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The 100 (2014)

Compelling yet annoying

Firstly, I ticked the spoilers box as, while my whingeing is not specific, it may give away some ideas to those that are yet to watch this.

The concept of this series was great, the premise a little 'dodgy- but-we'll-live-with-it' and the execution was well-attempted by all.

The writing, however, drove me nuts. The show could have easily been called "The 100 Bad and ill-timed Decisions". In attempting to heighten/prolong the drama, characters would make such stupid game-changing decisions, forcing me to smack my forehead in frustration throughout the series.

Someone in charge set this show to 90% conflict and 8% angst (not to mention 2% female-on-female action), and all manner of shenanigans ensued to maintain that level.

Loyalty-switching was all the rage. (I can't say, "Like they changed their underwear", because Grounders probably go commando).

There were various timely yet ill-advised massacres to ensure that peace existed only during the ad-breaks.

There were several cliff-hanger countdown moments that were missed due to lengthy hand-wringing and "Hey, we know that time is running out but let's pull dramatic faces and talk about it some more".

A sprinkling of common-sense decisions would have made this so much more enjoyable.

I should mention the good stuff before I run out of puff. Ricky Whittle as Lincoln gets top marks for the Grounder torn between two cultures. Alycia Debnam-Carey nailed the role of Lexa. All that violence in such a cute package.

In conclusion, this is a very watchable drama but viewers will understand my frustrations as it unfolds.