The 100 Prequel: Everything We Know About The Potential Spinoff So Far
You never forget your first... apocalypse. This week's episode of The 100 took viewers all the way back to the days of the Second Dawn, finally putting a face to one of the sci-fi series' key characters: Callie Cadogan. (Click here for our full recap.)
But as you likely know, this wasn't merely the show's way of answering our burning questions about the Anomaly. It was also the backdoor pilot for what showrunner Jason Rothenberg hopes will become a full-fledged 100 prequel series of its own.
(Side note: It was tempting to write that this week's episode "laid the groundwork" for the prequel series, but the reality is that The 100 has been setting this stage since Day 1. This episode merely connected the remaining dots.)
Read on for a breakdown of everything we know about The 100's potential prequel series — which 90 percent of TVLine readers said they would watch — from its tentative title to the likelihood that the show will actually receive an order.
What would it be called?
Though the prequel's backdoor pilot episode was titled "Anaconda," that wouldn't be the official name of the spinoff. Rothenberg is currently considering The 100: Second Dawn, which certainly makes a lot more sense.
(That said, "Anaconda" turned out to be a brilliant title for the episode, once we found out what it actually meant.)
Where (and when) would it take place?
Unlike The 100, which was set a full century after the first apocalypse, the prequel takes place just two years after the cataclysmic event. For that reason, Rothenberg says, "It'll be much more tethered to [our] reality. These people lived through the problems of our world, and they'll have opinions on them."
And whereas flashbacks on The 100 only took us as far back as the Ark, flashbacks on the prequel will take us to Earth's final years. "I'd like to do Lost-style flashback episodes to pre-apocalypse times," Rothenberg adds. "I really want to shoot in restaurants, bars and homes, and not have to be in the middle of the woods all the time."
Who would be in it?
The backdoor pilot introduced us to several of the prequel's key players, beginning with Callie Cadogan (played by Iola Evans), the rebellious daughter of Shepherd Bill. "Callie's mission statement is: I don't care who [they are], I'm going to save them," Rothenberg says, calling her "a protagonist for our time." We also met Callie's brother Reese Cadogan (played by Adain Bradley), with whom she has a "Cain and Abel" dynamic. Essentially, Reese resents Callie for effortlessly earning their father's respect, despite his years of faithful service amidst her years of rebellion.
Additional characters we could potentially see again include: Bill (John Pyper-Ferguson), Reese and Callie's mother Grace (Crystal Balint), Trikru member and "Nightblood" namer August (Leo Howard), and faithful Disciple Tristan (Craig Arnold). It's also possible that we could see Becca (Erica Cerra) in the prequel, but given her grim fate, it would have to be in the form of flashbacks or A.I. communications.
What would it be about?
Picking up where the backdoor pilot left off, the series would find Callie "traveling the countryside looking for survivors who are holed up in their bunkers — the way we are holed up in our homes — so she can save and cure them, so they can leave and live their lives on the ground," Rothenberg explains. Reese, of course, would remain in hot pursuit, and his brother-sister dynamic with Callie would provide much of the show's emotional weight. "If we are lucky enough to tell that story long-term, it will also have its peaks and valleys," he adds. "It's an important relationship."
Would there be any connections to The 100?
Yes! "One of the characters always dreamed of going to space, and [they] will need to in order to intentionally make Nightblood," Rothenberg says, adding that they'll eventually make it to the Ark. "Clarke's great-great-great-grandparents are up there. Same with Bellamy, Raven and all the characters. I have a plan to get us up there and meet the ancestors. If we're lucky enough to tell that story, we'll meet Great-Great-Grandpappy Blake."
What are the chances this will be ordered to series?
At this point, the show's fate is like Bellamy's — very much in the air. If you want it to happen, Rothenberg says, "Root loudly! We haven't been picked up yet, and the hour is getting late. It may not happen. Ultimately, it's going to be about word of mouth. Is the audience getting loud enough and tweeting at the right people the right way? The CW, HBO Max or Netflix could do it. There are a lot of potential homes, though obviously The CW would be the primary one."