[TV] CW's The 100

The first episode just aired. Wow. That was better than I expected.



I hadn't seen any major previews going into this, outside of a few pictures and a vague synopsis that you probably could have just guessed by looking at them. What surprised me is that the story doesn't just focus entirely on the 100 teenagers sent to post-apocalyptic Earth. It also goes back to the Ark, in space, with all the adults who are monitoring the kids and having their own political power struggles. This immediately sets it apart from stuff like "Lost" or any number of other stories about people stranded and alone.



Speaking of "Lost," we have an alumnus from that cast playing the second-in-command on the Ark. I don't know why everyone here is forced to speak with an American accent when they specifically mention that the Ark is made up of many different nations, but okay. The same thing is going on with the pseudo-villainous Bellany Blake, played by an actor I recognized from the Australian series "Neighbours." That show thoroughly destroyed his character before writing him out entirely, and now I suspect it was so he could do this pilot. Good move. That show was terrible. Anyway. >_>



I also really liked the depiction of this society that is so hardcore that population control is taken extremely seriously, to the point where the idea of two children from the same parent is shocking, and a punishable crime.



The prerequisite "young love" plot is present here, as it is with all CW shows, but it somehow ends up feeling more natural than standard fare for the network. It's also nice to see that the female lead, Clarke Griffin, is actually smart and strong all by herself. And, though she's clearly being set up with one of the dudes on the show, she's not taking any crap, and more importantly, she's not abandoning all sense just because she found a cute boy to hang out with.



I did wonder what made them think it was a good idea to have a random swim in the pond, but I'll forgive it because it does actually end badly for them, and Clarke wasn't the one to initiate it. I'm also glad that super-happy moment in the final scene actually ends with the kids being brought back down to Earth (heh). And, shock of shocks, I actually felt something for the loss of the stoner kid!



If the rest of the show sticks close to the quality of the pilot, I'm sure I'll be sticking with it. The visual effects are surprisingly good. The setup is familiar, but has enough to set it apart that it's still fun to watch. And the story feels like it's actually about something.