“Pandora’s Box” is episode four of season five of The 100.
In the previous episode, “Sleeping Giants”, Clarke had been captured by the prisoners who had come down from the Eligius 4. Bellamy and the others had visited the ship, and discovered nearly 300 former prisoners in cryopods. Raven had remained behind, to give them the power to kill everyone in the pods – as a leverage point – and it couldn’t be done from the ground. Murphy had volunteered to stay with her. Discovering afterwards that Raven had lied about an escape pod. Bellamy, after Madi saved his and the rest’s lives, was using the pods as a bargaining point with the leader of those on the ground, Diyoza, to save Clarke’s life.
This episode opens in the Second Dawn bunker at the end of “Red Queen”, when the latest batch of people – one of whom is Kane (Jaha had finally died shortly after they entered the bunker; he had managed to survive a whole bunch of apparently fatal experiences up until that point) – had entered the arena where, it seems, those who had committed crimes against Wonkru have to fight to the death. As Octavia watches. Gaia says that the four in the arena are said to be traitors, but the one who survives will be allowed to live.
Abby is locked away somewhere, banging on a door saying that Kane doesn’t deserve to die and that is was her, not Kane. However, Kane is the last to survive, but he’s clearly not happy about the fight. Octavia says that Kane has not earned his freedom and will fight again tomorrow.
On the surface, Diyoza’s people are confirming that they no longer have remote access to the cryopods. They are not happy, but they are going to have to agree to what Bellamy wants. Which is help opening the bunker; after which they can split the valley. Diyoza agrees, and some of her people are definitely not happy. Clarke is happy to see Bellamy again, and to find out that the others are still alive.
On the Eligius 4, Raven is looking up the bios of the prisoners. Diyoza was a war hero turned terrorist, the most wanted person in the entire world when she was captured. When Bellamy contacts them with news of the deal, Clarke also speaks – and Murphy makes a comment regarding just how hard she is to kill. Clarke is more of a survivor than even Murphy.
One reason why Diyoza agreed to excavate the bunker was Abby. They need a doctor to find a cure for something. Well, that’s worrying. Diyoza also says that can’t just kill everyone for they will lose everyone of theirs as well.
In the bunker, Octavia is talking to Kane. There is a reference to a bad year of some kind, but it isn’t elaborated on. Kane says that they have lost their way doing what they thought they needed to do to survive, and that he is tired of fighting. So he will probably die in the arena. Except, of course, you can guess when the bunker is opened up.
Raven manages to confirm that the Eligius 4 is an interstellar ship. Very short range interstellar by the sounds of it but still, where did the technology come from to build these? It seems far in advance of what was around when the world was destroyed.
Diyoza’s people are trying to get around Bellamy’s threat, and things look like they are going to deteriorate. Again.