Overall, the episode was engrossing except the writing and execution of the last scenes. The Polis scenes were good, as usual. The Becca/Allie/Ark background was engaging but proved to be unoriginal (this show does high-key "borrow" from other shows such as Battlestar Galatica, LOST, Buffy, among others). The "reveal" at the end wasn't the amazing watershed moment the showrunner no doubt desired. You could tell they were heading that way by the time Becca was introduced, and it was easy to theorize this since Murphy discovered Polaris and a second AI had been discussed in a prior episode.
Now regarding Lexa and the death. First, Lexa was undoubtedly a very fascinating, compelling and complex character. Despite being a guest/supporting character, and among all the fast-developing action (which is a detriment to the show), her dynamic and interactions with other characters was engrossing to watch. Her story, the culture of the Grounders she led and her political circumstances became the most interesting part of the show till her death. Looking at critical reception of that time, that was the consensus as well: Lexa & her politics in Polis had practically saved the show then. Until the terrible Arkadia storyline managed to even drag down that aspect of the show - but at least the character wasn't ruined. I'll go off on a tangent here, but props to Alycia Debnam Carey for embodying Lexa so deftly and rising above the material. The energy, nuances, and layers she brought to Lexa, the most difficult character to portray, is alluring and commendable. And her chemistry with Clarke was notable even in minute and dialogue-less moments. After seeing Fear The Walking Dead, I'd say she's an outstanding and very promising actress with a lot more potential.
On Lexa's death - the showrunner obviously wanted the character's death and have it lead to the AI "reveal", intending to "shock" viewers with it. Shock was solely the intent here and clearly the starting point of the writing (the fact that the showrunner called his idea amazing and implied it's groundbreaking is laughable); unfortunately the character ended up used as a plot device and to manipulate the audience for shock value. And in a way that was illogical and Ill-conceived. As a side note, there are many ways the AI being in the commander line could've been shown, one of which is in flashbacks (which was already part of the episode). But what matters is what ended up on the screen. Structurally, it would've been better to not interrupt Lexa's whole dying sequence with the flashbacks as it was jarring and the emotional payoff that was intended was interrupted. It's the concept and execution of the death that is problematic. Problematic from a socio-cultural standpoint - the damaging LGBT trope and manipulation of that fandom by the showrunner & others from the show was discussed by many publications and blogs - and questionable at best from a storytelling and character standpoint. It is true that the banal & corny "stray bullet" death does a disservice to the integrity and importance of the character, even more so because they further developed her in early season 3. It's even more disappointing (and problematic) that they decided to kill the character a minute after sex with Clarke, which had been building up for some time. It could've happened in the prior episode or at the very least had several scenes separating the acts in this episode. But clearly the showrunner also had tunnel vision for this, to put it mildly. The lead-up to the death, the execution, and the jarring changes during is ameturish school-level conceptualizing and writing. It is rushed, lazy, and unearned. And so many illogical things happen and fail to happen to allow this contrived death, including: Lexa (a smart leader & experienced fighter) hearing gun shots in her home and running toward them; Titus, knowing he's not familiar with shooting guns, shooting at Clarke in the direction of Lexa's doors; the commander's guards hearing gun shots and not showing up to protect their commander (but they're there the second Titus calls them after Lexa is dead - ridiculous); Murphy all of sudden being untied and fine during the ordeal after being tortured for who knows how long (and cutting to him awkwardly standing there during the death as if his irrelevance to Lexa had to be seen during her death? Was this supposed to be comedic? I mean, they later depicted Ontari forcing him into sex as something lighthearted); Clarke, having healed and saved several people from the brink of death before from far worse, not doing anything to help save Lexa; Polis's healer(s) not being available to help save their commander. All this nonsense playing out made the "reveal" at end feel cheapened and any "thrill" of it all deflated. The execution in particular was terrible and an insult to the intelligence of the viewer. Frankly, anyone who praised it isn't engaging their brain. These stories don't happen in a vacuum - how each is depicted is crucial to the episode's success, and thanks to the many failures in one they didn't excel in the end; and they easily could have if there was creativity or ingenuity involved, starting and ending with the showrunner. Seems like the writers either didn't bother to speak up at least about the use of that trope, or didn't have the power to under this showrunner. Props to the actors in this episode - they saved it.
The botching of its last act makes this episode a very frustrating one. Becca, Lexa's turmoil in the capital, her and Clarke's interactions, and the performances saved the episode. For this I give it a 6/10. I've not seen how the season ends, so I don't know if/how the AI story pays off. I've read the storylines for the remaining seasons, and something tells me this need to happen for the story (and certainly the manner of the death was completely unnecessary, regardless), but I'll see if the show manages to engage me again as a viewer. If this plot was undercut by the series, the incompetent decisions made would indeed look even worse.
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