In praise of ‘Team Adults’: The unsung heroes of ‘The 100’ 

In praise of ‘Team Adults’: The unsung heroes of ‘The 100’

" data-content="As The 100 season 4 approaches, we celebrate the 'teen' drama's often overlooked adult characters: Abby Griffin, Marcus Kane, Indra and Thelonious Jaha." target="_blank">

season 4 approaches, we celebrate the ‘teen’ drama’s often overlooked adult characters: Abby Griffin, Marcus Kane, Indra and Thelonious Jaha.

In the brutal world of CW’s The 100, the apocalypse doesn’t care who you are, or what you stand for. The key question of the show is whether you’re strong enough to survive — and if you do, can you live with yourself and the things you’ve done?

Our protagonist is Clarke Griffin, a fearless bisexual space heroine who crash-lands on Earth in the company of 100 teenage ‘delinquents’ sent to determine if the post-nuclear planet is habitable. A

recent Hypable article zeroed in on the perceived generational conflict between the delinquents and the adults as a source of perpetual conflict, but we respectfully disagree.

showrunner teases “dark, relentless, but surprisingly hopeful” season 4

season 3, the divisions between ‘kid’ and ‘adult’ have largely eroded, and The 100 has carefully built an age-, gender-, and ethnically-diverse ensemble which gives as much narrative weight to the adult characters as it does to the delinquents. Without the hard choices Abby Griffin, Marcus Kane, and the rest of our ‘Team Adults’ make, all the characters we know and love would have perished long ago.

As we know, the delinquents from the Sky Box were sent down to Earth to free up oxygen resources on the Ark. But it’s Abby’s quick intervention and ingenuity that gives our beloved characters a chance to survive on earth instead of being floated. It’s Abby’s wristbands that allow the Ark to realize the delinquents are alive, and later form the basis of a communications link. (They even return in season 3 as the base for Raven’s device to remove ALIE’s chips which frees Abby from the City of Light.) 

It’s Abby who illegally commandeers an escape pod and drafts Raven for her near-suicide mission — without which Earth would never have been proven to be survivable, and everyone on the Ark would have died. Abby’s leaps of faith, in the face of Kane and Jaha’s doubt, turn what could have been a long shot for survival into salvation for the space-faring members of the human race.

Whoever your favorite character on The 100 is, if they came from the sky, they’d be dead without Abby Griffin.

Through the seasons, we see Abby’s medical expertise and stubborn optimism save the lives of everyone around her. She becomes key to brokering peace with the Grounders, utilizing her skills to heal Lincoln and singlehandedly proving to Lexa that her alliance with Clarke and Skaikru is built on trust. It’s Clarke who we come to see as Lexa’s primary contact among the Sky People, but Kane and Abby play an often-overlooked role in keeping war at bay and laying the foundation for peace. In fact, Kane is first of the Sky People (well before Clarke) to establish diplomatic relations with Lexa, and the first besides Octavia to learn any Trigedasleng.

All this is done in addition to juggling the responsibilities of a Chancellorship Abby never asked for, during which she and Kane built Arkadia into a thriving permanent settlement holding a steady peace with the Grounders.

But as we know, “there are no good guys,” and the adults – as flawed as they are heroic – are no exception to that rule. Abby’s defining trait is her love for her daughter, a trait which sometimes blinds her to consequences or leads to disastrous mistakes. For Kane, it’s the fight for the survival of their people at any cost.

It’s Abby who first puts a gun in Finn Collins’ hand, sending him on a rescue mission to go search for Clarke. Though his massacre of innocent civilians at Tondc is his own fault, there are dramatic consequences to her decision to subvert Kane’s authority without his knowledge. In turn, Kane chooses the Ark’s old ways of governing and punishment for Abby instead of listening to her and rewriting the laws of the Exodus charter to suit their unique circumstances.

Additionally, Abby (impulsively and unfairly) slaps Raven after she accuses Abby of sending her own daughter and the other kids down to earth to die. It’s an inexcusable moment, though Raven clearly understands where that reaction came from; but it’s proof that the show’s writers remain consistent in giving every character – not just Abby – moments where we’re meant to find their behavior indefensible. The characters exist inside a moral grey area where mistakes get made. They would not be three-dimensional or complete without them.

We also see the adults serve as mentors for the delinquents, sharing their life experience and guidance. Sinclair’s relationship with Raven was one of

season 3’s most beautiful surprises, opening up a world of Raven’s backstory and showing us a father figure who could truly see her potential. And Indra’s mentorship of Octavia is one of the richest and most interesting female relationships on the show. Not to mention the complex dynamics of mentorship and loyalty in the relationship between Pike, Kane and Bellamy last season, where we see Bellamy caught between conflicting ideologies of two men who both see him as the future leader of Arkadia and want to help shape the leader he becomes.

Even Thelonious Jaha (whose evolution from reserved, morally decent Chancellor in season 1 to mind-controlled supervillain in season 3 is one of the show’s most startling developments) is a vital component to the story, serving as foil to younger characters like Murphy.

Far from being a cautionary tale about the boomer generation’s oppression of millennials,

The 100 actually does a remarkable job for a teen drama of highlighting intergenerational relationships, showing us families – both biological and created – based on deep trust and respect.

With sneak peeks from upcoming episodes of Jaha mentoring Clarke as a leader, hints from the recent Unity Days convention that we’ll be seeing both Clarke and Bellamy get more screen time with Kane, and trailer clips of Abby in storylines with everyone from Murphy to Luna, we’re hopeful that even with some ‘Team Adults’ losses in season 3 (R.I.P. Sinclair and Pike), this dynamic will only continue to grow in

‘The 100‘ season 4 premieres Wednesday, February 1 at 9/8c on The CW

Tags: Abby Griffin, Kabby, Team Adults, The 100, The 100 season 4

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Final \'Beauty and the Beast\' trailer released 🌹

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‘Beauty and the Beast’ trailer released, features Ariana Grande, John Legend performing title track

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trailer to drop — after all, both entities feature a rose 🌹.

co-stars Luke Evans (Gaston) and Josh Gad (Le Fou) made several appearances during the episode to promote the movie.

Watch the new trailer, which basically goes through the entire plot of the movie (not like you don’t already know it), below. At the end, enjoy Ariana Grande and John Legend’s cover of the title track — it’s the first time we’re hearing the song.

“Beauty and the Beast,” the song, will run during the movie’s end credits. It’ll also appear on the film’s soundtrack.

James Cameron: ‘Mythbusters’ are ‘full of shit’ with their Jack / Rose floating door theory

(An excuse to write about \'Titanic\'? Count me in.)

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director James Cameron doesn’t buy the alleged mythbusting done by

In a 2012 episode of the show, the Mythbusters “proved” that Jack and Rose

have shared the floating door in the icy waters the night the iconic ship sank. It’s been a popular theory floating around the internet in the years following the release of the 1997 classic. Watch:

In a new interview with The Daily Beast, Cameron calls them out. He explains why Jack and Rose could not have shared that damn door:

OK, so let’s really play that out: you’re Jack, you’re in water that’s 28 degrees, your brain is starting to get hypothermia. Mythbusters asks you to now go take off your life vest, take hers off, swim underneath this thing, attach it in some way that it won’t just wash out two minutes later—which means you’re underwater tying this thing on in 28-degree water, and that’s going to take you five to ten minutes, so by the time you come back up you’re already dead. So that wouldn’t work. His best choice was to keep his upper body out of the water and hope to get pulled out by a boat or something before he died. They’re fun guys and I loved doing that show with them, but they’re full of shit.

Cameron has clearly given a decent amount of though to the theory (bless him). He brings up good points — it may not’ve been possible to get the life vest under the door and keep it there.

Do you think Jack could’ve fit on top of the door with Rose?

Eight horrible ideas for a ‘Hunger Games’ theme park attraction

" data-content="The world of contemporary romance is exploding with good stories at the moment. Here are 17 contemporary romance books coming in 2017 we are definitely keeping an eye on." target="_blank">

The world of contemporary romance is exploding with good stories at the moment. Here are 17 contemporary romance books coming in 2017 we are definitely keeping an eye on.

Any reader of contemporary romance knows that there are way more books published in a single week than you could possibly read. It may be daunting to try choosing amongst that crowd. To help just a little, here are 17 authors with new books coming in 2017 that we definitely can’t wait to get our hands on.

These are all tried and true authors that we have read works by before. There are thousands of authors out there putting out good content, and everyone has a blind spot or two in their reading history. We love discovering new favorite authors, so make sure to leave us your recommendations in the comments!

Without further ado, here are 17 new contemporary romance books coming in 2017.

know just how great of a writing team Sarina and Elle are. The next two books from this dynamic team will be coming in 2017, titled

, even if they are a brand new series. In addition to these team ups, Sarina and Elle each have books of their own being released this year. 2017 sounds like a promising year of reading if I do say so myself.

We all need Church, and no, I’m not talking about the religious institution. I’ve been curious about Jay’s burly bouncer since I first heard him mentioned at The Bar back in the Marked Men days, and it is finally time to dive into his and Dixie’s story. We got a taste of his perspective at the end of

last year, and it was an incredibly revealing experience. I can’t wait to learn how Dixie will help him start down the road to healing his lonely, soldier heart.

As sad as I am that the Thatch series ended (I really just loved those books, guys), I’m equally excited about a brand new series from Molly McAdams.

promises to be full of all the intense emotional turmoil that we’ve come to expect. It also doesn’t hurt to know that at least two more books are to come, one of which includes the wild card Jess, that we met in

last fall. Fair warning: You’ll probably need tissues. You always need tissues for a Molly McAdams book.

set up a world full of the most colorful and charming characters I could imagine. The community is chock full of crazy, beautiful people, and I am so excited to read Bailey and Vaughn’s story. We saw a bit of it unfold during Jess and Cooper’s roller coaster romance, and the tension that has been festering between the rival hotel owners is bound to explode in one hell of a love story.

Alice Clayton has written some of the funniest stories I’ve read in the last few years. From the silly sexiness of the Cocktail series (and Clive) to the not-so-glamorous world of Hollywood in the Redhead series, it has been a non-stop laugh-fest balanced with some seriously swoon-worthy characters. The Hudson Valley series has continued that trend in spades. Roxie and Leo kicked things off with a basket of nuts, Natalie and Oscar proved that cheese-making can indeed be romantic, and now we are excited to learn how Clara and Archie will have us aching for a couple of good buns.

gave us the first taste of the Dive Bar series and oh, what a taste it was. I’ve been anxiously awaiting another bite of this story, and we will finally get it this April. Joe, bartender extraordinaire, will meet his match in the most unlikely of places: his brother’s online dating profile. I, for one, can’t wait to see what twist lies in wait for Alex and Joe in Kylie Scott’s latest and greatest release.

If you love sports romance, but would like to read about a sport you don’t know as much about, then do I have a series for you. L.H. Cosway and Penny Reid are two books into a series about rugby players and the women that bring them joy. These books are a fantastic way to spend an afternoon, whether it be wrapped in a blanket in your favorite chair or with your toes buried in the sand on the beach.

is the third story in the series and it involves two characters with a very twisted history. I can’t wait to dig into this book the first chance I get.

Lauren Layne has been a one-click author for me for years now, and I haven’t been disappointed yet. From the Redemption series to the Wedding Belles world, I haven’t met a Lauren Layne character that I didn’t love. She has a gift for charming the pants off her readers with realistic, good-hearted characters that usually have a bit of a journey to find their match.

is the latest in her series of unrelated stand alone novels (the first of which happens to be one of my all-time favorites). This second-chance romance puts a pair of former lovers on a two week long road trip across America. The real question is: will their love stay in the past by the end? (My money’s on hell no.)

Last fall kicked off a brand new series from Rebecca Yarros featuring a crazy pack of high flyers. Paxton and Leah kicked the Renegades series off to a wild start, and I can’t wait to see what Nova has in store for us next. We got a glimpse into the sordid past of Landon Rhodes in

, and one thing we do know is that he has a lot of ground to cover to find his happily ever after.

So, 2016 was a rough year for both Cora and Cora fans, but we are all about 2017 and looking forward to the fabulous year of reading ahead. While

is more YA fantasy than romance, a quick read of the synopsis indicates that there is definitely going to be some romance-y goodness weaved in with the storm-hunting and magicking. I have been excited for

since the moment Cora first announced it, and I am so glad that 2017 is finally here.

I was definitely excited when Elle Kennedy and Jen Frederick announced their partnership last spring, and was a huge fan of The Royals series. I am more excited than ever to read more books from this very talented duo. Easton’s book is definitely high on my most anticipated list, but

sounds like the perfect way to satisfy that reading craving. Who doesn’t love a rock star?!

With the Beautiful series concluding last fall, I was anxious to learn what Christina Lauren had up their sleeves for us next. I could not be more excited for

. Everything about the concept has me aching for June to get here faster. I’m anxious for another fabulous new series from these ladies, but I’ll take whatever they have to offer in the meantime and be super thankful.

It’s been a bit of a wait for the next Game On book, as we last visited the wonderful world of the unnamed college that hosts some of our favorite fictional footballers in the fall of 2015. I am desperate to start a re-read soon to get back in touch with Anna and Drew, Gray and Ivy, and Ethan and Fiona in preparation for the next two books in this beloved series. We may not have any details yet, but just knowing that it’s in the works for 2017 is enough… for now.

As we speak, I am more than halfway through this book and it has the perfect combination of charm, allure, wit, and humor. Vi Keeland is a fabulous writer whom I have not read enough from yet. I was a little late to the party (having just read

a month or so ago), and I have a lot of catching up to do. She has a myriad of titles and genres in her dossier, and I am just beginning my fall down the rabbit hole.

No matter what genre she’s writing in, Jennifer Armentrout has never let me down. I’ve enjoyed her YA books, her romance stories, and her fantasy tales in equal measure. This newest book has me more intrigued than ever. I love a little mystery and suspense mixed in with my romance, and that is what

promises. Throwing in the second chance romance aspect just moves this book even higher on my TBR list than it already was.

I fell in love with Caisey Quinn’s style when

hit my kindle almost two years ago. Every aspect of that book gripped my heart in a vise and the ending was as beautifully bittersweet as I could possibly handle. Especially after I learned that I had a long seven month wait for

. The wait was well worth it though, and I am eager to check out this newest series about Nashville cops and see just how long it takes me to get hooked this time. My guess? Not long.

The first thing you should know if you’ve never read C.D. Reiss is that she doesn’t pull any punches. As she warns people on her Goodreads author page: “If you want safe, don’t read any of my books. Not even the cozy mysteries. Even the contemporary romance. You will not like them. I DO NOT WRITE SAFE BOOKS.”

However, if you’re looking for a book with serious edge or something outside your comfort zone, you should give her books a try. This newest one definitely sounds like a good read. A Hollywood bad boy is suddenly in need of a nanny when a child he never knew he fathered ends up on his doorstep. Chaos and sexy times are definitely going to ensue.

What contemporary romance releases are you most excited for in 2017?

Tags: book recommendations, Contemporary Romance, romance

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