From its first season finale,The 100proved itswillingness to demonstrate conflictand war on larger scales. Every season finale not only teases the conflict of what is to come next, but finds a way to close out its season in a way that ups the stakes and proves what the Delinquents, Grounders, and Ark Council are capable of. Unfortunately, while some finales were nearly perfect in their execution, arriving out of well-thought-out seasons, others faltered, whether due to their struggle or the problems faced through the rest of the season’s episodes, whether it was due to pacing problems or the storylines themselves.
While concluding things for the central characters, the series finale came from a primarily subpar final installment that never quite lived up to the audience’s hopes and expectations. In contrast, season two is considered one of the best of the series due to the growing relationships, conflicts, and central drama between the Hundred, adults from the Ark, the Grounders, and the residents of Mount Weather. While seasons six and three faltered in more controversial years, season five portrayed the excitement after the show’s first multi-year time jump. Although every season finale ofThe 100works well to conclude the conflict of the season,some just handled it better than others.
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7Season 7: “The Last War”
“The Last War” comes at the end of a relatively underwhelming final season. Sadly, the series finale could not bring about an epic conclusion to close out the show. Instead, “The Last War” follows its anticlimactic season’s lead. The series finale undermines the entire premise ofThe 100in one fell swoop, ultimately diminishing the point of everything the series had done in the process. Rather than a war for humanity, Clarke and Raven handle a test to determine if humanity is worth transcending or if the human race is better off extinct.
While “The Last War” features the conclusion of massive character development for Octavia, it does not do much for the remaining leads of the show, including Bellamy,who had died a few episodes prior. It is always good to learn from mistakes. Understanding that getting involved in a war with the last of humanity, officially removing the human race from the universe, may not be the best move is a good thing. However, as a whole,The 100ended on a low note, and the series-ender did not make anything better.
6Season 6: “The Blood Of Sanctum”
While slightly better than season seven, “The Blood Of Sanctum” is notThe 100’smost excellent finale, either. The season six conclusion partially relies on any emotional connection the audience may have toward Abby, which has grown less and less throughout the seasons. However, it also shows the remaining Hundred’s desire to do better. They do not want to wipe out all of Sanctum, just those in power. But, while Clarke and Madi’s relationship remains at the heart of the episode, the most significant takeaways come from the cliffhanger of Octavia’s disappearance.
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5Season 3: “Perverse Instantiation”
“Perverse Instantiation” comes at the end ofa very controversial season. However, it becomes clear that the solution to beating ALIE requires Clarke to take the chip and the Flame to defeat the AI and return everyone’s free will. The season three finale includes an exciting cameo from Lexa, as Clarke and Lexa wander around searching for how to defeat ALIE. In the outside world, Bellamy and Octavia fight off those being mind-controlled, and Murphy works to keep Clarke alive. It is pretty action-packed, but what makes the episode a bigger deal is how it teases the end of the world.
4Season 1: “We Are Grounders, Part 2”
The first season finale ofThe 100, “We Are Grounders, Part 2,” finally had the war between the Hundred and Grounders. Throughout the battle, the Hundred are tested to devise unique ways to fight back against people with far more experience, training, and weapons. “We Are Grounders, Part 2” concludes with a mass killing of three-hundred Grounders, and most of the remaining Hundred being taken by the Mountain Men. However, as many of the Delinquents are split up at the conclusion of the season, it also begs the question of when or how they will reunite.
3Season 5: “Damocles, Part 2”
The world is about to end, and this time, maybe for good. Praimfaya had wiped out everything but Eden, and now McCreary has ensured that even that will be gone. As the countdown to Earth no longer being habitable gets down to the wire, everyone must evacuate the ground again. “Damocles–Part 2” is a race against the clock to launch before a bomb can kill everyone and everything in its path. But, it is also a finale of resurrection.HadThe 100ended with season five, this ending would have made perfect sense. In season five’s final moments, Clarke and Bellamy discover Monty and Harper had chosen not to go into cryosleep, deciding instead to live happily and in peace, raising their son, Jordan.
However, they also learned things had not gone according to plan. Earth had not regenerated after ten years. Instead, it was just as dead as the day they escaped. Wanting to ensure their friend’s survival, Monty and Harper stayed awake searching for a new planet. They eventually found one, but Jordan decided to enter cryosleep to have a life filled with more people. As Bellamy, Clarke, and Jordan look over a new planet, there is a sign of hope that things will get better.
2Season 2: “Blood Must Have Blood”
As far as season finales go, “Blood Must Have Blood” ups the stakes in every conceivable way forThe 100. The Hundred, having teamed up with the Grounders, fought against the Mountain Men and desire their people’s release. However, Cage Wallace is less than willing to let the Hundred go when their bone marrow can help his people leave Mount Weather. It becomes a question of whose people will survive the encounter when Clarke, Bellamy, and Monty realize they can quickly eliminate the threat to their people if they are willing to kill the rest of the Mount Weather population.
Clarke’s decision to pull the lever eventually gets her the nickname “Wanheda” the following season. However, it also becomes one of the most defining moments of the series. Sometimes, making the impossible choice needs to happen. Unfortunately, there were no readily available alternatives to the plan. While Clarke, Bellamy, and Monty live with the guilt of their decision, Clarke also holds most of the responsibility toward the choice.
1Season 4: “Praimfaya”
Perhaps no season finale, or episode in general, provides a look of rushing against the clock just as much as the season 4 conclusion. Clarke, Bellamy, Monty, Murphy, Emori, Harper, Raven, and Echo must reach space before Praimfaya takes Earth. But, it is not that easy and requires several moving parts to ensure a successful launch and a safe space station to live on. Clarke’s separation from her friends is a devastating blow, as they believe her to be dead since she had not arrived in time.
Meanwhile, Clarke escaped the Death Wave but never knew for sure if her friends survived. A six-year jump reveals Clarke had made radio calls to Bellamy every day with no response. However, viewers get a slight relief in knowing Clarke is not alone, as “Praimfaya” gives the first glimpse of Madi. The cliffhanger shows the new Prisoners' ship arriving on Earth, teasing the next set of villains to reach the ground.
