“Damocles: Part I” is episode twelve of season five of The 100 and the first part of the two part season finale.
In the previous episode, “The Dark Year”, McCreary was using Diyoza’s captured playbook to defend Shadow Valley from Wonkru’s attack. So Echo and the others had to come up with some way of sabotaging this – with some help from Diyoza. Octavia seems to think that capturing Shadow Valley will make everything worthwhile, including the cannibalism Wonkru had to do to survive. Which also included forcing many to comply, by shooting those that didn’t, essentially at Abby’s instigation. The events of the Dark Year look to have permanently damaged Octavia, and others.
In Shadow Valley, Clarke had saved her mother and both were then treating McCreary’s people. Madi wasn’t happy about this, and felt they were on the wrong side, but Clarke is willing to do pretty much anything to save Madi. At the end of the episode, Kane and Diyoza handed themselves over to McCreary; it looks as if they intend to make sure that Wonkru is defeated. According to Kane, this is so the devil won’t get into the garden (the devil presumably being what Octavia has become). Whether this is true or another ploy is not known yet.
The episode opens with Wonkru’s forces making their way through a pass that is guarded by two pillboxes. Echo and the others attack another area as a planned distraction, and Wonkru moves out on hearing this. Murphy, who has acquired one of the sonic drills, points it at the fortifications they are attacking and gets to say ‘Say hello to my little…’ before the blast from the drill blows him backwards. The drill itself starts overloading, but Raven manages to disable it.
McCreary knows that this is a distraction, so has an ambush planned for Wonkru. Who are marching against prepared fortifications manned by people who know they are coming. The result is a slaughter. McCreary is listening in, and Kan doesn’t look happy, even though this is what he wanted. Kane says that they both want the same thing – the survival of the human race. And that there are people outside who can help. Diyoza agrees, but her playbook had already allowed for the survival of the race without any others. McCreary tells Diyoza that she is only being kept alive because of the baby, and that once she is born, Diyoza will die. So she’s going to be locked up.
Clarke, Abby and Madi can also hear the slaughter over the radio. Madi is really not happy with how things are going. Clarke wants to know if Abby’s overdose was accidental or deliberate, but Abby herself is not sure. Madi has also gone out the window, taking the keys to the rover with her. Clarke asks her mother for advice about saving Madi and Abby says she was willing to send 100 children to the ground to stop her daughter from being floated. The advice is to do whatever it takes. Clarke had disabled the rover, so Madi was unable to use it, and she collars Madi to keep her safe. And uses the collar.
Bellamy and Octavia have survived and Octavia tries to move when she comes to. Bellamy grabs her and tells Octavia not to move; anyone who moves is being gunned down. Octavia says that this is all Bellamy’s fault, but he says it’s not the time to assigning blame. Bellamy plans to surrender but Octavia still thinks the situation is winnable. So Bellamy tells Octavia that her people are dead because of her, not him. She was the one who burned the farm in “The Warriors Will” and forced her people into an attack. Bellamy doesn’t believe that anyone will follow Octavia now. However, surrender doesn’t look to be an option either, because three of Wonkru who attempt it are gunned down.
Back at the camp in the wastelands, the survivors from the attack are arriving. Miller says that they can still win, that they need to go back and save Octavia. The others disagree; no-one is interested in saving Blodreina or Bellamy now, blaming both of them for the massacre. They are also out of everything. Monty contacts Echo and finds out that Diyoza betrayed them. He also says that there is no-one in charge. So Echo decides to get Wonkru a new leader.
Clarke’s need to protect Madi is causing her to repeatedly betray her friends. Madi doesn’t want protecting like that, and has the spirits of all the former Commanders in her mind now. Including Lexa. Which means Madi has an advantage. Vinson is also wandering around free, and he may well have plans of his own.
Things are looking pretty bad for Wonkru, leading into the season finale, “Damocles: Part II”.