In Defense of Bellamy Blake: Part Four (The End!)

I'm cramming tonight because a) I was gone all day and b) my right wrist is still recovering from a mild sprain, but I had to get this post in today. Why? Because The 100 is back, and I'll be returning to recapping the episodes! Everybody, cheer with me! As we round off this last segment in defense of Bellamy, I'm going to cover the obvious advances in his character development.

1. From Selfish to Selfless
In the first episode, the only person Bellamy cared about besides himself was his little sister, Octavia. Now in season two, we see that his experiences on earth have changed his view and helped him see other lives as more important than his own. In season one, Monty refers to Bellamy as a 'power-hungry, self-serving jackass,' but then we see this.

and this.

He repeatedly risks his life in order to help others. He traded his life for Jasper's, risked his neck to save Clarke, climbed down a cliff to save a girl he'd never met. Instead of the domineering leader he was at the beginning, he now refers to the rest of the hundred as 'our people' ('our' referring to him and Clarke). When Clarke is feeling guilty over shutting the dropship door and leaving him to get roasted alive, he simply tells her, 'You did the right thing.' There is no doubt that he would willingly lay down his life for the teenagers.

2. From Impulsive to Thoughtful
In much of the first season, Bellamy acted before he thought. He was a 'live in the moment' kinda guy with the motto 'Whatever the hell we want.' Now, we see him acting as a diplomat - doing his best to make peace between everything from armies to people's personal vendettas. Clarke's absence during the first part of season two was good for his character development (even if it was painful for the viewers, because Clarke + Bellamy = package deal) because he had to take over her role as said diplomat.

(It's really hard to type with a brace on, guys)

Bellamy covers quite a few stereotypes. He's the Leader, the Older Brother, the Fanatic, the Warrior, and the Love Interest. While Clarke is the head, he's the heart. When she sees the enemy, he sees the person. When Finn - the person who always opposed him, who went behind his back and broke Clarke's heart - is in trouble, Bellamy puts that behind him and steps up to protect him. His view has been broadened - he's no longer Octavia's protector, he's everyone's. Where in season one he was ready to run away from responsibility, he now steps into it with grim determination. What will the second half of season two have in store? I don't know about you, but I can't wait to find out.

#bellamybloodyblake