The Princess, the Hero, and the Tower

Fantasy Archetypes in The 100 Season 3

Okay so earlier in the hiatus I was part of a long thread discussion about season 3, specifically episodes 303 and 315, where we basically screamed for several pages about the parallels and the similarities of those episodes.  In that @raincityruckus pointed out that Bellamy was basically like a hero going to rescue the princess, and someone else talked about Clarke as a princess kept in a metaphorical tower maybe all through 3a, and that of course devolved into more squee over the screen-literal symbolism of episodes 3 and 15.  I don’t remember all of that episode discussion, but this week I decided to just take that idea and run with it into a huge scale break down of episodes 303 and 315 as a fractured fairy tale. So… here we are, 2000 words about symbolic storytelling, as well as a tribute to the mythic storytelling that has made this one of my favorite shows of the last three years.

If the tone is a little formal, it’s because I originally was going to submit this to a media site, but I decided it would be more fun on tumblr.  This is, as always, just one way among many of looking at the show.  Credit to @mego42, @verbam, @thelovelylights, @raincityruckus, @storyskein, @ship-picky, @nataliecrown, @velvet-tread, @alienor-woods, @bellsqueen, @easnadh1, @pythiaspeaks, @awesomenell65, @bellamyslady, and others.

Intro

In looking at executive producer Jason Rothenberg’s whirlwind story, it helps to love classic tropes as much as the show does. Archetypes from speculative fiction, religion, mythology, and fantasy are borrowed liberally. Alongside the well known science fiction stories of evil computers, outer space, and mad scientists, seasons 2 and 3 made liberal use of mythic characters and tropes. The second season told the overarching story of the villagers versus the dragon–or in terms of The 100, the Sky People &  the Grounders versus the Mountain Men. It’s a siege and infiltration story right out of The Hobbit, only this time the beast in the mountain is a society of science-vampires, the antihero burglar is a resourceful man instead of a nervous hobbit, and the armies outside are commanded by fierce warrior women. You could even parallel the Sky People to city-dwelling humans and the Grounders to forest-dwelling elves. From within the mountain, it’s a trip down mythology lane with in-world terms like “The Cerberus Project”. The show wants us to be clear that yes, entering Mount Weather equals a descent into the underworld.  Beyond plot specifics, major characters and groups have the most genre-specific names that a primetime television series can get away with: Griffin, Kane/Cain, The Commander, Octavia, Cage, Dante, The Outsiders. The 100 loves mythic stories and larger-than-life characters.

If season 2 was a story of alliances against old and terrible villains, season 3 lowers the stakes to a human level. Now our protagonists are facing personal political conflict and the creeping threat of a corrupt false religion. I’ll leave the religious allegory of ALIE’s cult to one side for this discussion, and focus on the story of the Clarke, Bellamy, Lexa, and the classic fairy tale storytelling at work in season 3.

The principal episodes that introduce and close this fairy tale arc are episode 3, “Ye Who Enter Here” and episode 15, “Perverse Instantiation, Part One.”  The third and the second to last episodes of the third season mirror each other with three main elements: the trapped princess, the well-intentioned hero, and the tower that separates them. The first version of this rescue fails, the second succeeds. Put another way, it’s twice that Clarke Griffin, leader hero and princess of the Sky People by nickname and by practice, is held in the tower of Polis against her will. Twice this season Bellamy Blake, the warrior hero of the Sky People, leads a team in ascending the tower to get to her. In episode 3 this ends in bargaining, deceit, miscommunication, and unwarranted violence. In episode 15 it ends in fortitude, teamwork, freedom, and trust.

The Archetypes

There’s three parts to the mythic archetypes at work in the arc these two episodes form: the princess, the hero and the tower. Call her Wanheda, call her the Chancellor’s daughter, or call her an ambassador–in the scope of this political drama Clarke fulfills the role of the princess. She spends most of episodes 3 and 15 in literal captivity, at the top of a tower, being convinced that her people are better off if she capitulates to her captor. In the first instance of her captivity Clarke does willingly capitulate, and in the second she doesn’t. If your first instinct in reading this is to point out that by the time Bellamy arrives in “Ye Who Enter Here” Clarke is no longer a captive but a willing participant, that will be addressed soon. In broad terms, Clarke was a prisoner for a week by episode 3, and she remains a prisoner on screen until Lexa’s political bargaining is successful. 

Bellamy is the second archetypal character at play. Call Bellamy a prince, a knight, a suitor, or a hero of the realm: he’s the warrior who ascends to free the princess, for ill or for good. In these dual episodes and in the politics around Polis, this is his function in the story. Not for the series as a whole, and not in Arkadia itself during season 3, but for this trope and these events, this is his archetype. I want to note here that I’m not in any way implying that Clarke is not herself a hero–she is, and I’m first in line to scream it from the rooftops–but just that in this narrow analogy, Bellamy fullfills the role. I don’t think it’s an accident that the show itself plays with the “knight” label in episode 311. Aside from showing that they’re aware of the opinions of their fanbase, it’s part of how The 100 likes to flirt with tropes and then take them into new directions. Given how loaded that term has become, and also given that Bellamy can’t really be said to have been raised in any kind of noble class, I like the term “hero” instead, for fairy tale analogies. And you can fight me over the “suitor” label too, but c’mon guys… he raced up a tower to save her twice. TWICE. Boy is probably in love.

The third aspect of this triangle is the tower of Polis. The producers could have given the Commander any type of futuristic structure, mansion, or castle as the hub of the Grounders. Could be a hotel or stadium. They chose a single tower, like the one that imprisoned the princess Rapunzel in numerous paintings and films. Although this tower primarily holds Clarke captive in season 3, it doubles as a sort of political cage for Lexa as well, evoking the similarities between the young women. In fact, it seems to be the prison/grave of a great many powerful young women. When Lexa is gone, the tower holds Ontari next, but she buckles under pressure and throne is swiftly taken by ALIE. As Nightbloods and as an A.I. respectively, Lexa, Ontari, and ALIE are the spiritual progeny of Becca Pramheda, and the imposing tower in Polis is a tribute to her awesome but eogmaniacal legacy.

Episode 303

So there are three ingredients to make up this fairy tale: the princess, the hero, and the tower. Episode 3 of season 3, “Ye Who Enter Here”, gives viewers the first ascent to rescue the princess. Bellamy is manipulated into believing that Clarke and the Sky People’s other leaders will be killed in an assassination conspiracy. He leads a team to sneak into the city, murder the guards, and fight up the tower. They burst into the throne room with the intent to rescue Clarke, Kane, and Abby, but instead discover they’ve been lured here under false circumstances. Abby and Kane are not in danger, and Clarke has already conceded to the Commander’s political bargaining, even taking a willing role to stay as an ambassador.

So why write the rescue in episode 3 to fail? The metatextual explanation is that the conspiracy and near shoot out in the throne room serves to escalate the conflict between the two cities, to drive a wedge between Clarke and Bellamy, to frame Lexa’s coalition as weak without Clarke’s aid, and to show Bellamy’s willingness to commit violence in the set up for his dark tragedy arc for the next third of the season. Bellamy loses two women he loves in this episode; Gina is lost to war crimes and Clarke is lost to politics. Already seen by his friends as someone reacting too emotionally where a threat to his loved ones is concerned, this tragedy creates an opening for Pike to recruit him.

The character reasoning for Clarke in episode 3 is simpler, yet in many ways more difficult for the audience to accept: the princess doesn’t want to be saved yet. At this point of her journey, Clarke is not ready to go home. She has a new plan for her political goals, and the beautiful warlord who held her captive is now offering her an escape from the direct duties of her people. As an ambassador, Clarke can serve Arkadia’s interests from an emotional and physical distance. She is keeping them safe, on the terms Lexa set. It’s a respite from responsibility, packaged in the allure of comfort. If she stays, Lexa will benevolently rule the Sky People as the thirteenth clan, and Lexa will personally give Clarke a place of protection and relief. For someone as soul-shattered as Clarke has become, what a relief that must be.  

The positioning of Commander Lexa and Polis is also written in a specifically mythic manner in this episode. First of all, she is presented in all her splendor, so as to portray both her nobility and power (and her great hair care regimen.)  After Bellamy’s aborted assault on the throne room, Lexa privately bows to Clarke and vows to protect te Sky People. However, this only happens after Clarke has publicly bowed to Lexa and given the Wanheda’s “power” over to the Commander. Clarke, with the help of Kane and Abby, has effectively conceded her kingdom to Lexa as an overlord.  Putting it that way perhaps unfairly takes some of the romance out of it–Lexa and Clarke are romantically entranced by each other, and the intent behind the political union is genuine. Lexa’s personal commitment to Clarke is real. However, that commitment was only given after Clarke submits to her will and hands Lexa the symbolic power of the Sky Peopl. If this episode felt like a political wedding between a princess and a king for the rights to her realm, that’s because it ticked all the familiar boxes of such a story. It was a concession before it was a commitment.

To summarize so far: Clark isn’t ready to go home in “Ye who Enter Here”, and Bellamy’s motives are driven by fear and the manipulation of outsiders. This rescue fails, and the episode ends in a massacre that none of the main characters are able to prevent. It establishes the major players in their respective roles for the conflict between Polis and Arkadia over the next five episodes.

Episode 315

A lot of story happens after this: Clarke and Lexa play out their star-crossed romance, Bellamy, Pike, Kane and Octavia play out their own bloody drama, and ALIE slowly absorbs the people of both cities into her cyber cult. When the heroes of the Sky People revisit Polis in episode 15, completing the circle they began in episode 3, they once again face captivity, traitors, and a dire race against time. “Perverse Instantiation, Part One” becomes the heroic mirror of episode 3. The setup is the same: the princess is imprisoned in the top of the tower and is asked submit to a greater power. Once again that power is personified as a beautiful woman sitting on the throne of the city, heir to Becca Pramheda. While Lexa was assisted by an A.I., ALIE is an A.I. And like Lexa, ALIE believes she is serving humanity best with her choices. Clarke is also in a familiar position: give in, accept the fate that the ruler on the throne wants for her, accede her personal sovereignty. Instead of the symbolic power of bowing, Clarke can give the literal power of the Flame’s password.  Instead of the distant threat of war on her people, Clarke now faces the immediate threat of torture and coercion. New words, but the song remains the same.

Yet Clarke is a different woman now: she will not give in to this. She will not consign humanity to ALIE’s rule. Instead of speaking for Arkadia she speaks for all thirteen clans, and she stands her ground. ALIE has nothing to offer Clarke, so instead ALIE attempts to take away what Clarke loves–friends, family, hope. ALIE fails, because Clarke has finally found her inner strength after a season of self-doubt.

It’s all so familiar from here. Once again, Bellamy ascends the tower to save the princess of his people. Once again his group captures the elevator and fights their way to the top. But he’s a different man as well: he tries not to kill his opponents and his success is dependent on the cooperation of his fellows. The warriors who follow him trust him where before they doubted his methods. His mission is in service of all the peoples of the realm—not just his personal fears or the defense of his single community. He is there because Clarke asked him to be, because the threat is real this time, and because they built a plan with their friends and allies to defeat this enemy together.  

As before, Bellamy believes Clarke is in danger when the elevator carries him up. But this time he’s right–the princess is trapped, tormented, and they arrive just in time to save her and Abby. Bellamy personally cuts Clarke’s bonds from where she is tied to a post like some kind of village virgin being sacrificed to appease the local monster. Subtle with imagery, this show is not! They stall Jaha and free Abby; they fail to save the puppet Ontari, but the password remains safe from ALIE. Finally, the mirror version of the ascent in episode 3 is complete, this time toward a hopeful end. The hero has reached the top of the tower, the princess is free, and the protagonists have survived against great odds.

“Perverse Instantiation, Part One” ends immediately after the completion of the trope, but in true 100 fashion, just because they defeated the minions and saved the princess, the story isn’t over. Actually, everything is terrible, and we’re all going to die.  No sooner does the show wrap up one genre homage than it skips right on to the next: the mythic fantasy arc had ended, and science fiction rules take over for “Perverse Instantiation, Part Two”.