WARNING: This article contains major SPOILERS for The 100 season 7, episode 13 "Blood Giant."
-
Jason Rothenberg, showrunner of The CW TV showbook series by Kass Morgan.
In season 7, episode 13, entitled "Blood Giant," Clarke fatally shoots Bellamy before stepping through the Anomaly portal. Clarke's decision is motivated by her desire to protect Madi from the Bardoans; Clarke felt that if the Shepard was able to walk away with Madi's sketchbook, Madi was set to be the next target. As a result, Clarke ends up killing Bellamy in a move that seemingly came out of nowhere.
Now, The 100 showrunner Rothenberg has taken to Twitter to defend the controversial choice of Bellamy's death. He ed a post stating that the series has always tried to dig into the dark areas of humanity and how people must reconcile with the consequences of their actions. More specifically, his post states that Bellamy's death is "what the show is all about: Survival. Who you're willing to protect. And who you're willing to sacrifice." Rothenberg's tweet went on to highlight that Bellamy's death might be "devastating," but the way he lived his life and the love he had for others will play a significant part in the remainder of the season. You can read Rothenberg's full statement below:
Despite Rothenberg's insistence that Bellamy's death was a necessary evil, many fans aren't convinced. For one, Bellamy Blake is one of the few characters that's been around since season 1, where he's since undergone a transformation from selfish antagonist to strategic military commander to Clarke's best friend. His character arc is undoubtedly one of the strongest throughout the show, which is a large reason fans are floored by the decision to kill him in the last few episodes of the series. While Rothenberg may feel that Bellamy had to die to drive home the central themes of The 100, this choice still feels like it was more for the shock factor than anything else.
Though Bellamy's death in "Blood Giant" is arguably one of the most controversial decisions of the show, The 100 has shown that it isn't afraid to kill important characters in the past, with Finn, Lincoln and Alexa being three particularly notable examples. Even so, there are few characters that have had as much of an impact on The 100 as Bellamy, and his presence will be one that is sorely missed. If there was anyone who should have gotten a happy ending, it's Bellamy, who deserved far more than being shot in the chest by his best friend.
Source: Jason Rothenberg/Twitter