The CW’s hit sci-fi show The 100 has a reputation for reinventing itself every season. The Season 5 finale was probably the ultimate reboot in TV history: the showrunners literally nuked the Earth, rendering it a dead world to our heroes. Undaunted, the crew boarded the spaceship Eligius IV and discovered a faraway planet to escape to but, bad news, it involved a 125-year time jump. No problem folks: just a little cryo-sleep and we’re all good.
Leaders Clarke and Bellamy were awakened first, and boy did they have a surprise: Jordan, a 20-something man they’d never met, told them of a very important message from his parents! Turns out Monty and Harper didn’t go into cryo, and evidently got busy during the long nights in space, bringing son Jordan into the world. His parents died after he too was put into suspended animation, but not before Monty found a planet to steer the Eligius IV toward, saving all aboard.
During a recent visit and roundtable discussion on set in Vancouver, Lindsey Morgan, who plays the mechanical genius and general all-around badass Raven Reyes, discusses the brave new world facing the intrepid crew of the Eligius IV.
QUESTION: So when you’re first being woken up, what are Raven’s thoughts of this new environment?
LINDSEY MORGAN: My first thought is, “Oh my God, this is the first time I’ve actually gotten more than four hours of sleep!” So that was amazing. First. Refreshed. But you know, we kind of jump into the original 100 fashion and jump into the debriefing of what’s going on in that moment and catching everyone up as far as what happened. And as you all know, in the finale with Monty and Harper passing, that’s kind of the main priority is Bellamy and Clarke finding a way to tell us that this terrible thing happened and also now a new planet. So, you know, as far as Raven being the brains of a lot of the operation and always kind of figuring out the intel of that, it’s how are we going to assess this new planet and assess what we need to do to survive. So we’re jumping right into it.
Does the cryo-sleep heal any of her injuries?
MORGAN: Wouldn’t that be nice? Wouldn’t that be like cool little sci-fi treat? I wouldn’t say it healed it, but it’s probably the most rest she’s ever gotten in 200 years. So it does help. It does help also being in space without the gravity that helps. So it’s helping just, you know, rest and recovery. But as far as completely healing, no.
We know that not everyone wakes up at the same time. What can you tell us about who maybe wakes up first, and who wakes up later?
MORGAN: Do you know what VIP stands for? Just kidding. I’m just kidding. Basically, all the really important awesome people are woken up first and all the non-ones are later. I think you know, again, a crisis is on hand as far as this new impending planet and this new kind of set of circumstances. And for the first time essentially there’s been peace on The 100 because we’ve been all asleep. So there’s been no war because everyone’s been sleeping and frozen. So I think when it comes to waking up people Clarke and Bellamy are also making those decisions as far as who will not start a war because it’s been so nice. It’s so peaceful, let’s not ruin it. So they kind of begin to think of who is essential to the predicament at hand, you know, instead of just opening up a party.
What was your reaction when you heard about the new world when you read it for the first time?
MORGAN: I loved it. This may be my favorite season. When we were being pitched it I remember I went to the writer’s room and then I came home. I’m living with Tasya and Jarod by the way. And I was the first one. I was just like, guys, I was like in the kitchen with them. I was like, this is the best season yet. And I was so kind of hyped up on it. It’s really creative and it’s really something we haven’t done yet, but it fits so well into the realm of The 100. It’s really cool. The realm of The 100, it’s pretty complicated. I don’t know. My mom never knows what’s going on.
Raven and Shaw had a really fun dynamic to watch evolve last year. What can you say about where those two are headed in Season 6?
MORGAN: You know, all full sail ahead. Things are good and things are going well. We’re in the honeymoon phase. You know, I really enjoyed that because it was really nice to see Raven be happy and to also find a kindred spirit and someone that could really understand her cause I think she felt very alone for so long and she found that in Shaw. So, you know, dude, she’s happy. It’s something we haven’t really seen. I really enjoy it. I love working in Jordan. He’s fantastic. We almost get along too well, so we’re always like cracking jokes when we have to be serious. It’s almost hard too, cause now we’re such good friends but I think he’s great.
Is there an era from the show’s past that you wish you have spent more time in?
MORGAN: I wish I got to go to Mount Weather. I never, I never did. I never saw it, never touched it, nothing. And I never went to Polis either, so as Raven. I wish I could’ve had spent some time in Polis and explored that and seen Mount Weather. I think that’s one of my favorite aspects of the show is that we really concentrate on world building and creating these new environments and then we blow them up! So, you can’t even like, I can’t even visit it like when I’m on set because they’re gone. So, I wish they stayed.
How do the different factions within the survivors on the ship sort of acclimate to each other? Because you have Spacekru and then you have Madi’s followers, the Wonkru and then you have the prisoners. How does that all sort of come together?
MORGAN: War! I’m just kidding. That’s why we didn’t wake up everyone. Yeah. No, just kidding. That’s another thing about The 100 is because we’re always building these worlds and have we all these different factions of people and cultures. We always are exploring the interaction between them. It parallels the real world in that we all come from such different places and different beliefs, but how we interact and how we grow as a society is something really fascinating or grow or digress, right? So I think that’s something we always are interested in exploring and making commentary on. And it’s no different this season. A lot of just differing beliefs.
How much does Monty’s “be the good guys” message influence decisions that they make this season?
MORGAN: I think everyone takes Monty’s last dying wish and sentiment differently. I think it impacts everyone differently. But I will say it has a resoundingly impact on us all because Monty was someone, he was very much core of the family. And for him to really sacrifice his life to ensure our future is something of such a noble gift and sacrifice. And also leaving Jordan to guide us too is something else. A very beautiful thing. So speaking personally for Raven, it impacts her greatly. And I think in Season 5 you saw a lot of Raven reacting to things. She was imprisoned for basically all of it, so she wasn’t as active in making decisions. So this season she’s a lot more active, and her story and the idea of what Monty says and the idea of just doing better and being better, she doesn’t give that up and she’s not letting anyone else succumb to something less than they should be. But you know, Raven’s always been a very moral character. And I would say one of the more moral characters on the show. So I mean, it’s difficult because all the experiences and what everyone’s been through. It’s changed them. And of course it’s changed Raven, but now she’s almost come a full 360 in her experience and belief and the need to do better now is even greater than before. So she really carries that to the truth in her heart.
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Step Up propels girls from various under resourced communities to fulfill their potential by empowering them to become
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and ready to join the next generation of professional women. Step Up believes all girls should have the opportunity to fulfill their potential. SUWN's programs include after school classes and a mentoring program. For more information, click on the logo below to see their website. *This charity was supported during the 100 Charity Project's #IdPickYouFirst Women's Empowerment Month & Lindsey herself.
