‘The 100’ has dragged me so, so deep down the Netflix rabbit hole
I’ll be the first to admit it: I spend a little too much time on Netflix. Lately my streaming habits have been narrowed to one show and one show only. What’s that show you ask? It’s The 100. And it’s 10,000% worth it.
For those not yet in the know, The 100 is a television show currently airing on the CW (on Wednesdays!), and it’s IMHO essentially the best television show on today. Many have compared it to a futuristic Lord of the Flies. Personally, I’d say it’s somewhere between The Hunger Games and Game of Thrones. The best part about it? The show is filled with some of the most dynamic, kickass, lady characters on TV.
To set the scene a bit, The 100 takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. After a nuclear apocalypse, mankind flees to the stars in order to escape the planet’s now lethal doses of radiation. Almost 100 years later, and time is running out for the humans on the Ark (the orbital base they live on, obvi) as oxygen supplies decrease. In a desperate attempt to buy time, the people of the Ark send 100 teenage delinquents down to Earth in the hopes that they will be able to determine if the planet is once again habitable for the rest of mankind. Of course, once the 100 reach the ground, they quickly discover that the people of the Ark aren’t the only ones who survived the apocalypse, and life gets infinitely more interesting for everyone involved as the teenagers realize that they may have inadvertently started a war.
One of The 100’s greatest claims to fame is the amount of diversity within the show. There are at least eight major POC characters (not counting all of the recurring minor roles), and the show also features realistic portrayals of disabilities both mental and physical. Also, one of my personal fave features, women fill a majority of the leadership positions within the show. That’s right. You heard me. This show is filled with strong female characters leading the way. Quick headcount:
Two amazing female doctors.
The youngest zero-G mechanic in 52 years . . . and she’s a girl.
Two female warriors commanding their own fighting units.
One female commander taking charge.
One baby sister turned samurai.
And of course one princess turned healer who happens to dabble as co-leader to a bunch of teenagers in her spare time.
These are just some of the many amazing women on the show. Each one equipped with her own agency and each one existing in the world of the show as far more than just the romantic interest for one of the male leads. In fact, romance tends to take a backset on The 100. There’s not that much time for love when you’re fighting for your life.
Jason Rothenberg, executive producer for The 100, said about their female representation in an interview with TV Guide Magazine: “one thing we’re really proud of is how many amazing, badass characters we have — many of whom are women. And we’re a little disturbed to keep hearing about how rare that is. Our women are strong, integral to the story and well-rounded. We have warriors, leaders, mechanics and doctors, just to name a few. That’s something I think is important about The 100. Also, we spear people in the chest and it’s cool.”
The women on this show make the list of some of my favorite characters of all time (that list includes Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, and Tyrion Lannister, just to name a few), and I’m excited for the promise of some LGTBQ characters that the writers have promised to introduce later on this season.
Basically this is a PSA to tell you this is a show you should be watching; whether that’s live on the good ol’ television or via Netflix. Hop to it sister, you’re missing out on some incredible-ness.
