The 100 Season 1 is an edge of your seat dystopian science fiction show that makes the audience dive onto the murky and ethically-challenging waters. The idea of sending juvenile delinquents back to Earth to find out whether it is habitable or not after a nuclear apocalypse is fascinating as well as emotive. The series develops the topics of redemptions, trust, and what it really means to be a human in a world of chaos and survival, setting gritty action scenes against the political intrigue and building relationships against all odds.
The tone tends to be rather bleak and unrefined, but there is underlying optimism in it which makes the story interesting. The show is not afraid to show violence, moral struggles, sacrifices, and this makes it more realistic and emotional. Its characters are morally unsound and three-dimensional and are shown in a vulnerable yet hungry-eyed life driven by a hungry determination by the actors, particularly the young actors. The aspect of leadership and the interactions between the leaders is very natural and it gives a sort of authenticity to it in a way that people do not seem to be able to bother about which leadership has to take charge essentially because the society is literally collapsing and their plight seems to penetrate more deeply.
In the visual area, the series has been excellent in its photography and production design, contrasting the rugged good looks of Earth and the stark interiors of Ark. Lighting and colors also add to the emotional tone, and the score adds some tensions that are not too prominent over the story. There is a strict pacing of the film which mixes character with action. The most powerful was the aspect of seeking morality and the acceptable rules within lawless society that built on hope and despair in times of need. Altogether, the first part of the television series The 100 is a really strong, emotionally connecting show that makes the audience look at the theme of humanity: its perseverance and its ambiguity.
