It’s been a full week since Clarke was dragged kicking and screaming from Lexa’s throne room; and since then, Lexa’s honored Clarke’s wish to leave her alone. Time however is not on their side so Lexa makes another attempt to talk to Clarke about the serious issues they both face. The good news is that she’s no longer raving like a crazy woman. The bad news is, she’s entirely unreceptive and still holding onto her anger about Mount Weather (not that I blame her).
Lexa’s bottom line: She’s hosting a summit with the Skaikru at sundown and Clarke will be returned to her people at that time. What’s more, she wants Clarke’s people to become her people, to become the 13th clan and therefore under her direct protection and rule. All Clarke has to do is bow before her.
And that’s when Clarke lays into her. She knows the truth about what it means to be Wanheda, that by what she did, Lexa’s power was weakened and the Ice Nation is exploiting that weakness.
Heda Lexa has a busy day ahead of her as she proceeds straight for the throne room and a meeting of the clan leaders. All bow, except for the Azgeda representative who insults her, criticizes her treaties with the Skaikru and demands she bow before the Ice Nation. “The Commander bows before no one,” Titus asserts before Lexa steps in.
Even as he continues to disrespect her, she tries to set it aside for the good of her people but he refuses to let up. But now, he talks about Wanheda and wonders why she’s alive, if this is Lexa’s weakness again (a clear reference to Costia) and suggests Ice Nation could take care of it for her. Ooh. Bad move, bro.
Lexa calls him forward and asks him to deliver a message to the Ice Queen for her. It’s pithy, but effective.
For some reason, no one left expressed any desire to question Lexa’s decisions after she kicked the Azgeda representative out the window.
At the outskirts of Polis, Kane and Abby arrive and are to meet whoever will take them into the city. Kane is particularly surly when he sees a guard carrying a medkit from Mount Weather and Abby chides him for taking his irritation out on the guard. He should be taking it out on her, by the way, and he starts doing just that. Finally, someone responds to the occupation of Mount Weather by the Skaikru the same as I do! As I suggested in the review for last weeks episode, it’s utter foolishness to stomp all over the treaty with the Grounders like this.
Speaking of Mount Weather, Bellamy, Octavia, Raven and Gina arrive via rover. Bell’s not happy to be there though. He wants to be in Polis. When they get inside, it’s deja vu all over again, with a group of settlers already living and thriving in the Mountain rather than the exploratory committee that’s supposed to be there. Needless to say, Octavia was not impressed at the disrespect shown to the Grounders by disregarding the agreement.
Back in Polis, Prince Roan approaches Clarke and tries to make her an offer she can’t refuse. He needles her about how she’s just as much a prisoner as he is but with one major difference. She has access to Lexa where he doesn’t. And where there’s access, there’s opportunity. His pitch to her, avenge the betrayal at Mount Weather by killing Lexa with a knife he’ll leave for her and she will be spirited away and be treated with respect by the Ice Queen who will then be in control of the coalition.
Of course, Clarke knows about the Ice Queen and what she did to Costia; so at first she’s not impressed with his idea, until he reminded her that all she knows of his mother came from Lexa, who betrayed both Roan and Clarke. Since her trust of Lexa is at an all time low, she’s more receptive to his plot than she’d normally be.
Outside of Mount Weather, Octavia is enjoying the fresh air and open spaces when her brother come outside to join her. She knows what they’re doing is a mistake. Bellamy disagrees because they aren’t the Mountain Men but he’s missing the point, in my humble opinion. Whether Nyko and Lincoln are able to sway minds or not, right now as it stands, they are in breach of their agreement with the Grounders. So any negotiating to get their way is already being done with them in the wrong.
But in the here and now, Lincoln can’t do anything with a kill order over his head. They certainly can’t leave, which is what Octavia wants more than anything. She doesn’t belong anywhere, she tells her brother. Of course, Bellamy assures her she will always fit in with him. Ah, sweet Blake siblings moment!
Look how calm things are. I’m sure everything will be fine now.
Suddenly, two Arker guards arrive dragging carting a bound Echo back to the bunker. Bellamy vouches for her since she saved his life in Mount Weather, and she passes on some important information: The summit at Polis is a trap and there’s an assassin already there. At sundown, the Arkadians at the summit will die! (Well, that moment of calm was nice while it lasted!)
Now inside the mountain, Echo shares she heard it from one of the war leaders as they were traveling and she felt compelled to come back and warn the Skaikru because abandoning them during the battle at Mount Weather was wrong. Seems legit to me!
So Pike and the gang decide to send a strike team to Polis to deal with the problem and get our people out of danger and leave the Farm Station settlers and a skeleton crew in the mountain (basically Raven and a few friends) to try to get the missiles ready to launch just in case. Bell urges Gina to stay and help Raven while she extracts a promise from him to not be stupidly heroic. And with a kiss, he leaves the mountain.
Back in Polis, the Skaikru delegation arrives and is amazed by the thriving city they see. As Abby watches Kane and the people of Polis interact, it’s clear to her that this is in his blood and he’s more suited for the role of Chancellor than he is. She tries to turn her pin over to him but he demurs, saying it’s about time for their people to make the decision now rather them deciding between themselves who should rule. That my friends is some serious character growth right there!
Elsewhere in Polis, Heda is busy sparring with the kids using a staff when Titus approaches her to discuss the summit, but more specifically to discuss Wanheda. Why is she antagonizing Queen Nia by offering Skaikru a seat at the table, especially since the Sky People are only there to discuss a treaty? The 12 clan leaders would never accept them anyway. Lexa insists that they will, once Clarke bows before her.
Titus is puzzled. Why elevate Clarke to have that kind of power? “Clarke elevates herself,” Lexa replies. Titus insists…Lexa is close to her goals. Now she needs to kill Clarke and take her power. Given what happened that morning, that’s pretty brave counsel there, dude.
In the control room in Mount Weather, the rush is on to find any clues for where the launch codes are. Gina decides to check Dante’s old office just in case he had it written down somewhere.
Meanwhile on the outskirts of Polis, the Blakes, Echo and Pike come across the Arkadia truck Kane left behind. The throats of the two guards inside had been cut.
As all this is taking place, Clarke is holding the blade Roan left for her, waiting for Lexa to show up. When she does, Clarke lunges for her and holds the knife to her throat.
The thing is, Lexa is a master fighter so she could have stopped Clarke had she wanted to or even turned the situation to her advantage and kill her like Titus and everyone else expects of her.
Instead, does absolutely nothing to stop her and she tells Clarke she’s sorry. Sorry for what happened at Mount Weather. Sorry for what that betrayal has done to Clarke. Sorry for what she made her. The glib and somewhat condescending Lexa of that morning is nowhere to be found.
After tense moments, Clarke realizes she can’t go through with it and drops the knife; and Lexa makes a decision to let go of her plans and let Clarke go free. She owns the damage her betrayal did to Clarke and just can’t do this to her anymore. Before she can leave, though. Clarke stops her. It seems Clarke has made a decision of her own.
A short time later, Kane and Abby wait anxiously for Lexa to arrive. The sun is setting and still they’ve gotten no word about Clarke. Just then, the doors open and Clarke and Abby see each other for the first time since the Mount Weather battle three months earlier. The reunion is short and sweet before Clarke gets down to business.
She tells them Lexa’s changing the terms of the summit to reflect the danger posed by the Ice Nation. The plan is for the Skaikru to become the 13th clan. At first Abby balks at it until Clarke puts it in stark terms. “This is our Unity Day, mom. You can be the 13th station or you can be the 13th clan.” When you think of it, that’s a brilliant way to frame the argument. Marcus agrees with Clarke and Abby goes along with it. But she still wants to know how this will stop the Ice Nation. The answer?
ENTER WANHEDA.
All is not well however because even as this ceremony is taking place, Bellamy’s team has entered the building having traveled the tunnels under the city to get here, and an assassin is waiting for the signal to strike his prey.
Lexa announces to those gathered that the terms of the summit have changed, that now Skaikru will be joining the coalition. There’s general murmuring at first, but the Commander of Death, Wanheda, bowed before her. Who are they to oppose?
The leader must bear the mark and Abby urges Kane forward. He should have the honor. I’m sure she meant that in a good way but in my head I’m hearing, “Brand Marcus and leave my beautiful skin alone!” Or is that just me?
Just as he gets the mark, Bellamy’s team barges in, which is pretty impressive given they climbed about 500 floors in the elevator shaft. The summit’s a trap, they warn. But when Lexa asks how they got the information, they realize they’re one team member down.
Meanwhile, the assassin’s beeper goes off. It’s go time except, he’s not in Polis at all. He’s at Mount Weather!
Up in the control room, Sinclair and Raven are both frustrated with their inability to breach the Mountain’s security system. But for Raven, the disappointment only highlights her own inner demons about herself. “What if I’m just broken?”
Sinclair changes tactics and reminds her he took a chance on zero-g mechanic with a heart defect, perhaps she should too. It was exactly what Raven needed to hear. WTG Sinclair!
Moments later Gina calls up and says she can’t find anything in Dante’s office when suddenly the assassin sneaks up behind her and stabs her several times. As Raven calls out for her over the walkie, Gina watches helplessly as the assassin opens a panel and begins keying numbers into the system that he has written on his arm. It’s the self destruct code and there’s only 1 minute on the clock!
A mortally wounded Gina grabs the walkie and warns Raven: the self destruct has been initiated by a Grounder with the code on his arm. Sinclair sees him and takes off after him. Raven’s bum leg gives her trouble as she tries to keep pace behind them. Finally Sinclair is outside and the Grounder is nowhere to be found until he ambushes Sinclair from behind. After a rough and tumble, Sinclair is on his back with a knife to his throat. All hope seems lost…
…until Raven Reyes swoops down from the sky, her cape flapping majestically in the breeze as she saves the day. Or at least that’s how I saw it. Others saw her shoot the Grounder in the back, but whatevs. Tomayto-tomahto, amirite?
The good news is Sinclair is saved. The bad news…the clock has run down. And even if that weren’t the case, Gina has already died from her wounds, though her tears are still falling from her eyes even after death. As heroic as I view Raven, I see Gina in the same light. She didn’t waste time complaining to Raven that she had been hurt. I think she knew it would have been a waste of time to do so and it’s because of Gina that Sinclair and Raven survived that night. So hats off to you, Gina for your bravery and commitment to getting the job done no matter the personal price.
Unfortunately it was too little too late and Mount Weather is destroyed along with all of the settlers from Farm Station. They never had a chance. RIP Farm Station settlers.
And rest in pieces Mount Weather. I’m pretty glad to never see you again.
Back in Polis, Octavia comes to the frightening reality that they’ve made a mistake and Kane orders Bell to stand down just as Raven’s tortured voice echoes over his walkie. She reports the Grounders attacked Mount Weather and everyone is dead.
An Ice Nation delegate preens in the throne room that Azgeda did what Lexa was too weak to do; and Lexa is incensed and has the entire Ice Nation delegation arrested.
Abby and Kane realize they need to head to Arkadia and Lexa agrees, telling them to marshall their forces and prepare, that they would all avenge the attack together. We even get a brief scene between Octavia and Indra. It’s not the reconciliation scene I’ve been waiting for since the end of last season, but it’s a start.
Bellamy pleads with Clarke to come with, but she insists she must stay in Polis as an ambassador of the 13th clan to keep Lexa in check even as he states with authority that Lexa will betray her again. And with this episode we can already start to see the fissures forming in the bonds between him and Octavia and him and Clarke. He seems to be leaning more Pike’s all or nothing way with regard to the Grounders and that is a very dangerous thing indeed.
The thing is, Bellamy is right about one thing. Lexa will always put her people first. But what he doesn’t understand is that their people are now her people, or at least that’s part of the point of making the Skaikru the 13th Clan.
Now alone, Clarke asks Lexa about how a Grounder knew about the self destruct button; a question to which Lexa doesn’t have the answer to yet. Clarke is still agitated, the fear of Lexa betraying her still running through her veins. Lexa promises her she won’t but can tell Clarke’s still wary so she does something unheard of in order to make her position in the matter crystal clear: she bows before Clarke and swears fealty to her, to treat her needs as her own and Clarke’s people as her people. Titus would have an absolute fit if he knew what she was doing; I however have an entirely different reaction.
Clarke understands the significance of the statement Lexa is making, that the one who bows to no one is bowing to her and she takes Lexa’s hand and lifts her up so they are equal. There’s no longer you and me or your people and my people, there is only us, and our people. Talk about delicious symbolism! Now hopefully the writers won’t screw with our hearts and put Clarke in a position where she has to betray Lexa. (Oh wait…I just jinxed it, didn’t I? Doh!)
Somewhere outside Polis, Echo reunites with her people and reports good news, the war is on. The queen is pleased as is her inside man Emerson. EMERSON!!! I knew he had gotten away of course, but why couldn’t he have died at the Mountain last season with Cage? GAH.
One thing’s for sure, he sure doesn’t like Clarke all that much. Of course she did melt everyone she knew so, you know, there’s that. Likewise, Queen Nia doesn’t care much for Lexa and vows to kill her. You know, your standard evil villain fare.
So in case it’s not patently obvious, I absolutely loved Ye Who Enter Here. It was everything I hoped for and so much more. And, bonus, no Jaha craziness which makes it an even better episode! I’d be hard pressed to point out which moments I loved the most but gosh I’m willing to try! Feel free to ask me on Twitter.
But enough about me, what do you think? Let me know! Contact me on Twitter @theuberfan.
Until next time, Grounders!
