The 100: Conageddon 3 makes fans’ dreams a reality

Want to know the round-up that happened during The 100‘s  Conageddon weekend?  Here is everything you need to know!  And will there be a Conageddon 4?

During the weekend of August 19th to the 21st, The 100 convention, Conageddon 3, took place in Boston.  Three years in the making, along with hardworking, passion-driven staff and the kindness of the cast, fans experienced an unforgettable three days that will indeed be ingrained with them as time goes on.

The guests who were broadly headlined were Bob Morley (Bellamy Blake), Eliza Taylor (Clarke Griffin), Tasya Teles (Echo), Zach McGowan (King Roan of Azgeda), Luisa d’Oliveira (Emori), Chelsey Reist (Harper McIntyre), Christopher Larkin (Monty Green), Jarod Joseph (Nathan Miller), and last but not least, Thomas McDonell (Finn Collins).

The convention festivities kicked off with the Friday night VIP party.  The affair was mainly centered around fans and the cast reuniting and, of course, the infamous beer pong game featuring Bob Morley and Eliza Taylor as the intense players.  You just had to be there to breathe it all in and witness.

If that was not enough, people were hitting that dance floor as if Praimfaya was going to hit.   And to not lose a moment, there was even a fun selfie booth for fans to capture the fun.  For one fan, taking her selfies in the booth with Tasya Teles and Chelsey Reist was one of her favorite weekend highlights.  Another said that it was the warm atmosphere of Conageddon and how everyone was kind and welcoming.

The weekend didn’t end there, for there were photo ops to be captured, autographs to be signed, info-packed panels, and plenty of surprises to be unveiled.

The 100 secrets and alternate storylines

Like many television series, The 100 is no stranger to storylines that have not made the final cut and are shown live.  Lots of editing and decision-making goes into the process, and sometimes, the audience may not enjoy the finalizations on screen.

During Bob Morley’s and Eliza Taylor’s duo panel, the two elaborated that their onscreen platonic couple, Bellarke, were supposed to become romantically linked in the eleventh episode of season six, “Ashes To Ashes.”  The two were meant to share a tent together, following Bellamy saving Clarke’s life in the previous episode.  The scene was scripted but never left the writer’s room.  For the Bellarke fandom, it was a sheer disappointment.

“It’s another tent, but nothing is happening in there,” Bob joked during the panel.  Eliza thought it was “nice” that Bellamy and Clarke were finally getting together after six seasons, but like the fans, she felt disappointed.  At the same time, Bellamy was with Echo, which would have reflected cheating on his character.  The narrative was already done early in season one when Finn cheated on Raven (Lindsey Morgan) to be with Clarke.

Still, after six seasons of development, it would have made sense for a hook-up or two between Bellamy and Clarke.

“Ashes To Ashes” was Bob’s directorial debut, and his full creative potential submerged the audience.  He was the second of the cast to direct after Henry Ian Cusick directed “The Chosen” in the fourth season.  Like Cusick, who appeared in “The Chosen,” Bob appeared in “Ashes To Ashes.”

Aside from the scrapped Bellarke scene, Echo’s original ending had an “earthlier” conclusion.  Tasya Teles shared that the former spy of Azgeda would have become “Mother Earth.” The role reflected new life and preservation, opposite of the seasons three and four Echo, infamous for her brutality, but a surviving force of nature.

In season five through towards the end of the last season, Echo evolved from being a central antagonist to a core member of Skaikru.  Her determination and love for Bellamy eased her dark days on SkyRing.  However, believing that Bellamy died in an explosion, her grief was understandable but devastating nonetheless.  When his death became disturbingly real in the latter half of season seven, Echo found unity with Clarke and Octavia. However, for the former, it felt disconnected from their character arcs, especially Echo’s, due to her turbulent history with Clarke.

Another key The 100 scene secret is how Finn Collins transformed from being the season one pacifist to a lost cause in season two.  Finn developed a severe case of PTSD, which led to his demise halfway through the season.  During Thomas McDonnell’s panel, he described Finn’s flipped dynamic and how his overpowering grief was caused by his immense love for Clarke.

“She really did love him,” Eliza said when she spoke about how Finn was Clarke’s first love, along with her “mercy killing” him to avoid an even more gruesome death from the Grounders.

Finn’s journey was one of The 100’s darkest chapters in the show’s timeline.

Emori’s Evolution

When Emori first appeared on The 100 in season two, we were immediately blown away by her ferocity and vitality.  Exiled from her clan due to her disability, as it would have been considered a “stain” on the bloodline, she proved time and time again that she was worthy of society and life.

Not only is Emori dedicated to aiding others, but she has found a profound love with one John Murphy.  Their relationship broke the boundaries of disabled representation as it was accepting but natural.  Emori’s love for her partner opened a new spectrum for Murphy, reflecting that his life was defined by caring for someone other than himself.

For the Disabled Community, Emori also raised confidence in those with a disability, whether born with one or due to an accident.  For one fan (she did a marvelous job cosplaying Emori), having Luisa keep a photo of the two of them together on her Instagram will remain a favorite memory, as well as the hug she received after sharing her personal story with Luisa.

Additionally, according to another fan, Luisa genuinely connects with the fans and wants to hear part of their life stories during her time with them.

These are just a couple of positive interactions throughout the weekend as fans get to experience a more intimate convention like no other.

A Convention Like No Other (and more The 100 secrets)

Conageddon not only offered all the convention traditions like autographs, photo ops, and exclusive parties but also created an intimate atmosphere.  Fans shared their personal stories with the cast, along with how their characters made an impact on them.  In one example, one fan commented to Jarod Joseph that Nathan Miller’s relationships were the healthiest and agreed.  Miller came out as gay in the season three premiere and has had two boyfriends since.

His first love was Bryan (Jon Whitesail), then Dr. Eric Jackson (Sachin Sahel), which developed in season four and became canon in the fifth season.  Another Miller highlight was the special bond between his dad, David (Chris Shields), who sacrificed his life in “The Chosen” so that his son could live.  It was an emotional storyline and one that carried through the course of the series.

Tasya Teles took her time speaking with the fans and providing hugs and compliments.  She also pointed out during The Girls Panel that Echo struggled while trying to do better because she was ruthless and icy. Still, a fan mentioned to her that her loyalty transformed from being of duty to family centered.  This holds merit because Echo did risk her life for Skaikru and Bellamy because they have shown her love that she never had in Azgeda.  When they say love is a “weakness” on the show, it is a hidden message reflecting strength.  Using the term “weakness” only cannonballed the characters’ love to unbelievable strong strength.

On the other hand, Eliza Taylor just burst out in laughter about Clarke doing better and shook her head.  The audience gave examples of what Clarke could have done to enhance her character.  Let’s face it.  The woman has been through hell and back repeatedly, caused and solved some grave misfortunes, encountered loss and love, became a parent, and held the world upon her shoulders.  It was a lot for Clarke, and making mistakes is part of survival.  While she was brutal in some respects, she was soft.

Clarke did her best (pre-season seven) for her people, even if it hurt others.  When she met Lexa, they were two leaders on opposite sides.  In 307, when Lexa died, Clarke told Lexa that maybe one day they would owe nothing to their people.  If considered carefully, there is a connection between her quote and the series finale.  Both women gave it their all, protecting their loved ones, and in the end, they were able to have peace, despite the circumstances.  Eliza thought it was beautiful and hoped the writers intended to end them that way.

Many fans were thrilled that Thomas attended Conageddon, and while he was pretty much serious throughout the weekend, there was no doubt that he enjoyed it.  Focusing on the photographer within him, Thomas hung around during the photo ops to see the magic unfold and even snapped a few of his own.  He even took extra time to get to know the fans, which according to one fan, made her feel at ease.

But it was not just meeting the cast that made the event special.  Life-long friendships were created simply because they shared the love of a show.  It is fantastic to share that experience; even though these friendships are international, they will always have that connection.  And thanks to the good parts of social media, these friendships will prosper.

Will there be a Conageddon 4?

Near the end of the closing panel, Zach announced to the crowd that there would be a fourth edition of the popular convention.  While it has not been officially confirmed, the idea of having Conageddon again is exciting.  For one thing, the event is one of the most personal for the fans.

Secondly, the staff and the cast work seamlessly together to give the best experience and value, even minor details.  Lastly, everyone has the time of their lives because it is a warm and fun environment.  By that, it is beyond any dream.  Fans who attended said they would cherish the memories forever.

The question is will you attend Conageddon 4 if there is one?

A few highlights:

• Let’s hear it for Heather Mason, Thomas Leath, Mike Gillespie, The 100 cast, DJ Mike (for the tunes!), the volunteers, and especially the fans who made it one memorable weekend.
• Jo Garfien’s kindness, quick wit, and immeasurable presence made the panels fun.
• Each of the cast has their own unique personality trait.
• Both the VIP and the Saturday night party were out of this world.
• Chelsey’s party animal excitement just brought out the fun atmosphere.
• When learning about Bellamy’s death and Clarke doing it, Chelsey screeched, “BELLAMY’S DEAD?!”  It was hilarious.
• Artist and denim designer Rayna Parks did a superb job designing the exclusive poster for the event.
• Bob said that he would play Wells Jaha if he could play another character.
• Eliza was supposed to direct 707, “The Queen’s Gambit,” but feared that she would let others down and fail at the project.  Lindsey Morgan (Raven Reyes) took over.
• Eliza said that she and Bob “clicked” during the filming of season one’s “Day Trip.”
• There would not be a The 100 convention without the series’ opening song, “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons.
• The schedule surrounding the autos, photo ops, panels, and meet and greets was perfect.  Most, if not all, did not miss one, even if they had lots of extras.
• A warm tribute was made to Shazza, a woman and fan who passed away before the convention and was supposed to attend but was there in spirit.  For those who knew her, Shazza was kind and generous.
• “Damocles Part Two” (season five) was the original series finale if the show did not get picked up for a sixth season.  That was not the case.
• If you did not attend, a fan graciously recorded all of the panels and uploaded them onto YouTube.

May we meet again Conageddon.