“Damocles: Part II” is episode thirteen of season five of The 100 and the second part of the two part season finale.
In the previous episode, “Damocles: Part I”, Vinson had attacked Kane, with the intention of causing Abby to become an addict again. As well as stabbing Kane repeatedly, Vinson also tried ripping his throat out with his teeth – not the first time he’s done that to someone either. Well, he is a serial killer. Abby arrived and fried Vinson with the collar, but Kane’s wounds were severe.
Madi, using the knowledge that she got from Lexa, who is in the Flame now, was able to convince Clarke to help. So Clarke shot the two men who were going to kill Echo; Echo being taken prisoner when she came to get a new Commander for Wonkru. Madi and Echo left and Clarke went to stop the transport ship from taking off, for McCreary has Raven and Shaw, and will torture Raven until Shaw agrees to pilot the ship, or vice versa, the two having finally admitted that they have feelings for her. Clarke told Madi that she would be okay, as Madi may be the Commander, but that Clarke is the Commander of Death.
In the gorge where Wonkru was ambushed, Bellamy, Octavia, Indra and Gaia were still alive, but Gaia was seriously wounded. Octavia finally accepted that Wonkru was broken, and that it was her fault. So she chose to sacrifice her life by providing a distraction so that the others could escape. However, as she knelt down to die, there was firing, but not from the prisoners. Instead, it came from the rover, as Echo, Madi, Murphy and Emori arrived and got everyone to safety.
Miller is wandering around the Wonkru camp in the wasteland. Monty tells him that they have no food, no water and no medication, and that they need to surrender. Miller tells him that those that tried were slaughtered. So they will have to attack, but Miller also says that no-one will follow him back into the gorge. Monty replies that they are already dead. Then the rover is heard arriving.
Those in the rover exit when they arrive, and when Madi is seen the call goes out that ‘Heda will save us.’ At which point Octavia draws her sword and things get very tense. As Octavia walks towards Madi, Bellamy asks her what she’s doing. Madi tells Echo to let Octavia pass and the latter, when she gets near, sticks her sword into the ground and kneels. Followed by everyone else. This was probably the only way of defusing the situation, as the Commander’s loyalists and Blodreina’s could easily have come to blows otherwise.
The army is getting ready to march, and Echo tells the leaders of the two forces that they are all the Commander’s army now. So the question is where is Madi? She is in the tent with the injured, and Jackson comes over and tells Indra that if they can get Gaia to Abby in time they will be able to save her leg. Bellamy tells Madi that everyone is ready to follow her now; she just has to lead.
Madi does not want to lead everyone into another massacre. She isn’t worried for herself, but all the others. Madi feels that there has to be a better way than charging into all the guns, to be told that if there was a better way, they would have found it. Gaia advises Madi to asks the Commanders, but Madi doesn’t know how, for they only come to her in her dreams. Gaia does know a way, and this allows Madi to come up with a plan.
In the transport, McCreary is pulling Shaw’s teeth to get Raven to cooperate. When the guards in the gorge report that the rover is coming at them, McCreary gets more physical and starts using a crusher on Shaw’s leg until Raven agrees to fly. Elsewhere on the ship, Clarke is freeing Diyoza. She tells Diyoza that she needs her help to stop McCreary; Diyoza tells Clarke it’s hard to keep track of which side she’s on. To which Clarke replies that she guesses that’s something they have in common, and Diyoza agrees.
Clarke does have a plan to stop McCreary, and it’s a good one, as is Madi’s plan to attack Shadow Valley. McCreary isn’t going to go down willingly, and the reason why this and the previous episode are called ‘Damocles’ is revealed. As Raven says, ‘Life as we know it is about to end. Again.’ Raven also later comments on the technology used; it is far in advance of anything else seen.
So, there’s a last, desperate rush to save everyone. Again. And a whole new situation opens up for the next season, although at least there is no imminent danger.
This episode concludes with the words ‘End Book One’ although it doesn’t appear to match up with the end of the first of the written books.