It takes time at 100 to dig into his painful and genocidal past

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Much of this season of The 100 It's sort of like how the characters we've been watching for more than 5 seasons have been doing terrible things for a while. It has always been a theme in this show, but the group that falls on Sanctuary and tries to create a new and better life to honor Monty's memory seemed to be a more determined approach. Monty's simple instructions, "do better" this time, have influenced much of the action this season. At the same time, one often has the impression that the series has used the language of moral calculus without ever subjecting the characters to real trials or tribulations.

"What you take with you" changes that. This is the most thematic episode of the season. It's an episode that includes many of the season's more risky stories – namely, the very vague role of The Anomaly and its impact on Octavia and Diyoza – but finds a way to focus them, creating something that seems intimate and important. Almost everything in Sanctum this season has been fun, but what's missing is the development of the character. The episode of this week changes the game, putting a lot of attention on this season.

"What you take with you" basically consists of three stories. Kane deals with the moral ramifications of the Abby reception procedure; Octavia trying to determine what the Anomaly taught him; and Bellamy is doing everything in his power to save Clarke and remove Josephine from her body. Although Bellamy's and Josephine's journey does not quite fit the intent of the episode – while still entertaining, it must be said, there is currently a serious and in-depth character work going on with Octavia, Kane and Abby .

For Octavia, this moment has been a long time coming. She did a lot of terrible things to stay alive in this world and managed to justify a lot of things along the way. At one point she should have faced these actions, and her trip to The Anomaly allows it. She is forced to revisit her past, watch Pike die, see Bellamy in The Pit and literally fight with her demons when she fights with Blodreina.

It's a bit of an exorcism, as Octavia seems to ban Blodreina and become a new person. Pike, Lincoln's embodiment, death that she never really managed to conquer, asks her again and again who she wants to be, now that she's released from hiding. Octavia has never had to answer that. She only made progress like Blodreina, keeping her killer instinct because she never considered other options. Now she returns to help her people. Everything is a little hasty, engulfed in a single episode, but after weeks in this story, I'm hesitant to complain about a quick emotional resolution that allows Octavia to end up in a different space.

Then there is Kane resurrected. This episode is essentially a departure for Henry Ian Cusick, who spent most of the season playing a frozen corpse. Now revived as part of the deal between Abby and the Premiums, Kane and Cusick are ready to bid farewell. It is also a goodbye that suits. Kane, despite his relative wickedness in the first season, has long been a spokesman for reason, compbadion, and morality. It is he who hopes to guide these broken people in unimaginable circumstances. It is therefore logical that returning to the body of a "host" does not sit.

The advantage of Kane's bow is that it avoids defeat. There is no touching speech or moment when Kane confides in Abby for what she did. Instead, he understands his pain and need to survive, while explaining how he can not live under these circumstances. He said goodbye for good, slipping with the serum Nightblood, an act of self-sacrifice for the greater good of his people. It's a noble and emotional way out, and it's one of the best characters that this show has done.

Now, the dominant plot of the season can still move forward. The pieces are ready to collide. Abby has to leave, the Awards no longer have the Nightblood serum, Gabriel could hear the case of Bellamy and Clarke, and Octavia is about to make his presence known. This season has been intriguing just by experimenting with contained episodes, but "What you take with you" promises something more consistent in the near future. He sets up a fascinating conflict based on ideas of morality, community, loyalty and survival, and adds some necessary issues to the last episodes of the season.

Observations lost

• What emotional episode. Of all the farewells from Kane to Abby, through Bellamy, "I will not let you die."
• "I am not a sheep that you have raised." Kane makes fun of who these people are, he already knows that their entire hierarchy is absurd.
• Pike battling Octavia was fantastic. A scene brimming with history, consequence and moral calculation. I liked it.
• Welcome, Indra.