It’s been 11 years since the show first aired, and I still can’t stop thinking about #Clexa
BY NIC CROSARA, IMAGE BY THE CW
When The 100 came out in 2014 it quickly gained fans all around the world due to its high-stakes apocalyptic plot and interesting cast of morally grey characters, including Clarke Griffin (Eliza Taylor), a leader of the group of 100 juvenile delinquents sent from the Ark to Earth. And seven episodes into season two, viewers were introduced to Lexa (Alycia Debnam-Carey) who was the fierce commander of the Grounder clans. Clarke and Lexa had an onscreen relationship full of tension, trials and tribulations. Their ship name? #Clexa. I remember this being the first time I saw overt sapphic representation onscreen between a main character within a speculative genre. It definitely altered my brain chemistry.
For our DIVA Dating Digest series, we’re taking a look at this iconic fictional couple and tracing the timeline of their love story.
Meeting as enemies
The people from The Ark (aka the Sky People) and the Grounders had already spent an entire season at war with one another before Clarke and Lexa met in season two. They officially met one another when Clarke approached Lexa in hopes of putting aside their differences and creating peace between their people.
Killing the boy she loved
Lexa only agreed to Clarke’s offer of alliance to save both of their people imprisoned by another antagonistic force, the Mountain Men, if Finn – who happened to be the boy Clarke loved – was put to death. Clarke ended up mercy killing Finn so that he didn’t have to endure the tortue that Lexa’s people wanted him to face.
Catching feelings during the end of the world
Fans of the enemies-to-lovers trope love Clexa because when these two young women first meet, nobody was expecting their timultuous love story to unfold. Following their new found alliance, Lexa and Clarke work closely together and they grow closer togehter with Lexa confessing her feelings for Clarke. After losing Finn, Clarke is not, yet, ready for a relationship.
Betrayal
Lexa makes a deal that guarantees the freedom of her people, but means that she leaves Clarke and the rest of the Sky People to die in Mount Weather which leads Clarke having to make drastic decisions which leave her riddled with PTSD and resentment towards Lexa.
Enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers
Months after her betrayal, and Lexa found herself struggling to maintain control, her rule was being challenged by multiple forces. She called for Clarke to be brought to her amid rising political turmoil. She was hard at work trying to bring peace to the various groups of survivors and Clarke ultimately forgave her. The two women became allies again, and later, to the excitement of #Clexa shippers around the world, lovers.
Bury Your Gays
I can still remember the shock I felt when Lexa died when Titus, who disapproved of Clarke and Lexa’s relationship, tried to kill Clarke, accidentally killing Lexa instead. It was utterly devastating. LGBTQIA+ viewers were left rocked. While I finished the series, my heart was no longer in it after Lexa’s death. In my opinion, it was a huge mistake. There was so much potential for this character to involve the trajectory of the plot.
The flame
Okay, so there’s a too much lore in The 100 to give all the context in this piece. But basically, when commanders die, their consciousness lives on in “The Flame”. When Clarke takes the Flame to destroy the season’s antagonist, her mind summoned Lexa’s consciousness to help her. Clarke gets to declare her love for Lexa before they part ways.
Consciousness
To cut a very long story short, Clarke has an adopted daughter, Madi, who becomes the new commander. Lexa’s consciousness remains in the Flame and advises Madi. While later the Flame’s data has to get deleted to save Madi, we see that fragments of Lexa’s memories have remained in Madi’s mind.
Bittersweet endings
By the time the show’ comes to an end’s final season comes out they are no longer on earth, there are extraterssidal beings and trascendence. It’s been a pretty bananas plot from the jump, but by the time the series ends it’s very heavy on the sci-fi. Like a true Chosen One protagonist, the series ends with Clarke taking a final test to determine the fate of the human race. And during her test, the judge appears as Lexa due to her being Clarke’s true love.
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