The 100 season 5 episode 5 review: Shifting Sands

The fifth season of The 100 gains momentum with each new episode, and “Shifting Sands” is no exception to this rule.

If you thought The 100 would take a breather after the nonstop action of last week’s episode, think again. The plot shows no signs of slowing down, introducing new conflicts and threats every chance it gets.

The episode opens with Wonkru marching through the desert, hellbent on waging war against the Eligius Corporation. Despite the obstacles in their way, Octavia refuses to back down from this battle. Wonkru stands behind her regardless of the dangers in store, faithfully devoted to their ruthless leader.

Viewers see another side of the Eligius Corporation during this episode, particularly when Diyoza returns from space to find the inmates blasting heavy metal and having a good time together. Exasperated, she chides them for letting their guard down while they’re still in danger. The whole scene is heavily reminiscent of Clarke’s attempts to reign in the hundred during season one. The parallels between the two are uncanny, and they’re beginning to look intentional.

Diyoza also emphasizes the fact that she brought the group home, but she ends this by saying “even if it isn’t the home we expected.” This statement backs our theory that Eligius III may have found inhabitable land elsewhere, but we’ll have to wait for more details to confirm it.

New threats in the desert

The episode then returns to Wonkru’s camp, where the disturbing scene from the preview finally plays out in its entirety. Miller returns from scouting with one of his men thrown over his shoulder. The guy is screaming in pain, and something appears to be crawling through his stomach.

Clarke realizes that whatever is inside of him entered through an open wound, but her attempts to save the man are futile. His stomach bursts open as she’s examining him, releasing what is inside looks like parasitic bugs. One crawls into Octavia’s wound, but Clarke manages to prevent it from traveling to her abdomen.

Even after being attacked, Octavia insists that the group carries on. Bellamy questions her decisions in front of Wonkru, resulting in even more tension between the Blake siblings. Despite any objections, Wonkru treks through a sandstorm, dutifully surrounding their injured leader. It’s a testament to their loyalty that they’d risk their own lives to protect hers.

The possibility of a truce

It appears Diyoza also sees the value in such loyalty, as the actions of Wonkru convince her to reconsider her decision to wipe them out. She summons Kane to meet with her, offering him a glass of tequila while they chat. “Do you think an army of murderers and thieves would follow me into a sandstorm?” she asks him. Clearly, she’s impressed by the respect Octavia demands from her people.

She then tells Kane that she may be willing to consider a truce with Wonkru. We know from the promo for next week’s episode that she follows through with this, though it’s doubtful that Octavia will be willing to play nice. With McCreary’s crowd in the picture, the very notion of a truce could also create unrest in among the Eligius inmates.

Hopefully, their need of a doctor will keep the inmates in line. With Abby working to uncover and cure whatever illness they’re suffering from working in the mines, they’ll need to stick around. Let’s just hope they don’t overthrow the camp and destroy any chance of peace.

Shaw’s shift in allegiance

On the topic of discord among the prisoners, this episode also heightens the hostility between Shaw and McCreary. On Diyoza’s orders, the Eligius prisoners retrieve Raven and Murphy from space. McCreary tortures the pair in the hopes that Raven will tell him how to unlock their missiles.

True to his character, McCreary ends up taking things too far. Shaw steps in, going so far as to threaten him with a gun to his head. Shaw will likely pay for that later, but we always expected him to part ways with the other prisoners.

Once McCreary and his gang leave, Shaw also admits that he was the one who locked the missiles. In order to save Raven, Murphy, and himself, he spins a story that allows Murphy to escape and warn Wonkru of the coming attack. He tells Diyoza that Raven unlocked the missiles in exchange for Murphy’s release.

All in all, it’s a decent lie that helps maintain his original story. Raven’s still being held hostage, but it seems likely that Shaw will look out for her. We can only hope he’ll help her escape too.

A bittersweet ending

The episode ends almost pleasantly, as Octavia finally agrees to retreat. She thanks Clarke for saving her life, and she even shares a moment with Bellamy. He tells her that she’s a strong leader, and she expresses gratitude that he’s alive.

The moment turns dark, though, when she pulls him in and essentially threatens him. She warns him not to speak out against Wonkru again. If he does, he’ll be considered an enemy of Wonkru. And we all know what happens to enemies of Wonkru.

That she’d make such a statement toward Bellamy of all people shows how drastically she’s changed as a character, and it makes us wonder if she’ll ever return to normal. Being underground forced her to be brutal, but she can afford to be a bit more compassionate now that she’s delivered her people to the ground.

The group also reunites with Madi, Monty, Harper, and Echo at the very end of the episode. It’s a sweet moment, at least until Bellamy and Echo embrace one another. If Octavia was unhappy with Bellamy before, she’s definitely pissed now. And even Clarke looked a bit taken aback by their newfound relationship.

Hopefully, the tensions ease during the upcoming episodes. The next one, “Exit Wounds,” airs Tuesday, June 5.

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