by the Collected Mutineer

A new episode of The 100 has aired, but not much has changed. Or, has everything changed? Read on, friends.

Spoilers ahead!

In case we weren’t sure about how much Octavia has changed over the last six years, “Shifting Sands” makes it fairly clear that she is no longer the same girl who once marveled at butterflies and just wanted to kiss a boy or two. Blodreina is ruthless in every way possible, her followers cult-like and her guards obedient to a fault. Even Miller, who was once level-headed and a good friend to Bellamy, would do anything for his Red Queen. Despite Clarke’s warnings about how much Earth has changed while they were underground, Octavia orders Wonkru to march toward Shallow Valley, where the Eligius Crew has retreated with Abby and Kane in tow.

But as Clarke predicted, things do not go smoothly. In the middle of a desert that was once covered by water before Praimfaya, a scout is attacked by something in the sand. Clarke discovers that it’s a fierce type of burrowing worm that embeds itself into people’s skin, likely looking for food. The warrior dies from his injuries, but not before Octavia threatens to kill him herself. To make matters worse, Octavia is also attacked by a worm while the camp is under threat of a deadly sandstorm.

Across the desert, Diyoza tests Abby’s skills by ordering that she diagnose and figure out how to treat one of the prisoners, Vinson. Abby figures out his lung ailment, likely brought on by the substance they were mining out in space. She doesn’t know how to treat him, or any of the others, but knows that her survival depends upon it. Meanwhile, Kane offers up information to Diyoza to prove that he is useful. Though she claims to loathe traitors, she offers him a drink and says that she welcomes any and all information about Octavia.

Raven and Murphy, having been brought down from the mothership, are being tortured by McCreary (who we later learn is suffering from the same lung problems as Vinson). Raven insists that she doesn’t know how to get their weapons back online because she’s not the one who changed the codes in the first place. Miles (the pilot…wasn’t his name Zeke before?) tells McCreary that he’ll be able to get the information out of her—and as soon as McCreary steps out, Miles confesses to the pair that he’s the one who locked the system from the ground and that he has a much larger plan in mind. He helps Murphy escape but leaves his shock collar/tracker on. Murphy is found by Echo, and reunites with Harper, Emori, Monty, and Madi. The group sets out to find Bellamy and Clarke, but the collar prevents Murphy from straying too far from Shallow Valley. Emori decides to stay with him while the others go on.

Spacekru it to the remnants of the camp in the desert, where the sandstorm has finally passed. Although they lost many warriors to the ravages of the storm, Wonkru seems dedicated and unshaken. Clarke is reunited with Madie while Bellamy is reunited with Echo—under the murderous gaze of Octavia.

A Look Forward

Is it just me, or does it seem like it’s been forever and Clarke just needs to be able to hug everyone from Spacekru?? I mean, c’mon. In other news, here’s the promo for the next episode, where Octavia yet again promises to be merciless toward anyone who crosses her in any way…even her own flesh and blood.

Will any alliances last? Will the war between Wonkru and Eligius begin? Will Octavia murder Echo in cold blood?

May we meet again.

---

P.S. Let me know your thoughts on Twitter @ImpalaMutineers.