5 essential episodes to watch before the season 5 premiere of The 100

Season 3, Episode 12: “Demons”

In the first season, Octavia Blake (Marie Avgeropoulos) transformed from a carefree, naïve girl to a hardened, self-reliant woman and warrior, driven by her love of Lincoln (Ricky Whittle), a Grounder who rescued her from dying at the hands of his own people. She proved she didn’t need protection, that she could hold her own in a fight and that she was all but indispensable to the survival effort on the ground.

In season 2, her transformation continued as she found herself increasingly drawn to the Grounders — Octavia learned to understand and respect the Grounder way of life. Octavia became a force and, arguably, the single, strongest individual to emerge from The Dropship — and later, as second, to a Grounder war chief.

Octavia’s strength and resolve, however, are tested in this episode. In the episodes prior to “Demons,” Lincoln had been residing in Arkadia with Octavia, and Charles Pike, who had been elected chancellor, saw all Grounders as their enemies. Pike executed Lincoln, who, until the very end, had shown nothing but loyalty to those surrounding him.

Despite her profound loss, Octavia soldiers on, saying, “A warrior doesn’t mourn the dead until the war is over.” It is in this episode where Octavia first proves that her character development is one of the strongest arcs of the show.