The 100 just introduced viewers to two feuding factions on the New World: the Primes and the Children of Gabriel. What started the animosity between them?
“The Children of Gabriel” introduces fans of The 100 to the two main groups residing on the New World: the Primes and the Children of Gabriel. The Primes live inside the walls of Sanctum, where they lead a seemingly peaceful lifestyle—though they have displayed a few worrisome traits since we’ve met them. The Children of Gabriel, on the other hand, live outside the borders of Sanctum, and their beliefs can be best summarized by their favorite motto: “Death to primes.”
But while the most recent episode of The 100 sets up the war between these two groups, it doesn’t offer much in the way of backstory. The Children of Gabriel seem resentful of the Primes, and they also appear to be looking for those in Sanctum who have Nightblood. And given the Children’s kidnapping attempts and desire to murder them, it makes sense that the Primes view them as a terrorist group.
Going forward, the show will have to explain why these two factions hate one another.
The Children’s obvious resentment toward the Primes, along with their knowledge of Sanctum’s customs, suggests that they might have once lived inside the barrier that separates the sanctuary from the dangerous forest and what lies beyond it.
It wouldn’t be the first time The 100 has led viewers to believe Skaikru’s new allies are welcoming and friendly, only to have them actually be the bad guys. Is anyone else having flashbacks to Mount Weather?
It’s also clear from “The Children of Gabriel” that the Primes don’t really believe in imprisonment or execution. The fact that they’re forced to lock Clarke and her friends up in a tavern speaks to what their prison system is like. They also haven’t threatened to kill anyone directly—including Diyoza, who they likened to Hitler and bin Laden at the end of the episode.
They do, however, seem to hold the fact that Sanctum is the only safe place on Planet Alpha over people’s heads. When Russell and Simone hear about Clarke’s actions back on Earth, they declare that she and her people should return to space. They also escort Diyoza outside of the radiation fence, a means of indirectly killing her instead of doing it themselves.
So, what if they banished a group of people who once lived inside their walls, and that group learned how to survive beyond the radiation fence? That could very well be what happened with the Children of Gabriel, who still need to wear heavy gear and masks to cope with the dangerous physical threats of the New World.
Being forced to live in Planet Alpha’s harsh conditions would certainly explain their resentment toward the Primes…even if we don’t know what the deal with Nightblood on the New World is just yet.
The 100 airs on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on The CW.