The 100/Recap/S6/E01 Sanctum

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
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Season 6, Episode 1: Sanctum

Clarke, Bellamy and Jordan share Monty's video message about the "Alpha Planet" with a few selected members of their group including Murphy, Emori, Echo, Raven, Shaw and Abby. Clarke is glad they survived but Abby feels regret because they have to make amends to earn their humanity back. Raven storms off, angry not only because of Monty and Harper's deaths but also because Abby lost her humanity and tortured her.

Everyone in the group meets at the mess hall to plan their landing location. Jordan gives Abby some of Monty's algae because it has medical properties that can help save Kane. Abby makes saving Kane her first priority. Bellamy and Clarke plan to approach their new residence peacefully this time round by using gas grenades and shock batons. They agree to use guns as a last resort. When Echo suggests that they should bring their best fighters, Bellamy states that they should leave Octavia frozen for a while because she's likely to shoot first and to ruin their peace plans. Raven wants to go to the ground but Bellamy wants her remain in the mothership while they go with Shaw since she's the only other pilot.

As the transport ship flies toward the New World, Raven watches out the window. However, they soon lose radio communication. Raven asks Jordan to move the ship to a closer orbit in order for her to restore the communication. While looking into it, Jordan makes a discovery that the "Alpha Planet" isn't really a planet - it's a moon!

Upon landing on the ground, the group is thrilled to find that the air is breathable and the radiation levels are good. They start exploring. They come across a small lake and Murphy jumps in to swim, confirming that the water is safe too. Later, the group relaxes talks about their new status as aliens. Clarke tells them that she regrets her betrayal and wishes she could take it back. Shaw tells her she can atone through her actions.

As an eclipse approaches, the group notices that a bug they had captured in a jar is becoming extremely violent. Suddenly, a huge swarm of bugs approaches them at high speed. They run to seek shelter while using fire flares to scare off the bugs. Soon, they approach a tower that controls a radiation fence. Since the radiation fence kills bugs, the gang tries to go inside the fence. While trying to save Murphy, Shaw accidentally runs through the radiation barrier and gets burned by the radiation. Clarke notices that they are radiation-type shockers and she can go through them because she has Nightblood. She goes through the barriers and disables the tower temporarily to let the rest of the group get inside.

They try to save Shaw but it's too late - he got too much radiation. Jackson attempts to put nightblood serum into him, but Shaw tells him not to waste it. Before dying, Shaw asks them to tell Raven that she deserves happiness even if she doesn't believe she does. Miles Shaw dies shortly after.

Back on the mothership, Abby tells Niylah that she needs blood donations from anyone she can to save Kane. Since Skaikru are universal blood donors, Niylah starts to wake them up to get blood. Meanwhile, Abby notices that the drugs are missing. She figures out that Raven took them. She goes to get them back but Raven confronts her for letting addiction get the best of her. Raven always looked up to Abby as a mother figure ever since her mother died of overdosing. When Abby tries to imply that she's better than that, Raven guilts her by mentioning that at least her mother didn't torture her. Raven angrily gives in and lets Abby have the pills.

While getting blood, Niylah wakes up Octavia, who asks where her brother is and inquires to know what's going on. With enough blood, Abby finally manages to wake Kane up. Abby shows Kane the new planet through the window on Eligius IV. Kane tells Abby that everything they've done led to this moment; and it was worth it.

Suddenly, Octavia interrupts them and angrily confronts them for their betrayal. She blames Kane for betraying them by following Diyoza and causing so many of Wonkru to die in the gorge, including Ethan, who was the first to be shot. Kane retaliates by saying that if she didn't burn the Hydrofarm, they wouldn't have lost so many people. As the tension rises, Kane's still weak blood system gives up and he starts starts vomiting blood. Octavia helps Abby put Kane in bed. On realizing that Kane won't recover, Octavia says "Your fight is over" and leaves. Abby doesn't want to give up on Kane yet. So, she puts him back into Cryosleep. She asks Jordan to make more algae. Abby also makes a bold move by surrendering the pills to Raven. Back on the "new planet," the group continues to explore the area inside the radiation shield while waiting for Raven to contact them. With Shaw dead, they assign Emori as their designated pilot, since Raven taught her some basics. As they climb a hill, they notice a castle at the top. They get closer and are surprised to find no one. They start looking at the buildings. Emori finds a flag with the A.L.I.E.'s infinity symbol on it and Clarke confirms that Becca did the tech for Eligius Corporation. Clarke explores more houses and finds people in photographs standing by an American flag. Murphy finds a music player and turns it on.

Clarke finds a book called "Red Sun Rising." They start reading the book and assume that it's a nursery rhyme. It says that once the stars align, and the forest wakes, it's time to run away. They are interrupted when Murphy yells after noticing their transport ship flying away. Not only do they have no pilot, but now they don't have a ship either.

Suddenly, Emori starts attacking Murphy out of nowhere. The group quickly comes to save Murphy. Clarke notices that Emori turned violent during the red sun (eclipse) in a manner similar to what's depicted in the "Red Sun Rising" book. She comes to the conclusion that the book isn't a nursery rhyme - it's a warning. She figures out that there's something in the air that affects people's behavior, turning them against each other.

Tropes used in Sanctum include:
  • Lost Colony: Alpha appears to be this, though it’s unclear where all the people went.
  • Never My Fault: Octavia still believes that her actions would have saved Wonkru if not for the interference of others.
  • Rewatch Bonus: Just about everything in this episode comes back later in the season. The shrine to the Primes, the Red Sun Toxin, and even Josephine’s children’s book end up either informing the main conflict or the characters involved in it.
  • Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome: Shaw dies relatively quickly in this episode, since the actor had commitments to other projects.
  • The Swarm: After the red sun comes out, the previously peaceful insects turn into this.

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