Episode 5x12: "Damocles, Part I"

Welcome back to Meta Station! [INSERT INAPPROPRIATE JOKE ABOUT MARCUS KANE LOOKING LIKE A SNACK HERE]

LOTS of deaths this week, including Vinson, a whole bunch of redshirts, and the myth of Blodreina (and we’ll feel a lot better once we know Gaia and Kane are okay), but the fractured groups are finally beginning to coalesce back together, which is a HUGE relief. We know you all had strong feelings about this episode, and we did too; we clocked in at over four hours (don’t worry, this one is edited!) because there was so much to unpack.

Initially Erin and Claire were a house divided regarding a few of the storylines, and met more in the middle on rewatch, but overall we’re feeling better at the end of this episode than we did at the end of the last one. We got hope! We got forgiveness! We got love! We got families! We got hugs! We got closure! We got new beginnings! We got another cryptic drive-by reference to Eligius III! In other words, we’re right where we should be as our heroes head into the finale.

Come along with us on this EXTREME rollercoaster as we dig into the good (Bellamy and Indra are done with Octavia’s bullshit! Abby destroys the embodiment of her addiction! Murphy has been watching 70’s movies in space!), the bad (what an unsatisfying Princess Mechanic reunion! Why do people keep making deals with McCreary???) and the ugly (there is absolutely no justification for using a torture device on your child).

T-minus 4 days until the finale! LET’S DO THIS THING
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0:02 - All of Blodreina's Assorted Chickens Come Home to Roost
0:19 - Okay, But in What Sense Does Bellamy "Want" Octavia to Die?
0:24 - Tragedy vs. Bummer: Why Octavia's (and the Blakes') Arc Is the Latter, Not the Former
0:34 - "Can I Just Say Something Real Gay for a Minute": Claire Is On-Brand
0:36 - We Really, Really Hope That There Are a LOT More Consequences to Come for Octavia
0:56 - Finally, a Glimpse Into Miller's State of Mind!!! And Finally, People Coming Together!!! IT FEELS LIKE HOPE
1:03 - Erin Has Two Boxes of Clarke Feelings: One Is Labeled "Plot Beefs," the Other Is Labeled "Bellarke Flails"
1:06 - That Shock Collar Scene Was Bad On, Like, Every Conceivable Level
1:35 - Clarke Character Crux: Is "Mama Bear" Clarke the Result of Motherhood, or Her 6-Year Isolation?
1:39 – Clarke Has Nowhere to Go For Counsel Except Into the Past
1:53 – Claire Keeps Forgetting That Clarke Thought Bellamy Was Dead LOL Whoops
1:55 – That Clarke and Echo Conversation Was SO MUCH
2:09 – CLARKE/BELLAMY PARALLELS, PART 1: Striking a Deal with the Devil and Leaving Someone You Love Behind
2:16 – CLARKE/BELLAMY PARALLELS, PART 2: Learning Healthy Family Emotional Boundaries
2:24 – Please God Let Us Get a Better Princess Mechanic Reunion Next Week
2:26 – The McCreary Problem: Clarke, Diyoza and Kane Get Stuck in a Massive Plot Hole Playing a Three-Person Game of Idiot Ball
2:37 – Uhhhhhhh IDK Who That Dude Was Who Just Handed His People Over for McCreary to Massacre Them But It Was NOT Marcus Kane
2:50 – Everyone Keeps Interpreting Abby’s Advice in the Most Violent Way Possible
2:53 – Vinson As the Human Personification of Abby’s Addiction Is One of the Most Brilliant Twists in This Entire Season
3:03 – Claire Gets Personal About Vinson’s Refusal to Let Abby Go
3:11 – WE’RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME BUT WE CAN’T NOT TALK ABOUT KABBY