“Perverse Instantiation: Part 1” is episode fifteen of season three of The 100.
In the previous episode, “Red Sky at Morning”, Raven had used Beka’s back door password to get into Alie’s programming and, in the process, had discovered a kill switch. Unfortunately, and despite Monty basically killing his mother for a second time, this time her copy, she was kicked out of the system when it was deleted from Arkadia’s computers and the password will no longer work. Murphy and Pike had destroyed the power source of Jaha’s backpack, which would appear to have been the temporary home of the City of Light, but far too late. Now, the City of Light would appear to have been transferred to computers on what’s left of the Ark in orbit. Combined with Luna’s refusal to take the Flame, and removal of Clarke and the others from the rig, Alie now appears to be unstoppable.
The episode opens with Clarke and the others discussing what to do. Bellamy and the others suggest regrouping with everyone else – although truthfully there aren’t many left. Clarke is willing to randomly walk into Grounder villages looking for a Nightblood. Octavia points out that Alie was able to find them on the rig, and she will therefore be able to find them anywhere, destroying more Grounder settlements. Clarke points out that if Alie wins, there won’t be any more villages to destroy. Clarke wanders off by herself, but Alie’s forces are watching. Fortunately, before she is captured, Roan kills the person following her. Then he takes the Flame. He says he has a Nightblood to already put it in. Meaning Ontari. Then Bellamy arrives and turns the tables again. However, Clarke is now also willing to put the Flame into Ontari. Which really doesn’t sound like the best idea. Perhaps only the least worst. Ontari is definitely not the best candidate for Commander. Bellamy’s method for getting Roan to help is probably not going to endear him, but at least it proves that Roan hasn’t taken the chip.
With Ontari already being chipped, she needs to first be cleansed of Alie’s influence before she is given the Flame, or Alie will get exactly what she wants. To do that, she needs to be abducted from Polis, where she is surrounded by thousands of people linked together by Alie. This is not going to be easy. Fortunately, Roan is willing to help. Raven and Monty, whilst Clarke and the others go after Ontari, have a plan for getting to Alie’s code. It seems that at least one person in the camp has already been chipped. Which means that Alie knows they are coming and they are going to be walking into a trap. Who is chipped though? It turns out to be Jasper, which Raven and Monty discover quite quickly. They can’t get hold of Clarke and the others to warn them though.
Roan is taking the Flame as bait to draw Ontari out, but Clarke is going with him. Which means she will have to pretend to be a prisoner. With them walking into a trap, this isn’t going to be good. Clarke is the only person that knows the passphrase to activate A.L.I.E. 2.0, and Alie has proven quite willing to torture and kill to get people to give in to her. Usually by attacking the friends and loved ones of the people she is trying to turn. Pike, Murphy and Indra are still free, which means that there is still a wild card in play. Octavia is really not happy to see Pike.
Every time they get closer, Alie seems to be one step ahead of them, building up to the season finale, “Perverse Instantiation: Part 2”.