There's no better way for an audience to invest in a new storyline than to take inspiration from a previously beloved one.
That is the energy that The 100 Season 7 has decided to take on, with many storylines mirroring those that have come before it.
In some cases, it was the best possible connection to make, and it was a way for the fans to love the scene even more in the end.
But in other cases, it felt like a direct copy and paste, unnecessary to make the point that it was trying to make.
Sometimes there is such a thing as too many parallels, maybe because certain situations aren't as nostalgic and could benefit from not taking inspiration from the past.
The 100 is unique in the way that it creates stand-alone works of cinematic art, while also allowing the story to relate to it when necessary.
Clarke and Bellamy's Secret Signal
The soulmates that control the situation together, stay together.
Bellamy saving Clarke during The 100 Season 5 Episode 3 was phenomenal, life-changing, and all kinds of epic.
It set the tone for a hero rescue, and it must have really left an imprint on Clarke.
During The 100 Season 7 Episode 4, Clarke was on a mission to save her friends (especially Bellamy), and she pulled all the same stops.
She must have learned something from Bellamy about setting the scene and having the upper hand against your enemy.
If nothing else, the scene reminded us how much we miss the two partners in crime, actually sharing scenes together, or even just existing at the same time on the same show together.
But it's fine. We are fine.
Raven and Clarke Leaving Him Behind
This may be a more "squint to see it" connection, but there is something there if you really focus on it.
Raven and Clarke both had to make tough choices. Raven had to decide to risk the lives of a few to save the many.
Through that, she ended up putting Murphy at risk to make sure it worked.
Murphy didn't have to deal with the threat, mostly because of the Prime process that he went through.
But it was still a risk that too much radiation would kill him if he stayed there too long.
Meanwhile, Clarke felt betrayed when Bellamy and Gaia put a flame in Madi's head during The 100 Season 5 Episode 9. Octavia gave her a deal that let her leave with Madi, and Clarke took that deal, even if it meant leaving Bellamy behind.
Bellamy was left with Octavia, but at that point, his sister couldn't really be trusted with anyone.
It was obvious that she was going to put Bellamy in a dangerous situation to punish him, Gaia, and Indra for their involvement.
Both of these situations had incredible differences but created that same worry.
Raven and Clarke made the choice to put someone they cared for at risk.
That stayed with them in ways that may change them both forever.
Clarke carried that weight with her all the way to The 100 Season 6 Episode 4.
From there, she needed Bellamy to know how important he was to her.
Emori and Bellamy's Versions of Hero
The best kinds of parallels are the ones you don't see coming.
Emori promising Murphy that she wouldn't risk her life reminded us of Bellamy promising his version of that to Gina.
It is also nice to see a connection between Bellamy and Emori because they are characters that we love with our whole souls.
In another life, maybe Emori and Bellamy would have been closer friends,
Maybe they are quite close now even.
Just think of the possibilities when both of these soft heroes work together for a common goal.
Getting to see their significant others call them out for their need to do the most to save others was peak parallel content.
Octavia and Clarke Waiting and Thinking of Bellamy
Missing Bellamy Blake hours?
We can all relate.
For Octavia and Clarke, it held much more weight than just missing him.
Clarke spent six seasons calling Bellamy every single day on the radio.
Even though Bellamy couldn't hear her, Clarke tried and never let go of the idea that one day he would answer her.
The 100 explored that same idea with Octavia, trying to get back to Bellamy and sending him a letter when that didn't work out.
This was a sweet reminder of why all these sensible women go above and beyond for Bellamy Blake,
He is worthy of all their efforts and more.
Raven and Octavia Struggling With Their Demons
While Raven's road downhill was very much connected to Clarke's, there is another parallel that exists between Raven and Octavia.
Raven's actions during The 100 Season 7 Episode 3 came together the same way that Octavia's arc as Blodreina found its demise.
Raven looked down on Clarke for her choices, which sometimes lead to people dying, for so long that the narrative forced her into that space.
The same happened with Octavia because of the blame she placed on the leaders around her.
Obviously, that resulted in Octavia assuming a leadership role, after which she quickly realized how heavy is the head that wears the crown.
This then became Raven and Octavia feeling like they deserved to be punished, usually at the hands of someone who suffered from their decisions.
It is upsetting and horrific, but it is still explored again to drive home a point that the audience probably already knows.
Echo Going Too Far
For some fans Echo's, actions during The 100 Season 7 Episode 4 were a mirror version of Finn's choices when looking for Clarke.
But were they, really?
Finn was a man with morals, which meant that he couldn't see himself killing people.
So when he did that for Clarke, even though he shouldn't have, it was a shift in his story because he was no longer who believed him to be.
But Echo is far from that, in fact, her actions were an extension of who she always was. A ruthless spy who would kill even if it didn't need to happen.
Just like when Bellamy saved her life, and she left him behind to die, this was Echo just being who she was when she decided Orlando's people needed to die.
It was just like her killing Ryker when she didn't need to, and all of this is probably just the beginning.
Raven and Clarke Mourning Their Choices
It was quite obvious that Raven sacrificing the lives of others was a way for her to take on the weight she judged Clarke for carrying.
Raven was always harsh about the lives that were lost when Clarke was making those choices.
So it was inevitable for her to suffer the same pressure and heightened kill count.
But Raven is going through this journey with Clarke guiding her.
And that's an example of Clarke offering support from a place of understanding.
Raven did not understand Clarke until it was too late.
But now there is room for them to connect instead of finding themselves on different sides when it comes to morality.
Octavia and Bellamy Taking On That Responsibility
This was mentioned during The 100 Season 7 Episode 2, but sometimes a parallel isn't necessary to make a point.
Octavia was put in the same position as Bellamy when he raised her.
Except Bellamy was six years old, and Octavia is in her 20s.
Bellamy took so much of the responsibility when it came to raising Octavia that he was positioned as a father figure more than a brother.
Meanwhile, Octavia helped raise Hope, but she was in a different place in her life, and she had Diyoza as that primary parental figure.
It was also strange that Octavia needed to be in the same situation as Bellamy to understand him.
It could be just as effective to have Octavia reach a place where she saw all that Bellamy did for her and appreciated it for what it was.
Still, Octavia and Hope were a sweet look at Skyring, and it made us all miss baby Bellamy, too.
Bellamy and Hope's Heavy Weight With Words
There's toeing the line, and then there is hitting the audience over the head with a concept.
Bellamy Blake, taking the words his mother instilled in him when he was younger, worked as a reminder.
It was all about his relationship with Octavia and with himself because so much of his identity was tied to his sister.
Octavia adopting that phrase when it came to Bellamy connected the Blake siblings further.
But having Hope take that on was a little much.
She wasn't part of that Blake bond and history, even if she was raised by Octavia.
So while it was obvious what the show was trying to do there, it just didn't work.
Madi and Hope Safely Left Behind
Hope's backstory actually had touches of a few different stories that we have seen before.
Hope was meant to mirror Octavia, at least when it came to the secret behind her existence.
When Hope had to hid from the disciples, it wasn't hard to see the way that it connected to Octavia being the girl under the floor.
But the goodbye between Octavia and Hope was very similar to Clarke and Madi during The 100 Season 5 Episode 3.
Clarke had to leave Madi to deal with the "villains" of the season, which mirrored Octavia asking Hope to hid so she wouldn't be taken with them.
This wasn't too on the nose, especially since other portions of Hope's story seemed to heavily take from other places. The 100 Season 7 Episode 4 confirmed this with the Dev and Hope montage.
Some fans connected that to Bellamy and Octavia's relationship, while others saw Madi and Clarke meeting and bonding as the blueprint.
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Was there any other parallel that you noticed during the first four episodes? Which parallel was your favorite to witness? What other parallels are you expecting to see this season?
How are we feeling about the use of parallels this season? How are we feeling about the season in general so far?
Let us know all of your thoughts in the comments below!
For The 100 fans still looking for some more nostalgia, TV Fanatic has a special new ongoing The 100 interview series. "Looking Back on The 100" that centers on monumental cast members and characters from the show that left behind a legacy.
We recently spoke with Eli Goree about his time on the show during The 100 Season 1 and the mark he left behind. Then we also spoke with Michael Beach and the journey he had when it came to The 100.
We then had the chance to take a walk down memory lane with the iconic Christopher Larkin, as he talked about his time playing Monty Green. And we got to hear Aaron Ginsburg's insight on his most iconic episodes and his writing journey on The 100.
We also got to speak with Zach McGowan about that special return he made on the show.
Keep checking TV Fanatic for more upcoming interviews with surprise cast members from seasons past.
The 100 airs on Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.
Share all your thoughts with us in the comments section! Stick around TV Fanatic for more features, slideshows, episode previews, interviews, and reviews of the upcoming season, and watch The 100 online if you need to catch up on the adventure.
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