‘The 100’s finale was in no way open-ended

The 100 is finally over after six years, seven seasons, and a hundred episodes. A lot has happened since a bunch of delinquents discovered that humans still inhabited the nuclear wasteland that was once planet Earth.

Episode 16 of season 7, titled “The Last War,” tied up all the loose ends. It turns out that the survival of the human race rested upon their ability to maintain peace among themselves. Although Clarke failed the test because she killed Bill in front of the Judge, Raven appealed to retake the test. She argued that humans only needed more time to prove that they could be better.

In the end, the warring factions decided to put their arms down. They were convinced that transcendence can only be achieved if humans don’t fight each other. This action convinced the Judge that humans were worthy of transcendence, and the majority of humans chose to be part of the transcended.

What about those who didn’t transcend?

Since transcendence was a choice, there were a few human beings who chose to remain on Earth. Clarke was the only human that wasn’t given this option since she already failed in the eyes of the Judge. Transcendence was still a choice, and many of her friends came back to Earth. They will live and die as human beings—they won’t join the transcended once their time is up. Additionally, the Judge said that the humans who remain on Earth will not be able to repopulate.

The illusion of choice

Although the Judge didn’t agree with Clarke’s answers, she brought up important points that couldn’t be ignored. The transcended isn’t exactly a great being—just a hive mind comprised of different species from different civilizations. This hive mind can feel human emotions but lacks the attachments humans have. These attachments are what drive humans to both acts of courage and atrocity.

To say that humans had a “choice” to transcend isn’t accurate. Clarke and her group are happy with their decision, but many others who chose transcendence probably thought that there was nothing to go back to on Earth anyway. Without friends and loved ones, choosing to live on Earth all alone seems to be a choice riddled with pain. The Judge practically held humans at gunpoint by ensuring that all of them would die out in a generation if they didn’t choose transcendence.

Maybe I’m not fit for transcendence, but it’s just a glorified hive mind. There doesn’t seem to be any benefit in immortality if it means losing your autonomy. Think of a supercomputer that runs forever without a purpose—it’s absolutely pointless.