the story I’ve just been pitched for season two is incredible and I’m going to go home and do my homework. I’ve got to go and research because they’re going to take me to an even darker place.
I caught episode 7, the bottle episode where I was tortured. I said one word, I said “Thank You” at the end of that episode. It was so challenging to keep everything in the face, to keep everything visual. You want to be challenged as an actor and the storyline and material I’ve been given is going to take me there. It’s going to go really dark and I’m going to have to do my research. I can’t just turn up just knowing my lines. I’m going to have to study this and figure out what goes on in someones’s mind and what happens. They’re going to really challenge me to go places that I’ve never been before. And I think all the rest of the cast are the same. I’ve been speaking to them and learning about their story lines. They’re really going to push us. It’s an honor to be trust by the writers and producers to portray what they want to say.
How do you prepare for a role on a how like this?
RW: We do what the writers say. Although this is science fiction, they go to the right people. They go to NASA, they go to psychologists, to various people and ask the right questions. That’s just what I’m going to do. I’m going to go on the Internet, on YouTube, on Google, I’m going to watch films, watch TV, different shows things that have happened similar. When I was cast for Lincoln I had lunch with Jason Rothenburg in Beverly Hills, that sounds so terrible, (says with a swagger) “In Beverly Hills.” I’m English, it still excites me, okay? He was like touch points would be like, go watch The Last of the Mohicans, Apocalypto, go watch Dances With Wolves, all these different films where you’ve got indigenous people, you’ve got different tribes. You’ve got people who are not necessarily speaking English. Even fantastic films like I just watched Dawn of the Planet of the Apes where everything is all in their face. You’re watching apes going, “They’re better actors than the humans.” Because it’s all so powerful. Sometimes the unspoken word is so powerful. That’s why I liked episode 7 because I said nothing. But everything was there and the connection Marie Avgeropolous was able to give me, she’s a great actress, that sometimes I lost myself in there. Because we were in such a dark set and the way it was beautifully lit I could only see Marie. The amount of talent and passion she gives me, I just get lost in those eyes, and we’re doing that sort of thing, I love that.
Can you talk about what’s coming up for Octavia and Lincoln?
You’re going to see a big challenge for the two. They are involved, they are Romeo and Juliet. They are going to be the gateway into learning about The Grounders, into The Reapers, into learning about Earth. That’s the only way we’re going to learn about Earth, it’s through their eyes.
(Lights go out in the room) See, as soon as we start talking about Linctavia, things get sexy (table laughs). Lights go down, we move in a little bit closer…(using his best Joey Tribbiani voice), ”How you doing?”
We’re going to see the two get really challenged. Lincoln’s got this moral compass, he’s a good person. We’re going to see that challenged in season two.
Are we going to see more about this past?
We’re definitely going to learn more about him and his whole being. Why he is the way he is. He’s going to get really pushed to a dark place. Octavia’s going to have to learn to deal with this as well. The two are going to go through something very traumatic and very dark and it’s life, it’s how you react to such a situation. Like I said before it’s going to be really challenging, it’s going to be really dark, it’s going to be really fun and I can’t wait for everyone to see it. When it was pitched to me my jaw was on the floor. I’m just like, “I can’t wait to go home and learn about this. I just want to do this, I just want to do that, I just want to do that.” You want to be challenged, you want to be excited. Everyday I wake up in Vancouver I want to get to work. I’m pushing production saying, “Is the script out? It that two hours, is that three hours, is that four hours…” We’re like big kids. When’s the next script out, when are we shooting these scenes?
My first day was a stunt. I speaking to Marshall Virtue, our stunt coordinator, and I’m, “When can be practice, when can we do this, when can we do that?” You go home and you do your research because you’re excited about the show. Jason said, “How’s your horse riding.” I was like, “I’m all over it.” Bang! What was I doing this week? I was in LA just on horses at stables learning to ride.
We’ve got a new language coming out The Grounders are going to have their own language which will come to light. We’re learning with David J. Peterson who came up with the Game of Thrones dialects valyrian and all those different languages. That’s another thing that we’ll have to learn. I’ll be spending time with my vocal coach and I’ll be spending time with my acting coach and I’ll be in the gym because Lincoln’s got to be a warrior so I’ve got to be back in shape even though I’ve been eating candy and chocolate all day. I’m allowed a day off. But you’ve got to do your research and do your homework, and bring it, because this cast is going to bring it.
Here’s the full video from our friends at Whedonopolis who were at the table and did have a video camera with a charged battery!
As a bonus, this is a great interview with Devon Bostick (Jasper) by MeredithJJ, who was at the table next to us. Unfortunately, we ran out of time before we could talk to Devon.
Also, out today, is a great interview (and non-spoilery) with Jason Rothenburg by Mo Ryan of the Huffington Post.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/21/the-100-cw_n_6023100.html
Finally, here are the preview photos for “The 48” from The CW:
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The 100 premieres Wednesday on The CW at 9:00 pm right after Arrow. Come back here and share your reaction after the premiere. I’m sure there will be lots to discuss, unless they leave us too spechless!
