Distributor: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Episodes: 13
Duration: 42 min (per episode)
The 100: Season 6 (DVD) – Series Review
In retrospect, we have been way too mild when it comes to grading the fifth season of The 100. The season that ended up revealing cannibalism, which we already figured out mid-episode 3, was bland, boring and very predictable. The season also managed to make Octavia, who was already mildly annoying, into one of the most irritating characters the series had seen before. We were wondering if the series could ever redeem itself after such a big letdown, and truthfully, we were actually quite surprised with the sixth season, which is supposedly the second last season.
As was seen in the last episode of the fifth season, the humans once again fucked up, and the planet Earth has finally kicked the bucket. We saw the prisoners, the grounders and what was left of the 100 and their families board the spaceship, enter cryo-sleep and head for a new habitable planet, Alpha. Monty (Christopher Larkin) and Harper (Chelsey Reist) decided to grow old together on the voyage to the new planet. Sadly, as it took more than a hundred years to get there, they are no longer alive and had to say their goodbyes via video messages to Clarke (Eliza Taylor) and the rest of the survivors. They did, however, leave the party with a big present, namely their son Jordan (Shannon Kook), who tells them all they need to know and who is also very keen on seeing the world outside of the confounds of the ship.
The expedition on the planet claims one casualty when the group encounters a shield wall that pretty much burns those who run in it alive. Clarke manages to shut down the shield, and allow the rest of the small exploration team to find shelter in the nearby encampment. Little did they know that the people residing in it were running away from the influence of the Red Sun, which makes everyone go crazy during its time in the sky. The group later finds themselves at the mercy of the ‘gods’ of Sanctum, those that rule this planet.
Meanwhile, those left on the ship are being attacked by survivors outside the shield wall. These rugged humans want nothing more than to destroy the reign of the godly ‘Primes’ within Sanctum, allowing everyone to be free.
The flow of the series remains somewhat the same as the previous seasons, where one big red thread runs throughout the course of the episodes and that individual relationships between characters are being tested. You’ll get more than enough information about the ragtag band of survivors’ new environment, as well as about the world’s inhabitants. We can commend the creators for sticking with the 13-episode format like they opted for in season 5, which improved the flow of the episodes significantly. The new main story is somewhat interesting and it properly ties in with both the prisoner arc of the series, as well as the whole shtick behind the line of commanders and those who are deemed proper ‘nightbloods’. While many predictable choices are still made within the season, we had to say several goodbyes to decent characters, which was actually a lot harder than initially expected.
Some changes were made in the casting department, and there will also be a few characters leaving during the course of the season. For the sake of avoiding spoilers, we won’t dig deeper into the old cast members, especially those who are leaving, safe for Eliza Taylor, who will have to adapt to two roles this season. She handles her new split-personality quite well and shows that she can still develop her skills further. Other than that, there are a few new faces this season, with Sara Thompson and JR Bourne being the more prominent appearances. Both actors play members of the founding families on Alpha, albeit in their old/new forms respectively. The new cast members do a formidable job carrying this season over the finish line. We also see Chuku Modu play a big role in this season, albeit in the wilderness surrounding the community of Sanctum.
The special features on the DVD edition of the sixth season are very mediocre. All you’ll have to make do with is a part of the WonderCon panel of 2019. It’s fun to get some insights from the creative mind behind the series, as well as some of the key cast members, but for a physical edition, it feels lacking.
Conclusion
The 100: Season 6 is a fresh of breath air in the stale environment of the series. We welcome a new environment, as well as new enemies and allies in a strange world. The series’ flow is a lot better since they shortened the seasons and we can only hope that the last season will be as qualitative as this one. While we had to say some goodbyes during this season, there are still sufficient familiar cast members to make the last part of the series interesting. If you are still clinging to this series, and you can cope with the fact that the fifth season was a complete failure, then you’ll be pleased with this sixth season.
The 100: Season 6 (DVD) – Series Review,
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