“Die All, Die Merrily” is episode ten of season four of The 100.
In the previous episode, “DNR”, Clarke tried to become the Commander, because she is now a Nightblood thanks to the transfusion of Luna’s bone marrow that she received in “God Complex”. However, Roan knew how this had happened and told the tribes, leading to a new option. Each tribe has a champion, and that champion will fight those of all the others. Whichever tribe’s champion survives will get to use the bunker. With guns not being allowed, this wasn’t looking good for the Arkadians. Octavia’s attempt to live peacefully failed when some of Ilian’s tribespeople attacked her, and refused to back off. So she killed them all. With a hoe. Leading her to arrive in Polis just as Bellamy and Clarke were discussing the fact that they lacked a suitable champion. Now they don’t.
Raven is getting Becca’s rocket ready to launch, so that she can die in space not on the ground, and Monty has stayed in Arkadia with Jasper and Harper. The latter two have, currently, given up on surviving; they are Monty’s closest friends so he is staying in the hopes that they will change their minds.
This episode opens with Octavia in Polis. She is Skaikru’s champion, naturally enough. Bellamy says that she doesn’t have to do it, and that they can find someone else. She is still going to fight though. Roan is Ice Nation’s champion and as a surprise Ilian is that of Trishanakru. The final conclave will be fault within the walls of Polis; the victor must bring the sigils of the clans of all the others to Gaia. To make matters more interesting, Luna arrives, saying she is the last of her clan. Previously, in “Red Sky at Morning”, Luna stated that she fled her conclave – because she didn’t want to win, and she would have. Luna, as she has no-one left alive to fight for, says that when she wins, no-one will be saved in the bunker.
Jaha isn’t happy about fighting a game to see who survives, and doesn’t trust the Grounders to accept it if Octavia wins. Kane does believe this, but Clarke is worried about Luna, as she is probably the best killer there. Anyone who cheats will automatically lose though. Each clan is allowed two advisors; Bellamy says Clarke should be there as he wouldn’t know what to say, but she says that as Octavia’s brother, he needs to be there. Kane is the other advisor. Roan is really not happy with Clarke for attempting to become the Commander. Roan wants his people to survive; Clarke wants humanity to survive, whichever clan it is. Kane and Bellamy tell Octavia that she doesn’t have to kill the other twelve warriors – she agrees; she only needs to kill the last one.
Most of the rest of the episode is a bloody battle across Polis, with an emphasis on Luna, Roan, Ilian and Octavia (who are really the only players in this game that matter, and Ilian is a lesser one to a degree). Some clans are making alliances (temporary of course) and some are not playing by the rules (Echo, Ice Nation’s spy, is missing; she believes in using underhand methods to save her people). There is also the threat of black rain – and Luna, being a Nightblood, is probably immune to it. Most of what happens is not a surprise, but there has to be something unexpected.