The long awaited Season 3 premiere of The 100 finally aired on The CW and it was well worth the wait as the show continued to build upon its expanding stories and strong female characters.

This article contains spoilers so if you haven’t seen the season premiere episode titled “Wanheda: Part One”, please do not continue reading.

I’ve always liked how The 100 showed their female characters to be just as capable as their male counterparts. These women don’t need to rely on men to get almost anything done.  They’re fearless and smart.  Every time I watch, I am reminded of the Amazons, a fierce strong race of warrior women.

The 100 Season 3 Premiere picks up about 4 months after the finale and ramifications of the battle with Mount Weather. The Arkadia nation seems to be thriving under the command of Kane, who warns Bellamy not to make war where there is none.  Bellamy appears to be nothing more than one of the security guards of Arkadia now instead of the leader of seasons prior, which is interesting considering he was never great at taking orders.

Meanwhile, we got to see what had happened to Murphy and Jaha in the City of Light.  Murphy was losing his mind being stuck in that room day after day for 89 days that it looked like he would end his life. Jaha, on the other hand, was faring better though as he did have the company of holographic Alie, if a holograph is capable or programmed to provide company.  The question remains, what purpose will Alie serve to The 100 universe, will she be a wolf in computer generated clothing?

With Clarke gone, Abby has become a surrogate mother of sorts to Raven, who is having a medical setback.  Abby encourages Raven to be honest with her doctors so she can get the help she needs but Raven refuses.  She doesn’t want to listen to “Doctor Chancellor” (great moniker for Abby), telling her that she has failed trying to do both her jobs.  Raven obviously needs a mother but has been so used to handling things on her own that she doesn’t accept help easily.

The best thing about “Waheda” was the Clarke scenes. Our heroine has become a fiery-haired huntress capable of taking down a panther.  We are introduced to Niylah, who is a Grounder that runs a trading post. Niylah is played by Jessica Harmon, and is the real life sister of Richard Harmon.  But I encourage viewers to look pass the sibling connection and focus more on Harmon’s talents as an actress and the character herself. Niylah is another strong woman to join The 100 universe and has an immediate connection to Clarke, which leads to a moment of passion.  I applaud the writers of The 100 for not being afraid to take chances by exploring territories which other shows wouldn’t.  Also, a relationship between Clarke and Niylah will further demonstrate the strength of the female characters.  However, I wonder whether Clarke is using Niylah as a substitute for Lexa, who betrayed her.  Nonetheless, I welcome this new character and Jessica Harmon to The 100.

It was interesting to watch the changes in the characters to illustrate the passage of the months. Jasper is still deeply effected by Maya’s death, Octavia and Lincoln are together but something is different in their relationship and Monty is getting more screen time.

The conclusion of the episode with Clarke’s capture by Roan for the Ice Nation’s queen set up the plot for an exciting season.

What did you think of The 100?