Advance Review: The 100 Continues To Soar With “Contents Under Pressure”

For a show with such a big cast, I’m fairly amazed that The CW’s The 100 (Wednesdays at 9pm) can manage to flesh out so many characters in so little time. The seventh episode which airs tonight, “Contents Under Pressure,” is a “bottle episode” but tonally, it’s anything but: Although most of the action takes place in a limited number of sets, the character interactions keep it from becoming too claustrophobic.

We’re also seeing a lot of parallels between the young people on the ground and the adults in the Ark. In each situation, there are characters who have to face politics and different approaches from others that could jeopardize their ultimate goal. Characters like Clarke and Chancellor Jaha, in particular, both are faced with decisions that only weeks ago may have been uncharacteristic.

“Contents Under Pressure” also gives us a lot of Ricky Whittle’s still-unnamed Grounder character – and by “a lot” we also mean “shirtless for a bit of it.” The Grounder brings out Bellamy’s rage and another character’s heart. He also might hold the key to ultimately saving Finn’s life.

Battlestar Galactica’s Kate Vernon plays a new character in this episode, Diana, that I immediately find suspicious — the ominous musical score during her scenes might imply that my hunches are right. Still, she provides a look into the Ark’s past that we hadn’t really seen before, and adds another layer to an already layered show.

This is not an hour full of happiness. There’s a bit of crying involved. But I do think we learn a lot, and if you’re not watching The 100 already you’re really missing out. I think there’s still time to jump on, and you can binge-watch to see what you missed. Oh, and The CW, if you’re reading? Renew this show for a second season already. I want more.

The 100 “Contents Under Pressure” airs tonight at 9PM on The CW. Take a look at some preview images below:

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The 100 -- "Contents Under Pressure" -- Image: HU107a_0043 ­ Pictured (L-R): Eliza Taylor as Clarke and Lindsey Morgan as Raven -- Photo: Cate Cameron/The CW -- © 2014 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved