During the six years following the Death Wave, Octavia Blake became a ruthless ruler. In this week’s episode, viewers find out how she got there.
Had you told us Octavia Blake would be taking leadership advice from Thelonious Jaha at the end of season 4 of The 100, we wouldn’t have believed it.
But that appears to be exactly what’s been happening during the six years following Praimfaya, at least according to the preview for “Red Queen.”
Watch the trailer for the next episode here:
The preview for the upcoming episode opens with Octavia’s statement that “there are just too many people in this bunker.” In response, Thelonious suggests a solution that takes fans back to season 1: population reduction. Amazingly, the ending of the season 5 premiere seems to confirm Octavia’s accordance with his plan.
This week’s preview also repeats the clips from the season 5 trailer, showing Octavia’s declaration that survivors are “either One Kru” or “the enemy of One Kru.” There are glimpses of her taking down those daring enough to challenge her, as well as a final command: “Choose.”
Most fans guessed that Octavia’s road to being a true commander would be bumpy. But it seems the discord in the bunker goes far beyond what we imagined. The clans’ gratitude for splitting the shelter between all of them seems to have been short-lived. And it looks like Octavia has gone to disturbing lengths to gain their respect.
These struggles will likely demonstrate to her the complexity of the decisions made by the Council on the original Ark all those years ago. As Thelonious puts it toward the end of the preview: “Now you know what it takes to lead.” But is this the only way Octavia can save her people?
The second episode of season 5 will offer further details of our “Red Queen’s” reign. It will likely fill in the gaps between fourth season finale and the fifth season premiere. We can only hope the Octavia Blake we know and love is still in there somewhere.
Next: How dangerous are the people of the prison carrier on The 100?
“Red Queen” airs tonight, May 1, so be sure to tune in.