While the season premiere of The 100’s sixth season set fans up for a wild ride, “Red Sun Rising” began delivering on that promise. The sixth season of The 100 premiered last week, opening up an entirely new story arc for the characters we’ve been following for the past six seasons—though, of course, they’ve all brought plenty of baggage from past episodes with them to the New World. And while “Sanctum” began setting fans up for an intense storyline for this season, this week’s episode actually began delivering on that promise. If there was ever an episode of The 100 to keep viewers on the edge of their seats, it’s this one. Last week’s episode ended with Sanctum’s two suns eclipsing, causing Emori to have hallucinations that eventually led her to attack Murphy. “Red Sun Rising” opens with a flashback of Sanctum 263 years earlier, when the first settlers there realize that their miraculous new planet isn’t quite as it appears. The flashback ends with one of the leaders, clearly affected by psychosis, going on a rampage and killing his own daughter. The episode then picks up almost immediately after the scene with Emori, with the rest of the exploratory team deciding what they should do about the eclipse-induced psychosis. They’re stuck on a dangerous planet that Clarke rightly points out they have no idea how to survive on, and it’s inevitable that they’ll begin feeling the effects of the eclipse soon. Once they do, the episode becomes seriously action-packed. There’s plenty of action with the characters physically fighting one another—did anyone breathe during that fight between Murphy, Clarke, and Bellamy?—but it adds in the element of the characters’ internal struggles as well. Without being able to tell what’s real, Clarke and the others are grappling with external and internal danger. Echo believes that the others don’t trust her because she’s a spy, while Clarke hears her mother telling her that the world would be better off without her. It’s unclear what Bellamy is hallucinating, but judging by his willingness to assault those he cares most about, it must have been bad. “Red Sun Rising” also wastes no time jumping into what’s happening aboard the ship, where people from Sanctum break in and lock the awake members of Skaikru in one section of it. Not only do they need to find a way out, but most members of Skaikru don’t take well to being confined to a small place with Octavia around—especially once she starts barking orders. Again, there’s danger from the New World and resentment from the old one, a balance that will likely be a theme going forward. Thankfully, the intruders don’t find Raven. Diyoza and Raven team up to stop them—with the help of a well-timed entrance from Madi—and they manage to take a hostage. They fly the ship and their hostage down to the New World, and we finally see the rest of the characaters get their first glimpse at the new planet. The episode leaves with them arriving just as the eclipse disappears, setting viewers up for an interesting next episode. And of course, the episode leaves off on a cliffhanger as well. Once the eclipse comes to an end, the people of Sanctum emerge from wherever they were hiding. And when a young girl approaches Clarke and asks, “Are you here to take us home?,” it’s as flabbergasting for the audience as it is for Skaikru. “I thought this was your home,” Clarke asks as the episode ends…leaving fans to wonder whether getting back to Earth is actually going to be the trajectory for “Book 2” of the show. So much for Sanctum being a sanctuary. The 100 airs on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on The CW.<doc-sep>Alpha is proving itself to be a more dangerous moon than expected, mostly because of the real danger that our favorite characters are facing. Themselves. During The 100 Season 6 Episode 2, the eclipse issue becomes a full-fledged problem when the characters on the ground start to turn on one another. In an attempt to show how the moon may test them, other characters and the audience get a bigger look into everyone's state of mind. Meanwhile, in space, the big answers about who is in that transport ship are answered. Sort of. A hostage situation brings back some fan favorites like Diyoza, Madi, and Gaia. But it also starts to bridge a story about the Eliguis people and their history. Which brings it all back to that intro, a series of flashbacks that serve as a defining background to a new population and their horrors. " Red Sun Rising," written by Jeff Vlaming explores the inner turmoil inside many of the main characters, while also providing an action-packed episode that covers both the past and present. It serves as a vital introduction to the original Eliguis group that shapes how the current population in Sanctum evolved. That works well in putting the audience in the headspace of those on the ground, solidifying the pain that Clarke is going through while also teasing what characters like Bellamy may be struggling with without outright saying it. At the same time though, clues are thrown out about what Russell Lightbourne, the newer edition, and his people emerge from since that plot is so cloaked in mystery. We have an exclusive interview with showrunner Jason Rothenberg that will be released tomorrow morning. In the interview, he touches on what it actually could mean in terms of the future of The 100 Season 6 and maybe poses more questions than answers to the audience about what is yet to come. So make sure to check in tomorrow morning, and read the first part of the interview that previews upcoming characters and the conflict that can come with the new moon. The 100 Season 6: Jason Rothenberg Previews the New Planet's Inspiration, Potential, and Future New Flashbacks, Who Dis? Ask for flashbacks and flashbacks we shall have. In one of the most dynamic introductions to the show, the original Eligius group is building a civilization when that unlucky encounter with the eclipse happens. Now the best way to absorb the new information though is to watch it twice because breaking it all down gets so excited. With the introduction of the new character's also came that little detail about their names. The family that we saw in the premiere in those photos is the Lightbourne family. That Clarke look-alike blonde is Josephine Lightbourne, better known as the author of the book about the hallucinations. Her father is Russell Lightbourne, a character who shares the same name with upcoming leader Russell played by JR Bourne who we have yet to meet. Coincidence? I think not. Sanctum is mine! Russell Lightbourne Permalink: Sanctum is mine! Permalink: Sanctum is mine! Everyone has to be familiar with the theories, especially the use of clones and how these new people in Sanctum might be involved in some version of recreating their own. But it is all in the details and how that could go down, enter Josephine's boyfriend who survived that attack, clearly visible to the audience for a reason. It took catching up on casting information, and another rewatch to hear that Josephine's boyfriend is named Dr. Gabriel. He is a geneticist who vocally mentions embryos, a way into the recreation of people. Now bear with me, there was a photo released (and then shortly deleted) with the actor who plays Gabriel and original Russell and a blonde actress we still have yet to meet, all of them decked out in those Mount Weather like hospital clothing. At first, fans were worried that it was all just confirmation of old plot lines, but what if that was a hint of what is yet to come? Both Josephine and her father mention that Gabriel has strong feelings for her, and having to see her presumably get killed in front of his eyes can't be pleasant. And the camera made sure to focus on Gabriel a few times, confirming that he sees what happens and escapes without an injury. Now looking ahead, The 100 Season 6 Episode 3 has the title "The Children of Gabriel" and it seems to be all coming together. What if it all starts now? The original Russell ends up harming his family by accident and then realizes what happens. Gabriel suggests that they can use the embryos to try something new, to recreate the people that they lost by using their genetics and potentially incorporating another body to take on that form. Bodies are important, both the dead ones like we heard in the present day and maybe even the future ones that they need to utilize. That would explain the photo, with Gabriel and Russell being involved in a medical experiment to prolong Josephine in another body. And if you look at the credits for future episodes, there is an actress who will be playing Josephine VI. That can't be something random, and it could represent how many trials go into an attempt to create what is gone. So these recreations of Josephine (and others) are the children that Gabriel creates, and who is to say there isn't a version of him in the present planet? And who is to say they won't need someone else to allow them to recreate someone again, possibly Josephine, in a new body? Clarke getting comfortable in Sanctum has never felt so twisted. The 100 Season 6 Episode 1 Review: Sanctum That doesn't all have to be true. The odds are that some of it will fall apart once Russell gets introduced to us, but details are being dropped in that flashback. And honestly flashbacks don't need to happen unless we learn or pick up some crucial information, which we can go back to later to reassess. Like that obsession with Josephine's hair twirling, is it a flaw that needs to get removed or a trait that identifies who she is at her core? At the end of it all though, it is the sign of successful flashback incorporation. Red Sun Rising as a whole felt like a memory of what The 100 Season 1 was, with the fast action flashbacks and present-day world building danger all morphing together into so many possibilities and unknowns. Hallucination Hued Vision Is this real life? Is it just fantasy? Or is it the characters facing what they are emotionally struggling with the most? To be fair, Murphy isn't struggling with anything, which begs the question of how it all works. In a stunning performance by Eliza Taylor, Clarke Griffin is talked into almost harming herself by the person who she trusts the most right now to love her no matter what she does. But when Abby "confirms" the dark thoughts that Clarke is struggling with, that gives her permission to fully hate herself and try to slit her own throat. That chilling scene hit very close to home, both personally and as an objective person watching Eliza Taylor get to dig even deeper into Clarke's emotions. She finally gets to feel, but that doesn't mean it will all be positive and romantic. Instead, it is Clarke digging through the mess of self-hatred and blame that she carries, very much fueled by those around her not giving her any space to think differently of herself. Bellamy: We're all breathing it in. Miller: If it's the air out there, then we'll stay in here. Permalink: If it's the air out there, then we'll stay in here. Permalink: If it's the air out there, then we'll stay in here. And since technically Clarke's is the only mind we spent much time in with the hallucinations, that gives us the biggest indication of what is to come and what happened with everyone else. But first, let's do some theorizing about Clarke's state of mind and what it all could mean. The following two episodes are about Clarke staying in Sanctum, meeting Russell, and dealing with her past. Her guilt makes her vulnerable, which means it could make her susceptible to whatever Kool-Aid the new characters might want them all to drink. In a way, Clarke is the weakest in the group, mostly because she doesn't feel firmly part of it. Her reasoning went out the door as she struggles with her inner demons, and there is nothing like Russell finding out that her wanting to do better is the button to push to make her easy to use. It could go in the way of clones again, with Clarke being pushed to deal with her past, and at the same time being used for something more messed up. Regardless of what the details might be, Clarke is in danger, and the hallucinations showed us that it weighs on her more than the others could even know. Except for Murphy, he is aware, and he is possibly the only one who didn't struggle with anything. For a character who has no real guilt and lets it all hang out, that seems fair. Related: The 100 Season 6: Everything We Learned From Conageddon 2019! Then you consider the way that Murphy and Clarke will find themselves teamed up this season, and maybe we all got our reason why. Murphy's able to call out Clarke, to ground her as a third party who isn't biased about her. He doesn't have any real investment in lying to Clarke because it could be argued that he doesn't care for her the way Bellamy does. So in a way, Murphy works as a bucket of ice, snapping Clarke out of her self loathing before it gets her into danger. Because if Murphy is telling Clarke not to blame herself, then hell really must have frozen over and Clarke questions her circumstances. The same could be said further down the line, where if Clarke begins to buy what Russell is selling, Murphy could be there working as a counterweight to that. His will be an outside opinion calling out Clarke with no personal investment, serving as a rude awakening if Clarke's emotions drown her again. Which leads us to Bellamy, whose hallucinations might very well have worked the other way. While Murphy was Clarke's rude awakening, Bellamy was struggling himself and took a lot of his worries out on Clarke. Which to be fair, if his worries were linked to their relationship, then it makes sense for it to emerge that way. April Morris of Truth Bee Told explores the idea of hallucination triggers much better, and it is through that idea that Bellamy's state of mind is pieced together. Bellamy got triggered by the conversation in that school, about how Clarke left him one again. If he is still working through his understanding of that, wouldn't it be on the forefront of his mind? At the surface he is looking to keep everyone safe, seeing Murphy as a threat on the loose and aiming to find him. But when his attention goes to Clarke, it is a different story altogether. Some of the phrases he throws her way link back to her leaving him before, which is very much true. And he can't help but mention that he doesn't need her anymore. Is that the truth? Or is that a mixture of him still struggling with the fighting pits and with the knowledge of the radio calls? They just discussed them; it is fresh in his mind. The radio calls validate that Clarke cares about him, more than cares if six years say anything. And yet, it is obvious that maybe Bellamy is still wrapping his mind around it. Six years of phone calls say one thing, leaving him again is another. He wants to believe that Clarke isn't okay with these choices, but you can't exactly rationalize worries and your subconscious questioning what you think you know.<doc-sep>
[WARNING: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for The 100 Season 6 Episode 2, “Red Sun Rising.”] Sung to the tune of “Bad Moon Rising”: I see a red sun rising… I see trouble on the way… I see earthquakes and lightnin’… I see bad times today… Lyrical parallels aside, that creepy children’s book was right about one thing: in this episode of The 100, titled “Red Sun Rising,” friends are foes. After dealing with an awful death in the premiere, Clarke’s group is coping with another loss: the loss of their minds. Sanctum’s plants are emitting psychosis-inducing gas that forces them to re-live their worst nightmares and turn against each other. In space, the group that stole the expedition party’s ship has arrived, forcing Raven and an unexpected companion to take drastic measures to ensure their survival. Sanctum is Mine! The episode opens with a flashback revealing the first group of scientists to colonize the new planet, who the inhabitants of Sanctum refer to as “The Primes.” The leader’s daughter, Josie, seduces Gabriel, the group’s geneticist, and they notice the bugs behaving oddly. When they get back to their camp, her father goes on an eclipse-induced violent rampage. He hits Josie in the head with a hammer, proclaiming “Sanctum is mine!” It appears Gabriel manages to escape. In the present, Clarke’s group restrains Emori and figures out what’s happening to them: the plants are releasing a toxin, and when they breathe it in, they lose their minds. They decide to separate and use the restraints they found to keep them from harming each other. Echo stays with Emori, Jackson and Miller stay together and Clarke, Murphy and Bellamy stay chained up together in the school. Bellamy keeps everyone’s keys, and Clarke keeps his. I’m The Bad Guy Trapping Clarke and Murphy in the same place might not have been the best idea. There’s no shortage of bad blood there, and Murphy makes it clear he blames Clarke for many of the bad things that happened to him. Eventually, Clarke snaps: “Fine. I’ll be the bad guy. When I’m in charge, people die.” Their arguing is interrupted by screaming. Clarke and Bellamy rush in to find Miller whacking himself against the wall and Jackson claiming, “the bugs are inside him.” That’s not actually the case — it’s a hallucination caused by the toxin. They tranquilize Jackson and Miller, but when they go back downstairs, they find Murphy — and the guns — missing. Bellamy and Clarke go to Emori and Echo for their tranquilizer dose, so they can use it on Murphy. Unfortunately, they’re all losing their minds; Emori’s taunting Echo, Echo has flashbacks to her time in Azgeda (which causes her to use the tranquilizer on herself), Bellamy tells Clarke he doesn’t need her anymore. Murphy to the Rescue Murphy starts shooting at Bellamy and Clarke, and she takes shelter in the school. Her hallucinations make her believe her mom is communicating with her via radio and telling her some pretty horrible stuff, ending with an encouragement for her to kill herself. She almost goes through with it, but Murphy interrupts. “Not you, too,” he says. He gets her to lower her knife from her throat, and they go to help Bellamy, who seems to believe the only way to save everyone is to kill Murphy and Clarke. Murphy succeeds in helping, for the most part. When it comes time for Clarke to tranquilize Bell, she’s succumbed to hallucinations again. Murphy and Bellamy end up in the pond in the middle of the town square, and Bellamy almost drowns Murphy. Clarke pulls herself back to reality, stabs Bellamy in the leg and pulls Murphy from the pond. She, Bellamy and Murphy fight, then Clarke knocks them all unconscious with a gas grenade. A Fate Worse Than Death In space, the arrival of the people from Sanctum divides the group; some end up locked inside the mess hall, while Raven remains on the outside. The cafeteria group’s story is mostly about Octavia. She and Abby have another argument, and the former leader displays a nearly suicidal destructive streak. She picks a fight with the former members of Wonkru, and in doing so, she ends up with a knife to her throat. At that, Abby steps in and tells them to “let her live with what she’s become.” A despondent, sobbing Octavia begs them to kill her, but no one steps forward. Raven wakes up Diyoza so they can free their friends.