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==Appearances== | ==Appearances== | ||
===Season 2=== | ===Season 2=== | ||
{{Further|List of The 100 characters}} | |||
In "Fog of War," two days after a massacre, Raven discovers that Mount Weather has jammed communications, preventing them from reaching out to other potential survivors from the Ark. After a group of survivors find the communications tower, they are forced to split and take shelter from an acid fog. Clarke realizes that she no longer recognizes Finn |
In "Fog of War," two days after a massacre, Raven discovers that Mount Weather has jammed communications, preventing them from reaching out to other potential survivors from the Ark (a ship that held descendants of humans who survived the nuclear apocalypse 97 years before). After a group of survivors find the communications tower, they are forced to split and take shelter from an acid fog. Clarke realizes that she no longer recognizes Finn, her one-time lover. Jaha and Kane, two former leaders of the Ark, are told that one of them must kill the other to have even a chance at speaking with the commander of the Grounders. Kane attempts to take his own life rather than kill Jaha, but a Grounder witness, Lexa, reveals herself to be the commander and says that she believes that their wish for peace is sincere. She allows Jaha to escape with a message to his camp; leave within two days, or die. | ||
In "Long Into an Abyss," with the |
In "Long Into an Abyss," with the Grounders' deadline imminent, Abby (Clarke's mother) and Jaha disagree over what the survivors are to do; Jaha wishes to evacuate to the so called 'City of Light', while Abby wants to remain behind to rescue other members. Clarke, Octavia and Bellamy hold the Lincoln in the dropship; he is a Grounder, and was experimented on to become a reaper (a mindless, zombie-like killer). When Lincoln is almost mercy-killed, his heart stops and he is revived by Clarke, who believes that there is a way to cure reapers. With this information, Clarke realizes they have something to offer the Grounders. When Abby is successful in curing Lincoln, Lexa grants Clarke the truce, but says she must be allowed to execute Finn before it can begin. In "Spacewalker," Clarke returns to camp with knowledge of the only way the Grounders will accept a truce. She tells Abby (her mother) and the rest of the camp that the Grounders will cease their attack if they are given Finn. The tension between the people in Camp Jaha rises as opinions are divided whether to give Finn to the grounders or not. Flashbacks in the Ark reveals that Finn was imprisoned because he took the blame to Raven's illegal spacewalking; hence, the name "Spacewalker." At the camp, Abby and Kane, who returned, think they can bargain with the Grounders by offering to put Finn on trial, but such plans are wasted as Finn gives himself up to the Grounders. In the end, Clarke goes to meet with Lexa in a last-ditch effort to save Finn from the brutal execution process Lincoln has explained. When Lexa refuses clemency, Clarke asks if she can say goodbye to Finn. She approaches, kisses him, and tells him that she loves him while stabbing him in the heart, killing him quickly. | ||
⚫ | In "Remember Me," Clarke and a group from the Ark (including a grief-stricken Raven) set off to a Grounder camp to complete their agreement for a truce. On the way, Clarke is haunted by visions of Finn. Bellamy tries to convince Clarke to let him go to Mount Weather as a inside man, Clarke replies with, "I can't lose you too." When they arrive at the village, Clarke burns Finn's corpse, along with the corpses of those he killed, in a traditional grounder funeral. While grieving, Lexa tells Clarke of Costia, her own past love who was tortured and killed by Lexa's enemy, who believed she knew Lexa's secrets. She tells Clarke that love is weakness. At a dinner, Kane gifts Lexa with a bottle of liquor. When Gustus tests it for her, he appears to be poisoned, leading Lexa to believe it was an assassination attempt by the sky people. Clarke immediately thinks it was Raven and goes to confront her and Raven punches Clarke for accusing her of doing it. The Grounders prepare to execute Raven, but Bellamy figures out that it was Gustus, Lexa's right hand, who poisoned the cup and Clarke proves it to Lexa by drinking from the bottle herself. Later, when Lincoln confronts Bellamy about how he knew it was Gustus, he says, "He would do anything to protect her, just makes sense". Clarke decides she sees Lexa's point about how love is weakness and then tells Bellamy he was right and should go to Mount Weather, stating that before she was being weak. | ||
In "Spacewalker," Clarke returns to camp with knowledge of the only way the grounders will accept a truce. As she tells Abby and the rest of the camp, the grounders will cease their attack if they are given Finn. The tension between the people in Camp Jaha rises as opinions are divided whether to give Finn to the grounders or not. Flashbacks in the Ark reveals that Finn was imprisoned because he took the blame to Raven's illegal spacewalking; hence, the name "Spacewalker." At the Camp, Abby and Kane, who returned, think they can bargain with the grounders by offering to put Finn on trial, but such plans are wasted as Finn gives himself up to the grounders. In the end, Clarke goes to meet with Lexa in a last-ditch effort to save Finn from the brutal execution process Lincoln has explained. When Lexa refuses clemency Clarke asks if she can say goodbye to Finn. She approaches, kisses him, and tells him that she loves him while stabbing him in the heart, killing him quickly. | |||
⚫ | In "Survival of the Fittest," Clarke and Lexa encounter a gigantic mutated gorilla after one of the grounder council members drives Clarke into the forest with the intent to kill her. They escape it but become temporarily trapped in its cage and Lexa is injured, but that does not stop her from dispensing some advice about leadership to Clarke. Clarke figures out a way to escape, and also has an idea about freeing the Grounders inside Mount Weather to help fight the Mountain Men. "In Rubicon," bone marrow experiments at Mount Weather are proven to work; people at Mount Weather, who had been prisoners to the place due to their anatomy being incompatible with Earth's radiation, can now possibly roam the land; Cage, son of Mount Weather's leader, plans to destroy any chance of peace between the Grounders and people of Mount Whether by launching a missile. Clarke races to the village where she explains the danger to Lexa. Lexa points out to Clarke that if they warn anyone else and stop the meeting, the Mountain Men will realize they have a spy inside the mountain and Bellamy will be compromised before having completed his mission. Clarke is reluctant to leave so many others to die, but agrees that Lexa is right and the two secretly escape. As they leave, Clarke sees her mother arriving in the village and returns to try to rescue Abby as the missile hits the village. | ||
⚫ | In "Remember Me," Clarke and a group from the Ark (including a grief-stricken Raven) set off to a |
||
⚫ | In "Resurrection," Clarke and Abby survive the missile strike on Tondc, but Abby is horrified to realize that Clarke knew it was coming and did nothing to save the rest of the people in the village. She goes back to help survivors, while Lexa and Clarke set off to find and kill the spotter who called in the strike. Clarke finds and kills the spotter with Lincoln's help, and realizes that the spotter's lack of a hazmat suit means the Mountain Men have started harvesting her friends. Inside Mount Weather, Jasper and the others fight back and find refuge with those in Mount Weather who do not agree with Wallace. | ||
"Survival of the Fittest," Clarke and Lexa encounter a gigantic mutated gorilla after one of the grounder council members drives Clarke into the forest with the intent to kill her. They escape it but become temporarily trapped in its cage and Lexa is injured, but that does not stop her from dispensing some advice about leadership to Clarke. Clarke figures out a way to escape, and also has an idea about freeing the grounders inside Mt Weather to help fight the Mountain Men. Bellamy and Lincoln agree to work together to break into Mount Weather, but Lincoln is overcome by his memories of the drug that all Reapers are injected with and falls powerlessly to the ground, breaking the original plan that the two had agreed upon and leaving Bellamy to a questionable fate. Murphy helps Jaha confront his past, while Jaha persuades Murphy that the Sky People have nothing to offer him except criminal treatment and that his best option is to search for the City of Light. After witnessing Octavia's determination and unwavering spirit to fight, Indra offers to make Octavia her second, but Kane warns Octavia that once the war ends it is likely that the grounders and Sky People will end up breaking their alliance. | |||
⚫ | In "Bodyguard of Lies," Clarke and Lexa rehash the plan of attack and Lexa tells Clarke that she was born to be a leader. Octavia has figured out that Clarke and Lexa knew about the missile, and Lexa decides she needs to be killed to protect that secret. Clarke figures this out and stops it. She confronts Lexa about her plan and her facade of heartlessness, and Lexa reveals that she has feelings for Clarke. As they wait for deadly fog to clear, Lexa informs Clarke that she does trust her and will not try to hurt Octavia, Grounder ways are just focused on survival. Clarke suggests that maybe they deserve more than that, and they kiss. Clarke tells Lexa she is not ready to be with anyone yet, and then they are alerted to Raven's signal that the fog is disabled. The combined grounder/arker army marches to war with Clarke and Lexa at its head. The Mountain Men prepare to deploy acid fog, but Bellamy manages to escape a security team and destroy the system in an explosion just in time. | ||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | In "Blood Must Have Blood: Part 1," Bellamy frees the Grounders inside Mount Weather, as Clarke's plan is attack from within. When the generators are taken out, soldiers from Mount Weather open fire on the army in front of their doors, but those still manage to destroy the lock at the last second. When they pull the door open, Lexa commands her people to stand down because of a deal she just cut with the Mountain Men. When the grounders retreat, almost all sky people accept defeat and soon leave too, leaving behind only Clarke at the front door and Octavia in the tunnels. | ||
⚫ | In "Resurrection," Clarke and Abby survive the missile strike on Tondc but Abby is horrified to realize that Clarke knew it was coming and did nothing to save the rest of the people in the village. She goes back to help survivors, while Lexa and Clarke set off to find and kill the spotter who called in the strike |
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⚫ | In "Bodyguard of Lies," Clarke and Lexa rehash the plan of attack and Lexa tells Clarke that she was born to be a leader. Octavia has figured out that Clarke and Lexa knew about the missile, and Lexa decides she needs to be killed to protect that secret. Clarke figures this out and stops it. She confronts Lexa about her plan and her facade of heartlessness, and Lexa reveals that she has feelings for Clarke. |
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⚫ | In "Blood Must Have Blood: Part 1," Bellamy |
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===Season 3=== | ===Season 3=== |
Revision as of 09:23, 7 February 2016
Fictional characterLexa | |
---|---|
The 100 (television) character | |
File:Lexa, from the series "The 100".jpgLexa on her throne, imagery characterized as "the most enduring" picture of her. | |
First appearance | Fog of War |
Created by | |
Portrayed by | Alycia Debnam-Carey |
In-universe information | |
Alias | |
Species | Human |
Gender | Female |
Occupation | Commander of the Grounders |
Family |
Lexa is a fictional character from the American post-apocalyptic science fiction television series The 100 on The CW. A recurring character, she does not appear in the books on which the series is based, and is portrayed by Alycia Debnam-Carey. The commander of the allied Grounder clans, Lexa is proven to be a reasonable and strong leader. She considers love a weakness, a view significantly impacted by the death of her girlfriend, Costia. Though she starts to show romantic feelings for Clarke Griffin (leader of the Sky People), and takes Clarke's views into consideration, she puts her people first, including at the expense of losing Clarke's trust.
Lexa has been well-received by critics and fans, who consider her to be one of the show's more interesting and complex characters. Her relationship with Clarke has been viewed as equally compelling, and has significantly impacted the LGBT community, with many having embraced it as a positive or tumultuous depiction of friendship, love and betrayal.
Appearances
Season 2
Further information: List of The 100 charactersIn "Fog of War," two days after a massacre, Raven discovers that Mount Weather has jammed communications, preventing them from reaching out to other potential survivors from the Ark (a ship that held descendants of humans who survived the nuclear apocalypse 97 years before). After a group of survivors find the communications tower, they are forced to split and take shelter from an acid fog. Clarke realizes that she no longer recognizes Finn, her one-time lover. Jaha and Kane, two former leaders of the Ark, are told that one of them must kill the other to have even a chance at speaking with the commander of the Grounders. Kane attempts to take his own life rather than kill Jaha, but a Grounder witness, Lexa, reveals herself to be the commander and says that she believes that their wish for peace is sincere. She allows Jaha to escape with a message to his camp; leave within two days, or die.
In "Long Into an Abyss," with the Grounders' deadline imminent, Abby (Clarke's mother) and Jaha disagree over what the survivors are to do; Jaha wishes to evacuate to the so called 'City of Light', while Abby wants to remain behind to rescue other members. Clarke, Octavia and Bellamy hold the Lincoln in the dropship; he is a Grounder, and was experimented on to become a reaper (a mindless, zombie-like killer). When Lincoln is almost mercy-killed, his heart stops and he is revived by Clarke, who believes that there is a way to cure reapers. With this information, Clarke realizes they have something to offer the Grounders. When Abby is successful in curing Lincoln, Lexa grants Clarke the truce, but says she must be allowed to execute Finn before it can begin. In "Spacewalker," Clarke returns to camp with knowledge of the only way the Grounders will accept a truce. She tells Abby (her mother) and the rest of the camp that the Grounders will cease their attack if they are given Finn. The tension between the people in Camp Jaha rises as opinions are divided whether to give Finn to the grounders or not. Flashbacks in the Ark reveals that Finn was imprisoned because he took the blame to Raven's illegal spacewalking; hence, the name "Spacewalker." At the camp, Abby and Kane, who returned, think they can bargain with the Grounders by offering to put Finn on trial, but such plans are wasted as Finn gives himself up to the Grounders. In the end, Clarke goes to meet with Lexa in a last-ditch effort to save Finn from the brutal execution process Lincoln has explained. When Lexa refuses clemency, Clarke asks if she can say goodbye to Finn. She approaches, kisses him, and tells him that she loves him while stabbing him in the heart, killing him quickly.
In "Remember Me," Clarke and a group from the Ark (including a grief-stricken Raven) set off to a Grounder camp to complete their agreement for a truce. On the way, Clarke is haunted by visions of Finn. Bellamy tries to convince Clarke to let him go to Mount Weather as a inside man, Clarke replies with, "I can't lose you too." When they arrive at the village, Clarke burns Finn's corpse, along with the corpses of those he killed, in a traditional grounder funeral. While grieving, Lexa tells Clarke of Costia, her own past love who was tortured and killed by Lexa's enemy, who believed she knew Lexa's secrets. She tells Clarke that love is weakness. At a dinner, Kane gifts Lexa with a bottle of liquor. When Gustus tests it for her, he appears to be poisoned, leading Lexa to believe it was an assassination attempt by the sky people. Clarke immediately thinks it was Raven and goes to confront her and Raven punches Clarke for accusing her of doing it. The Grounders prepare to execute Raven, but Bellamy figures out that it was Gustus, Lexa's right hand, who poisoned the cup and Clarke proves it to Lexa by drinking from the bottle herself. Later, when Lincoln confronts Bellamy about how he knew it was Gustus, he says, "He would do anything to protect her, just makes sense". Clarke decides she sees Lexa's point about how love is weakness and then tells Bellamy he was right and should go to Mount Weather, stating that before she was being weak.
In "Survival of the Fittest," Clarke and Lexa encounter a gigantic mutated gorilla after one of the grounder council members drives Clarke into the forest with the intent to kill her. They escape it but become temporarily trapped in its cage and Lexa is injured, but that does not stop her from dispensing some advice about leadership to Clarke. Clarke figures out a way to escape, and also has an idea about freeing the Grounders inside Mount Weather to help fight the Mountain Men. "In Rubicon," bone marrow experiments at Mount Weather are proven to work; people at Mount Weather, who had been prisoners to the place due to their anatomy being incompatible with Earth's radiation, can now possibly roam the land; Cage, son of Mount Weather's leader, plans to destroy any chance of peace between the Grounders and people of Mount Whether by launching a missile. Clarke races to the village where she explains the danger to Lexa. Lexa points out to Clarke that if they warn anyone else and stop the meeting, the Mountain Men will realize they have a spy inside the mountain and Bellamy will be compromised before having completed his mission. Clarke is reluctant to leave so many others to die, but agrees that Lexa is right and the two secretly escape. As they leave, Clarke sees her mother arriving in the village and returns to try to rescue Abby as the missile hits the village.
In "Resurrection," Clarke and Abby survive the missile strike on Tondc, but Abby is horrified to realize that Clarke knew it was coming and did nothing to save the rest of the people in the village. She goes back to help survivors, while Lexa and Clarke set off to find and kill the spotter who called in the strike. Clarke finds and kills the spotter with Lincoln's help, and realizes that the spotter's lack of a hazmat suit means the Mountain Men have started harvesting her friends. Inside Mount Weather, Jasper and the others fight back and find refuge with those in Mount Weather who do not agree with Wallace.
In "Bodyguard of Lies," Clarke and Lexa rehash the plan of attack and Lexa tells Clarke that she was born to be a leader. Octavia has figured out that Clarke and Lexa knew about the missile, and Lexa decides she needs to be killed to protect that secret. Clarke figures this out and stops it. She confronts Lexa about her plan and her facade of heartlessness, and Lexa reveals that she has feelings for Clarke. As they wait for deadly fog to clear, Lexa informs Clarke that she does trust her and will not try to hurt Octavia, Grounder ways are just focused on survival. Clarke suggests that maybe they deserve more than that, and they kiss. Clarke tells Lexa she is not ready to be with anyone yet, and then they are alerted to Raven's signal that the fog is disabled. The combined grounder/arker army marches to war with Clarke and Lexa at its head. The Mountain Men prepare to deploy acid fog, but Bellamy manages to escape a security team and destroy the system in an explosion just in time.
In "Blood Must Have Blood: Part 1," Bellamy frees the Grounders inside Mount Weather, as Clarke's plan is attack from within. When the generators are taken out, soldiers from Mount Weather open fire on the army in front of their doors, but those still manage to destroy the lock at the last second. When they pull the door open, Lexa commands her people to stand down because of a deal she just cut with the Mountain Men. When the grounders retreat, almost all sky people accept defeat and soon leave too, leaving behind only Clarke at the front door and Octavia in the tunnels.
Season 3
In ""Wanheda: Part Two," the attackers on the jeep turn out to be Arkers from Farm Station who landed separately. Their numbers have dwindled to 63 due to conflict with the Ice Nation and they accept Kane's offer to come to Arkadia. Part of the group continue to search for Clarke, but after Bellamy is injured by the bounty hunter, they are forced to stop. Indra goes to Lexa to warn that the Ice Nation is marching on her and she is there when the bounty hunter brings Clarke to Lexa. Meanwhile Jaha continues his mission for A.L.I.E. While Otan distracts Jaha, Emori and Murphy kill Gideon and steal a backpack containing tech. When Otan returns, he appears to be brainwashed, and Murphy ends up throwing the bag into the water. Emori and Murphy escape on the boat while the Jaha and Otan scramble to save the bag, while A.L.I.E. reveals that no-one can die in the City of Light.
Development
Casting and creation
At the time of Debnam-Carey's casting as Lexa in 2014, she was also being considered for the role of Alicia Clark on Fear the Walking Dead. "That's always a concern when you have an actor in your show that is popping — that someone else is going to grab them and make them a series regular if you don't. That's kind of what happened in this case," stated show creator Jason Rothenberg, who considered Debnam-Carey's performance on the series "amazing." He added, "You know we can't compete on some level with the cache of a franchise like that, with the numbers." Debnam-Carey was allowed to continue work on both shows. Rothenberg said he would have done the same had it been the other way around, with creators asking to borrow one of his actors, and that he would have done his best to make the situation work.
Of the dramatic shift from one show to the other, Debnam-Carey stated, "It was super weird, it was like 'I have no power anymore! No weapons, no power!' But maybe eventually, Alica will be able to have her own kind of power." Lexa, with "such an iconic look and distinct wardrobe," was an alien role for Debnam-Carey. She stated, "I signed on for this role at a time in my personal and work life when there was a little bit of a lull period. I was like, 'I don't know what I'm doing!' It was one of those actor freak-out moments." She said when the chance to portray Lexa presented itself, she was excited because of the quality of the show and its actors, and because the character allowed for a multifaceted dynamic; this resulted in Lexa being the character she has favored portraying thus far. "Thankfully, (show creator) Jason , the creative team, the writers, and the hair and make-up are very collaborative," Debnam-Carey said. "They're really willing to create something. And that's what's so lucky about this show. It never started with expectation, so we've been able to embrace it and really make it our own, and that's been wonderful."
Rothenberg said that he and his crew do some research with regard to depicting societies, such as the Grounders, within the series, but that most of what is shown is based on his personal tastes. He enjoys the world-building aspect the most. " Getting to create this universe from the language to the wardrobe to the tattoos we obviously get pretty deep into what the grounder spirituality is and means," he stated. "All of that is pretty awesome. So yes, we do some research as to how societies have evolved in the past but for the most part it's fiction." Rothenberg said that there are more than just men writing the show; there are several women "writing hardcore sci-fi."
When developing Lexa's as a character, the idea of her being romantically interested in women was pitched. "t just made complete sense. The moment, I think I'm remembering it now, the moment was in Episode 9 when Lexa tells Clarke the story of Costia at the fire after the funeral, and she talks about Costia—that was the first reference, I think, to her sexuality," stated Rothenberg. He "embraced it and with it."
Personality and portrayal
The writers designed Lexa as a proud and wise warrior who keeps her feelings very guarded, and as someone who is usually unable to show she cares for people. The vulnerability that results from caring, and particularly loving a person, is something she views as a weakness. This was significantly exacerbated by the death of her girlfriend, Costia; the anger, grief and subsequent dissipation of the grief hardened Lexa further. In addition, having been selected commander involved her growing through a brutal training process, as is their society's custom; if she shows weakness in her duties as a commander, she can lose the respect of her warriors.
Debnam-Carey said that figuring out how to portray all these aspects of the character was the most challenging part. "For me, it was about finding that mix between vulnerability and tension and a wiseness beyond her years," she said. A director advised her that less is more, and she adapted to the character, and leaned more about her, via portrayal. "I realized that I was slowly developing all of these things. Someone was like, 'Is it a thing you've chosen to do, to not blink all the time?' I was like, 'Wow!' When it comes to Lexa, she's very steely-gazed, all the time. There's a presence about her and a knowingness, and she's always observant." By making calculated choices, she is used to getting what she wants.
Lexa is the first Grounder leader to seek peace, which Debnam-Carey described as "somewhat difficult" for the other Grounder to understand because of their "rough and aggressive" culture; she is also "the first person to unite the 12 clans and to actually have the option of an alliance." Throughout, she is extremely loyal, but more so to her own people; she puts them first regardless of the cost. Debnam-Carey said "it's in blood" to put her people first because they "are so close to her, that's what she's been groomed to be. She comes from a really harsh culture and she has huge responsibilities." Lexa is "brutal and she's a pragmatist, but not out of unkindness. It's all she's ever known." Debnam-Carey did not view Lexa as a teenager, and did not assign her an age, stating, "It's almost like she skipped that period. She was placed in a position where suddenly she was forced to make a lot of hard choices that most people never have to make, no matter what their age is. The 100 is a world where you don't ever really get to be a kid."
Relationship with Clarke
Lexa's relationship with Clarke is presented as intense, complex, and the one thing that manages to soften Lexa's outlook on life. Debnam-Carey said the characters progression from being allies to becoming romantic "stems from a connection that they both share—which is similar experiences and similar positions" in that they are "both very young leaders with great authority, a lot of responsibility. They have to lead a huge amount of people. They have a lot of expectations riding on them." She said the sudden responsibilities they faced, the need to make the right decisions, and the fact that they both grieved over past lovers helped connect them further, and it is a connection they do not have with others. Rothenberg originally stated that while he would not go as far to say that it was love at first sight for Lexa, "it definitely was a bit of a thunderbolt moment for her when she first saw Clarke." He said that Clarke's attraction to Lexa "developed a little bit more slowly, but by the end they were very much intrigued at the possibility of a romantic relationship." He later said "Lexa was definitely smitten—like love at first sight, probably", but maintained that it took longer for Clarke to develop romantic feelings for Lexa.
Debnam-Carey considered the characters being "very adaptable" as one of the interesting aspects of their dynamic. Sacrifices the characters make are "for a much greater goal in the end". They have also "taken characteristics from each other," with Lexa becoming more trusting and learning that love can be empowering, and Clarke becoming more ruthless. "It's very interesting to see the way they ebb and flow with each other," said Debnam-Carey. Of Lexa possibly putting Clarke first instead of her own people, she said that perhaps if "Clarke was able to assimilate to their culture as well and become more of a right-hand man, then maybe I think Lexa could -- then that would be a merger of two people." Lexa's weaknesses, as indicated by Debnam-Carey, are her feelings for her people and Clarke.
Debnam-Carey appreciated the fact that The 100 writers did not make a big deal of defining either characters' sexuality or their romantic relationship. Show creator Rothenberg said labels and gender are not a factor in the series, which Debnam-Carey viewed as true to the story. " just a world where people love people for who they are and not what they are and that creates such a broad variety of characters. It is representative of the world that we live in today, but it also doesn't make it out to be this statement—it's not a social/cultural statement," she said. "It is just that in this world, some things are a little better after the apocalypse It kind of represents, in a way, an ideal place where people love people and it doesn’t have to be a thing, which I think is really great."
Of the decision to have Lexa betray Clarke, a significant moment for the series that allowed the writers to strain the characters' relationship, Rothenberg said Lexa was under the impression that Clarke would likely die in the battle and that Mount Weather would possibly remain to keep her people united. "She was probably — master strategist that she is — thinking several moves ahead. Thinking she could keep her alliance together, the 12 clans, because they would still have this evil empire out there to unite them," he stated. Lexa was not expecting Clarke to win, and to subsequently become a legend. "Everywhere she goes it's like, 'I heard it was 5,000 people! No, I heard it was 10,000 people!' Everywhere she goes, a legend now," said Rothenberg. "Certainly it means that her alliance now no longer has a real reason to be held together. I'm really excited to play out the ramifications of all of that." Rothenberg said that Clarke will eventually come to terms with the likelihood that, if she had been in a similar position as Lexa, she would have done the same thing: Protect her own people at all costs. He said she did as much in the season 2 finale. "That was kind of the theme of the entire season, which was how far can you go and still be the good guy in order to save your people. Lexa had that choice in 15. Obviously, it landed very emotionally for both of them, but especially on Clarke," he stated. "In 16, Clarke had a similar choice and I hope that over the course of the first part of the season, Clarke will eventually come to see it that way. If she can't, then they'll never figure out a way to make peace with each other".
Debnam-Carey viewed the betrayal as a relief and release for herself as an actor, and as a "very honest" and "open" moment for Lexa. "It's the first real time you get to see -- apart from -- this is a scene where she makes a really strong choice, but you can see that it's hard for her to do, and she does care," Debnam-Carey stated. She said Clarke's portrayer, Eliza Taylor, was "brilliant" and "great to work with and between the two of us, we were just very connected with each other and made sure that that was the strong force of that scene." To Debnam-Carey, Lexa "showing that she cared, even in that moment of betrayal" was Lexa being real. Debnam-Carey argued that even though Lexa is upset by the betrayal, she is a very hardened person and her people are still her main concern. She does not think that Lexa is preoccupied with the repercussions. Unlike Rothenberg, Debnam-Carey felt that " always knew was going to . Now those cards are back on the table, if she wants to restart an alliance or whatever else."
Reception
General
Lexa, and her relationship with Clarke, have been well-received by critics and fans. Maureen Ryan of Variety, formerly of The Huffington Post, stated, "In a show packed with morally compromised characters, Lexa stood out; she led a tribe of Earth inhabitants named Grounders with a combination of deftness, intelligence and unhesitating ferocity." Ryan said the "most enduring image of Lexa is one of her sitting on a throne made of intertwined branches, her enigmatic eyes looking out from a face half-covered in elaborate war paint." Ryan felt that Lexa "does not suffer fools gladly, yet Debnam-Carey made Lexa's vulnerability and her attraction to Clarke Griffin (Eliza Taylor) not just believable, but engrossing." Linda Ge of TheWrap referred to her as a fan-favorite, while the staff for SheWired stated that she "had the best character introduction ever and never stopped being great" and "has proven to be endlessly engaging, even when she's making choices that make us want to crawl into a ball and cry." Dana Piccoli of AfterEllen.com characterized Lexa as a "mysterious queer character" that has caught the audience's attention, and complimented the "chemistry and increasing bond between Lexa and Clarke," adding, "Both are smart, and somehow manage to see the bigger picture. Here are two young women, leading their people to salvation or at least as close to salvation as they can get."
LGBT community
Clarke and Lexa's relationship had a significant impact on the LGBT community. Dalene Rovenstine of Entertainment Weekly stated that the series "has featured unexpected twists (a baby in space! a human harvest chamber! cannibals!), the shocking deaths of multiple main characters, and amounts of blood and gore you wouldn't expect to be approved on network TV. But none of those moments have created a stir quite like when locked lips." The kiss was trending on Twitter after it aired, and many fans created artwork of the characters and couple as the series progressed; others engaged in cosplay of Lexa (dressing up like the character), with some receiving input from Debnam-Carey and Rothenberg.
Debnam-Carey was surprised by the attention. She was new to Twitter and Instagram, and did not know what shipping (the desire by fans for two or more people, either real-life people or fictional characters, to be in a relationship, romantic or otherwise) meant; she saw that fans had given the pairing the portmanteau name "Clexa". "I was on Instagram or something and I checked my tagged photos, and I realized that suddenly they were all LGBT artwork. I was like, 'Oh, my god!' I had no idea. It was the first time I realized I was a figure for that community," said Debnam-Carey. She called this "an honor" and "flattering," and added, "It's new for our society, as well. It's one of the first shows that really has two characters in the cast that are gender and sexually fluid and embraces that. There are no labels. It's a wonderful thing to be a part of. I'm all for it."
Selena Wilken of Hypable.com appreciated that the show had "subtly introduced first queer character" and that it is free of the other "big issues in today's society," like gender stereotyping, racism or misogyny, but felt that writers had largely been heteronormative with their romances before that point, which she characterized as "bizarre" for "an imagined future where marginalization" no longer exists. "In a media landscape where gay, lesbian and bisexual characters are still often defined mainly by their sexuality, having Lexa — one of the show's strongest, most well-liked characters — casually reveal that she's queer and then carry on with her day sends a strong and important message to young viewers," stated Wilken. "However, there's a big difference between having a supporting character (however brilliant) play the pronoun game, and actually featuring a same-sex pairing on the show." She said that The CW did not have "a single queer main character on any of the network's currently running shows" and that this needed to change. "The next step, obviously, is the visual: The 100 has made it pretty clear that gender, race and sexuality are not issues worth bringing up in conversation, which is great," said Wilken. "But then, following this Show-Don't-Tell approach, how about actually featuring a same-sex pairing on the air? Give her a love interest, however fleeting. The ball's in your court, writers." To this point, Rothenberg had Clarke have sex with a different woman in season 3 (while parted from Lexa) to make it clear that Clarke is bisexual, ensuring that she would be viewed as a lead LGBT character.
Debates
Many viewers were upset by Lexa betraying Clarke, resulting in debates about why she might have done it, with Andy Swift of TVLine stating, "I'm pretty sure I speak for Clarke, and all the angry viewers watching from home, when I say, 'Lexa, please meet a fiery death. ASAP.'" Mariya Karimjee of Vulture viewed the betrayal as "one of the most powerful performances" she had seen on the show and said the heavy, emotional struggle came from both characters, with Clarke realizing that "Lexa is the only person who understands her." Kyle Fowle of The A.V. Club stated that having the characters reunite after the betrayal, "allows for the show to dig into one of its most complex and compelling relationships. Clarke and Lexa are a tangle of emotions and motivations. They share a connection on an emotional level, a romantic level, and they recognize the burden of responsibility that they each have taken on." Fowle felt that "Clarke's relative forgiveness of Lexa makes sense within the context of the war of her people, and the larger political conflict at hand. When she kneels before Lexa , it's loyalty informed by weeks of patient storytelling."
Whether Lexa should be paired with Clarke has also been debated, especially by fans of the Clarke and Bellamy relationship ("Bellarke"), which is canon in the books. This resulted in a shipper war between the fanbases. "People who want to see Bellamy (Bob Morley) and Clarke (Eliza Taylor) get together—ahem, in every sense of the word—have had to suffer through a full season in which they were actually separated for pretty much the entire time," stated Sydney Bucksbaum of E! Online of season 2. Rothenberg said that he is not dismissing the pairing; it is rather that the Bellamy and Clarke romance is not yet the focus. He said the show gives indications that Bellamy and Clarke care deeply for each other, and that he thinks those wanting a romance right now between the characters should read the books. "We played with the Lexa/Clarke storyline and that is still ongoing because both characters are still breathing," stated Rothenberg. "The journey is long, and eventually we'll be able to tell that story in all its glory, but right now, there are other things in the way of that." He said when it comes to whether or not the series will end with Clarke and Lexa as a couple, he will not comment on the matter and knows where he wants the series to go, but that he is always open to better ideas.
References
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- ^ Wilken, Selina (March 1, 2015). "Five plot developments in 'The 100′ book series that will blow TV show fans' minds". Hypable.com. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
- ^ Ge, Linda (July 31, 2015). "Alycia Debnam-Carey on 'The 100' Return: a Lexa, Bellamy and Clarke Love Triangle 'Would Be Ferocious'". TheWrap. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
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- ^ Piccoli, Dana (January 29, 2015). "Mysterious queer character Lexa has our attention in "The 100"". AfterEllen.com. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
- Wilken, Selena (January 24, 2015). "'The 100' introduces its first queer character: Why Lexa's sexuality matters – and why it doesn't". hypable.com. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
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