(Spoiler warning: Please do not read on if you have not watched Thursday’s season finale episode of “The 100.”)
Clarke took a huge risk in going into the City of Light to confront ALIE head-on, and The CW’s Season 3 finale Thursday finally answered whether that was enough to save the world.
Getting a transfusion of nightblood from Ontari (Rhiannan Fish), Clarke (Eliza Taylor) put the flame inside of he own body, which allowed her to gain the knowledge of all the previous Commanders, who showed her the way to stop ALIE.
The way, as it turned out, was to confront the AI head on. As her friends fought off the chipped grounders and Arkers in the real world, Clarke went into the virtual reality world and, aided by a timely assist from Raven (Lindsey Morgan), confronted both versions of the computer program, who each gave their best argument for saving the world.
In the end, Clarke chose free will, even if it meant pain and an unsustainable Earth, opting to shut down ALIE 1 and freeing the chipped population in the real world.
The episode capped off with Octavia (Marie Avgeropoulos) reaching a breaking point and crossing over the the decidedly dark side, stabbing Pike (Michael Beach) to death in retaliation for the killing of Lincoln (Ricky Whittle).
As her friends looked on in shock, she walked away without another word.
Season 4 of “The 100” will premiere on The CW in midseason 2016-17.