Contains spoilers after third paragraph

The 100, the only show that I can watch three times through and still get excited over, has started again with season three. I freaked out when I heard this and couldn’t do anything but look at trailers online, which wasn’t too helpful with completing my homework. But who cares? It’s The 100. I began counting down the days until the premiere date, getting more and more excited. I almost started crying when my homework kept me from watching the premiere live on the CW at 8 p.m. Jan. 21, but I watched it the next day. Needless to say, I was excited.

For those of you who haven’t seen The 100, you can watch the first two seasons on Netflix. The basic story is that many years in the future, the Earth is soaked in radiation, and the only humans left alive are living in the Ark, which is 12 space stations all combined into one giant station. The rules are very strict, and any crime can cause a person 18 or older to be floated (sucked out of an airlock with no protection). If you’re under 18, then you can be arrested and will be reviewed when you turn 18. However, for 100 of these prisoners, this was not the case. They were sent down to Earth to see if the ground was inhabitable for the human race. They quickly realize that they are not alone, which is where Grounders come in. I could say more, but it would give away too much. But trust me, the dynamics between the two groups is interesting and unique. It will keep you on your toes for sure.

The episode wasn’t as big of a bang as I had been hoping for, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good episode. Part two, which aired Jan. 28, was much more exciting and held a vital turning point for the story. The first episode was more of a cushion, which was both comforting and terrifying. It was comforting by allowing us to have a nice, calm episode so that we could get back into the groove of everything, but that also meant that the second episode was intense. The 100 is known for not being afraid to go big in their plotlines, so who knows what’s going to happen in future episodes. I’m hoping that it shows more of one of the things it’s best at — LGBT normality.

The 100 is one of my favorite TV shows because it’s very comfortable with having LGBT characters. Many TV shows have an LGBT character who is only relevant to the story because of their sexuality, but The 100 is so casual about it, viewers don’t even realize it. This is because the show develops them as a person who adds to the story rather than the story being about their sexuality. Their sexualities play into the story line, just as any straight character’s would, but it doesn’t revolve around them coming out or hiding in the closet. Being LGBT doesn’t seem to be a problem in their future, so the story is about the actual relationships instead. It makes me happy that the directors see the future as a place where not everything is expected to be heteronormative.

Each character in the show has gone through the ringer and is very different than what they were like originally. For example, let’s take Clarke (Eliza Taylor), who is the main character. She was originally from the Ark, and about as far from a Grounder as you can get. We slowly get to see her become more like the Grounders after *SPOILER* she gave the order to kill everyone on Mount Weather *END SPOILER*. She is fluent in Trigedasleng, the language of the Grounders, and looks and acts more Grounder, with traditional braids and much more withdrawn personality. It’s an excellent way of showing us that time has passed without actually saying it. I’m dying to see how this has further affected Clarke’s mentality and not just her physical being.

So, all-in-all, I’m guessing this season is not going to disappoint. The show is beautiful and breaks lots of barriers that hold back many TV shows today. The directors and writers are fantastic, and the actors and actresses are capable of bringing their characters to life. This is my favorite show for a reason, and I highly suggest that you start watching it this Thursday.