With the season 5 finale of The CW's The 100 still fresh in our brains, one looming question that has remained constant for the past five seasons is: when will the two lead characters, Bellamy Blake (Bob Morley) and Clarke Griffin (Eliza Taylor) finally become an item?
Throughout the first four seasons of this action-packed sci-fi series, fans have witnessed the two characters grow from enemies with opposing agendas to close friends working side by side as they struggled to lead their people away from a fate of destruction time and time again. From coming together to bring order to the hundred "delinquents" sent to the ground in season one, to working together to save the human race before the end of the world in season four, Bellamy and Clarke have always worked as a perfect team when it comes to making the hard choices.
But even amidst the show's continuous end-of-the-world drama, it's hard not to notice the underlying chemistry between the show's lead characters. Both Bellamy and Clarke have had their share of disastrous romantic relationships, often ending with their companions losing their lives in tragic circumstances. However, throughout each of the characters' short-lived romances, it's difficult to deny that the two shared an incomparable bond that has withstood enough betrayal and near-death experiences that it could easily put Grey's Anatomy's Meredith and Derek to shame.
With Bellamy and Clarke's undeniable chemistry in mind, it begs the question: Why haven't the show's writers explored a romantic element with two characters clearly meant to be together?
The answer could be one of three things:
1. The writers are simply waiting for the "right time" to give "Bellarke" the entrance they deserve.
2. The writers are allowing the story to play out, deciding as the story progresses in which direction they will take Bellamy and Clarke's relationship.
3. The writers are simply baiting the fans and have no intention whatsoever to explore a romantic side to Bellamy and Clarke's relationship.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, when asked what makes Bellamy and Clarke's relationship so unique, showrunner Jason Rothenberg quoted, "They are partners, and sometimes I say they're best friends. They're certainly not romantic yet―where they are right now is my favorite place for them to be, which is non-romantic partners and soulmates aligned, going in the same direction."
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But after five completed seasons having witnessed Bellamy and Clarke's relationship grow and progress in such a well-written and well-developed way, it's nearly impossible to imagine a world in The 100 where the two characters do not eventually end up expressing romantic feelings for one another. Throughout season 5, the show has given small but significant indications that all Bellarke lovers have taken as sure signs that Bellamy and Clarke are indeed the endgame relationship of the show.
In season 5, episode 4, newly-introduced character, Charmaine Diyoza (Ivana Milicevic), quoted to Paxton McCreary (William Miller) in reference to Bellamy and Clarke, "Kill the hostage-taker and his girlfriend," implying that even to a complete stranger, Bellamy and Clarke appeared to be an item. Furthermore, in episode 8 of season 5, Octavia Blake (Marie Avgeropoulos) quoted to Bellamy, "Here we go again...pleading for the life of a traitor who you love," in reference to Bellamy's feelings towards Clarke. With that statement coming from Bellamy's sister, having known him all his life, the quote undeniably holds much significance when it comes to Bellamy and Clarke's unknown future together.
From mentions of Clarke's daily radio calls to Bellamy during their six-year separation, to Madi stating to Bellamy, "Do you have any idea how much [Clarke] cares about you?", in the season 5 finale, there is no denying that no matter how much tragedy the two characters endure, they care for one another in a way that exceeds the typical television friendship.
With season 6 of The 100 coming in 2019, it is hard to say what we should expect from Bellamy and Clarke's relationship on this brand new planet we're being introduced to. But one thing is for sure: with as many signs of the two characters' feelings for one another expressed in season 5, there is no doubt that Bellarke supporters should still hold out hope that season 6 will be the season for one of television's most beloved and awaited couples to finally come to fruition.
