***The Starry-Eyed Revue***: the 100

So, last month I mentioned that I was finally, finally watching The 100. It took longer than I expected, though, to get through both seasons because my husband sat down and watched an episode with me, and by the end, he was just as hooked as I was. Which meant I ~~couldn't~~ wasn't allowed to watch it without him. Oh, the unfairness!

But we finally watched the two-part finale of the second season last Tuesday. It's only been a week, and I'm already fiending for more. I don't know how the rest of you have managed the last few months without any more episodes. Especially knowing there won't be any more until 2016.

I've only just started bingeing shows on Netflix. I used to have Netflix years ago, back before streaming was an option, but we upped our cable package and got rid of it. I forget the reason we decided to subscribe to Netflix again, but I would never go back. And I'm now considering getting rid of that crazy expensive movie package. Seems like a fair trade, especially since I also have Amazon Prime and a smart TV that streams both. I don't mind paying for programming when it's actually being watched. Hell, I spent $30 on the 2nd season of The 100, and it was SOOO worth it not to have to wait until October or later to finish my binge. And it's not like this is the only time I'll watch it. I'm sure the hubs and I will re-watch both seasons before season three hits the airwaves.

Anyway, while we're waiting, I felt the need to discuss the show and its characters with others who are suffering through the torturous wait for new episodes, too. Fair warning, I'm not holding back, so there will definitely be spoilers below. But I'm the last person on the planet to watch the show, so that shouldn't be an issue, right? ;-P

Let's be honest. I caved to peer pressure when it comes to watching The 100. I had zero interest in reading the book it's adapted from, and even less interest in watching the series based on the initial promotion for it. But I couldn't go a day without someone singing it's praises, especially once the second season was under way. And now that I've experience it for myself, I can see why fans were so enamored with it. The premise isn't an altogether unrealistic possibility. The storyline, the characters arcs, the cinematography...all speak to my sci-fi loving heart. But I'm going to pick it apart so you can see exactly why I love it so.

The Intro

How much more awesome was the intro for the second season? A million times better! I mean, Clarke drawing and explaining the situation was all well and good in the beginning, but things have changed. We're on Earth now, baby!

The new opening sequence gives us a better sense of what the show's about and it just feels more reminiscent of a science fiction show to me. It's about survival and making use of what technology is left after the fall of man. It's not just Clarke's story anymore. Not even just the 100's story, but that of all of the survivors of the Ark, plus the Grounders and up until recently, the Mountain Men.

The Characters

Clarke

Obviously, she's kind of my fave. She's badass and makes the really hard decisions that no one else wants to have to live with. Clarke may have started out as a princess to the rest of the 100, but she's more of a Grounder than Octavia can ever hope to be.

Bellamy

I was so set on hating this guy because he was the douchiest douchebag to ever step off the Ark, but his character growth over two seasons was off the charts. Bellamy Blake went from gun-wielding manwhore asshat with something to prove to an all-around decent human being. And all it took to get him there was having to fight for his life and watching a few friends die. It is what it is, but I'm glad he got there eventually.

Octavia

This girl gets on my nerves. Like Bellamy, she's come a long way, but she's got even further to go. Octavia is too impulsive, can't follow directions, and is just generally the most immature of all of the 100. I know she's just trying to find her place in the world, but she annoys me all the same.

Jasper

Imagine my surprise after watching a few episodes and then watching Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules with the kiddo and discovering that dorky Jasper from The 100 is the same kid who plays the jerky older brother. Weirdly, it made me like him more. Also, I was not expecting the kid who got speared in the gut in the very first episode to become somewhat of a hero by the end of the second season. Jasper's character arc is one of my favorites, even if it's also one of the saddest. And that's saying something.

Finn

Uh oh. Here come the waterworks. Finn may not be with us any longer, but his memory lives on. I thought he was just a goof in the beginning, then a pacifist, then a player, then a man with nothing left to live for. Finn was all of those things and more. I'm glad we got to see what really happened to get him thrown behind bars before he bit the big one. Every sacrifice he made was out of love, and though he made mistakes of his own, he was a commendable character and the one whose death choked me up the most.

Honorable Mentions

No offense to his character, but I'm glad West was killed off early on. There was no future for him and Clarke and I found him vaguely annoying. Monty is awesome with all things that have wires or screens or circuitry, and I'm glad he's not dead yet, especially for the sake of the Ark survivors. And in an unexpected turn of events, I actually think I might be growing to like Murphy, especially after that escapade with Jaha. I really wanted to dislike Raven -- even thought it was actually Clarke who was "the other woman" -- but she's kind of badass herself. Lincoln, the Grounder with a heart, continues to surprise me, but I'm happy to have him on our side...I mean, the Ark's side. :) I liked the hate-hate thing that Clarke and Anya had going, and at least you knew Anya couldn't be completely trusted, unlike Lexa the betrayer. Also, you'll notice I don't mention the adults from the Ark or those from the Mountain Men's safe haven...I find their stories less interesting. *shrugs*

The Romance

Clarke & Finn

These two were kind of adorable in the beginning, but then all hell broke loose, what with Raven jumping ship to come save her boyfriend, only to find that he'd already found a new snuggle buddy. (Like I said earlier, though, it was nice to see what Finn and Raven were to each other before they came to Earth...melted my cold, bitter heart.) And then Clarke was missing and Finn went a little...insane while he set out in search of her. I mean, when John Murphy looks less crazy than you do, there's a problem. And what he did while looking for Clarke caused a major rift in their relationship. He'd been the one to pacify everyone, and then this. But, I believe that later on, Clarke probably understood how he felt in that moment, when he'd do anything to get her back, to save her. Because she felt that, too, later on for her people, and same as Finn did, she now has to live with that guilt. At least Finn's sacrifice absolved him of his. I don't know how Clarke's going to come back from this.

Octavia & Lincoln

Lincoln is obviously good for Octavia, but I don't think the same can be said of her for him, especially since Lincoln's own people have abandoned him because of his affiliation with the Sky People. However, Octavia has learned much from Lincoln and his people, and has even made a few friends among the Grounders, though that all changed with Lexa's betrayal at the end of season two. Now they're both living among the Ark survivors, and I'm interested to see how well that works out and what it means for their relationship in the coming season.

Raven & Wick

After what she's been through, Raven needed a real man to step up. And I love that Wick won't take her bullshit, won't settle for less than he deserves just because she's afraid of taking a risk. In the end, Raven had to suck it up and admit that she needed him, hard as it was for a badass like her to do. Raven may only be slightly older than the 100, but she always seemed more adult than the rest of them. It's about damn time she started acting like it.

Clarke & Lexa

When Lexa kisses Clarke before the big battle, my husband said, "What? No way...I did not see that coming!" I did, though. I mean, Lexa had mentioned Castia before and she'd hinted several times that she did care for Clarke, that she was being benevolent for her, even though it wasn't doing her any favors among her own people. Which is why it shouldn't have come as a shock when she betrayed Clarke, but that's life.

Bellarke

I'd seen quite a bit of shipping for Bellarke, but I really didn't get it until I started watching the second season. And then it made sense....one of those hate-to-love things I find so amusing. Except they don't hate each other anymore. And I don't even think they know what they mean to each other yet. But there's hope for them still. They both needed saving, and they'll be the ones to save each other.

As you can see Clarke gets a lot of action. ;0) But I see a romance in her mother's future, as well. *wink, wink*

The Weird, the Beautiful & the Brutal...and the Oddly Familiar

The survivors on the Ark have no clue what to expect when they send the 100 back to Earth to see if it can sustain life. And I love how the show portrays every bit of what they find when they make it back to land. From the weird, like creatures who've been exposed to radiation and have become something other...

To the beautiful, undiscovered wonders...

...it's all so wonderfully depicted as other. Including the natives, who are savage and brutal.

Just ask Jasper. :P But I also love how some things are so familiar that I don't realize it until much later and then I feel like a doofus. For example, the Grounders are camped out at Ton DC, and even though I saw the remains of the Lincoln Memorial when Octavia passed it way back when, it still didn't occur to me until much later that they were actually in what was formerly Washington, D.C.

I'm ~~kind of~~ obsessed with this show. I could re-watch it right this second and think nothing of it. I want to collect anything and everything related to The 100. Like, when are they gonna make Funko figurines because I need Clarke and Bellamy dolls that I can force to love and kiss each other and how adorable would little Funko Grounders be?!? And I'm so bummed I missed the cast of The 100 at SDCC. I mean, not that I had been planning to attend, anyway, but it would have been amazing to meet the cast. *le sigh*

If you've made it through this whole post, I assume you've watched and love this show, as well. But if not, what's holding you back? You should go ahead and cave to the peer pressure, too, so we can discuss. =)

I miss The 100, obviously, but I know binge-ing another show would lessen the heartache a bit. Except, I don't know what to binge next. So, I'm up for suggestions. Something similar to this show would be great, but anything fantasy or sci-fi is good for me. I'm kinda in the middle of Daredevil, but that's another my hubby is making me wait to watch with him. :( The 100 kinda reminded me a little of Lost, so I'm thinking of re-watching that series if nothing else strikes my fancy.

In the meantime, I'm here to hold your hand if you need comfort while we wait for season three. :D

Labels: binge, Netflix, obsessions, the 100, tv

So, we spend a lot of time here on the blog talking about books, reviewing books, waiting on books, getting books...you get the picture. But reading isn't all we do. So, I thought I'd showcase some of my other interests -- namely TV, movies, and music -- and what's been playing in my house this month.

I had some health issues recently that left me in pain and rather lethargic, so I spent a good deal of time on the couch. It's summer, though, and all of my shows are on hiatus and I'm all caught up, so I resorted to Netflix and discovered a couple of gems. I'm pretty sure I'm, like, the last person to discover these, but whatevs.

Daredevil starring Charlie Cox

First of all, YUM. So much better than Ben Affleck, IMO. Also, this satisfies my longing for more superheroes until the next Marvel movie. Or at least until I finish this season on Netflix. :(

My husband wasn't terribly impressed by the first episode and so he hasn't continued watching with me. His loss. My 7yo daughter thought it a bit too violent and has also ceased watching. But I told her she wasn't supposed to be watching with me, anyway. It's summer. She should be playing outside, lol. But this Daredevil reboot is just right for this mama bear. :D

A shirtless and ab-rific Charlie Cox will make any girl feel better. =)

The 100 starring Eliza Taylor

I'll be honest. I was not at all interested in reading the book this was adapted from when it released. And so I dismissed the show without another thought when I saw promotion for it. And then everyone and their mama was raving about it, declaring their ships and what-not, and I couldn't go a day without seeing it mentioned on Twitter. So, I caved. And I'm soooo glad I finally gave in. I'm not very far into it, but I'm already invested. This show and I are going to have a very unhealthy relationship before you know it.

Anything else on Netflix that I've obviously been missing but need in my life, like yesterday? Always up for recs!

So, I couldn't make myself spend the money to see Vampire Academy at the theater after all of the terrible things I'd read about it. Even if it was from the genius behind Mean Girls. And even if I ~~was~~ am a huge fan of the books. I even re-read the series in anticipation of the movie. But it was on one of the movie channels the other day when I was couch-bound, so I decided to give my curiosity a break and let it play.

It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't good. It's just disappointing because it could have been SO good. The snark, the vampire-slaying, the banter...were just all so disappointing. The oomph that the book had was just missing completely.

It came on again last night, and I decided to take a nap rather than watch it again.

*****

I've listened to the audiobook version of The DUFF several times. It's probably my favorite of Keplinger's. I even listened again right before watching this. I'd heard the movie was very different from the book, and I wanted to see just how different.

Not the same story at all, really. The characters' names remained and the DUFF premise was the same, but everything else, I mean everything, was changed. But it still ended up being a really cute movie with a pretty positive message.

I watched it at my place while my sis watched it at hers and we texted back and forth in monster voice, which made it all the more funny. And then you have Robbie Amell's abs. Definitely a plus. But poor Toby Tucker, turned into such a douche-nozzle for the sake of comedy.

I would definitely watch this one again when I need a laugh.

I'm also looking forward to watching The Seventh Son (Ben Barnes, YUM) and taking the little one to see The Minions movie soon. =) Those little guys are just too cute.

I'm a mood listener, and lately, I've been in a very chill listening mood, preferring no lyrics and pretty melodies. This is especially the type of music I listen to while reading. My husband thinks it's crazy that I can listen to music at all while reading...he thinks it would be too distracting. Pfft.

My latest discovery is The Answer Team, which isn't new by any means, but I still love it:

Free Electronic Press Kits template from ReverbNation.com

But I don't want you to get the idea that my butt is always parked on the couch. =) Besides finishing up Daredevil and The 100 on Netflix, we've got plans to blow some stuff up for the 4th of July and more plans to get our butts in some water, a la Schlitterbahn and maybe Hamilton Pool. (So pretty!) Once I'm all rested up, I see some hiking in my future, as well. Assuming the 100 degree days hold off for a bit. o_O

Hope you're all enjoying your summers and that you've got lots of great things to read, watch, and listen to!