It's no secret that The CW's post-apocalyptic show The 100 is all about shocking fans and viewers. From last season's finale to the Season 2 opener, this show surely doesn't disappoint in making us gasp and question just what the hell is going on. Oh, you know, like when Jaha is living alone on the Ark and then suddenly hears a crying baby. Whaaaaaaat? Yes, I'm still reeling from the second season premiere, which closed with Jaha (Isaiah Washington) shutting down the Ark's system and then hearing that mysterious sound. So. Many. Questions.
Is the baby real? Is Jaha imagining the crying? Is he dead (he did only have a short oxygen supply left) and now hearing a baby? Is this just another way to give Washington more time on The 100? Whatever the case, I think that regardless of whether this baby is real, it could be Jaha's saving grace. Think about it. At the end of Season 1, he sacrificed himself so his people could finally plant their feet on the ground. His fate was pretty much sealed. With only a small amount of oxygen left, Jaha was most likely going to die — or so we thought. Now that there's this new mystery baby on board, it just might keep Jaha alive and kicking, as he has something to investigate and keep him going.
In an interview with E! News, Jason Rothenberg, The 100's executive producer, opened up about where this crying baby story is headed. "When I came up with that idea, at first it was kind of a joke. It became a joke around the office! But it then started to take shape and crystalize and it felt like a great story. We just needed [Jaha] to realize that there was more work to be done. He had taken his people to the ground but he hadn't yet delivered them to safely and to the promised land and that becomes a driving thing for him all season long."
Let's focus on those last three words: "all season long." Hmm... does that mean Jaha will be alive for the complete second season? It seems like we haven't seen the last of Jaha, especially if there is "more work to be done." Said work probably includes trying to save the baby, himself, and figure out how to get back to Earth. I find it hard to believe that Jaha wouldn't do everything in his power to save the baby, even if that means letting himself die. After all, he did choose his people over his own life.
"Whether he accepts the responsibility of it or not, his job isn't done," Washington said in the same interview. "There is more for him to do. Hearing that cry and seeing what he does next gives the audience a chance to really understand how much this particular character loves humanity. Clearly he was willing to sacrifice himself for all of humanity, and now he'll even sacrifice his own heroic ending to save someone else. We'll explore that pretty well with Jaha this season."
This baby story also has us questioning Jaha's mental state. Is he going crazy? As Washington also told E! News, "He has to address those demons alone. And no one wants to do that. No one wants to be alone and meditate on their own thoughts. That's what was so attractive about that story, whether what he's hearing is real or not, that's going to make him decide whether he's okay with dying or if he's going to try to live."
We're only going into the second episode of the sophomore season, so there are just too many questions to be answered immediately. But I really believe Jaha is going to see this baby as his savior. He has someone and something to live for, after all he does have to take care of the child (let's face it, he's not going to ignore the baby, because Jaha is not the selfish type and he had a son). This child is going to make Jaha reexamine his situation and push him to a whole new level in Season 2.
Images: Katie Yu/The CW; Bellarke/Tumblr
