“Demons” is episode twelve of season three of The 100.
In the previous episode, “Nevermore”, using the method Raven came up with in “Fallen”, Clarke and the others were able to successfully free her from Alie’s influence. They only had one wristband though, and doing this destroyed it. Alie, however, now wants Raven and the others hunted down and killed. The reason she wanted A.L.I.E. 2.0 was to destroy the AI; with Raven free of Alie’s control, she has told the others that she knows why Alie wants the improved AI – it’s the only thing that can stop her.
This episode opens in the cave on a dark and stormy night with three of the escapees from Arkadia; one of them is telling a ghost story from the beginning of the Ark. The story refers to a man who went mad and killed eleven people – before hacking himself up and scrawling the word ‘Demons’ in his own blood. The storyteller walks outside the cave and something is heard. A second leaves and something else is heard by the sole person in the cave. When she goes to look for them, a masked figure appears.
In Polis, Murphy is tagging along with Ontari outside when he is hailed by Emori (Murphy had tried to refuse Ontari’s advances, in a rare show of morality, because he had a girlfriend, but Ontari is not the type of person to take no for an answer). Emori thinks that Murphy is running a con on Ontari and wants in. Emori isn’t the only person who’s arrived in Polis – Jaha has arrived as well. He has an offer for Ontari.
Raven and the others are in the rover on the way to Arkadia and Raven is reading the journal of Beka, the first Commander, the creator of Alie and A.L.I.E. 2.0. The problem with Alie was that she had decided the problem with the world was too many people. The second version was intended to merge with people; it would then never try to exterminate them because it would be one of them. It seems Beka carried out a gene therapy on herself to accept the AI, therapy which turned her blood black – she became a Nightbleeder, which then became genetic. They need to find Luna because she’s the last person who can merge with 2.0.
Arkadia is deserted when they arrive, and the others – from the cave – are not answering their communicators. Octavia finds Lincoln’s journal, which gives Luna’s location, but then Jasper, and then her, are attacked by the mysterious masked individual from the cave. Raven has an idea about how to activate A.L.I.E. 2.0. – without a Nightbleeder. They still need a host though. Arkadia is stereotypically technohorror now – flickering lights, deserted corridors and creepy music. So who is the person stalking them?
It was said that the Flame is fatal to those who aren’t Nightbleeders. This is definitely true.