Bellarke Evolution: Earth Skills, Part 3
(Explanation/Purpose for this series of posts here.)
Third Interaction: Take Me By The Hand, or, Saving Princess From the Pit of Death!
When we last left our favorite pair, Clarke and Wells were setting out with purpose to Save Jasper, and Bellamy was fuming at Clarke’s brilliant Checkmate.
(Personal digression: a brooding, stormy Bellamy is a very hot Bellamy indeed, IMO. Just look at his beautiful face in the picture above. He never looks as sexy as he does when he’s pissed, with his gorgeous dark eyes and stormy brow. Mmmm Hmmm. But that might just be my weird kink. ;) Anyhoo…)
Murphy asks his Commander, “since when are we in the rescuing business?” To which Bellamy replies:
“The Ark thinks the prince is dead. Once they think the princess is, too, they’ll never come down. I’m getting that wristband, even if I have to cut off her hand to do it.”
This is not a proud moment for Bellamy, but it’s nonetheless extremely significant. What he says here and what he implies is very violent (and don’t you just love Murphy’s twisted little smile afterwards?) indeed, and this line, more than any other in the first few episodes, seems to paint him as an unquestionable villain (complete with his evil sidekick: beautiful, creepy, slant-eyed Murphy.) ((Murphy!)) Look, Kids! Here’s the Bad Guy! BOO!
But that’s why this line is very important, considering what happens once they reach The Pit of Despair the Pit of Death, the Trou de Loup.
But let’s back up just a bit, because prior to that pivotal moment, we have the Brave Princess Mini-Interaction:
(Which, incidentally, is the first time he ever touches her, let’s not forget.)
After his Statement of Evil Intent™, it’s clear that Bellamy is still trying to think of a way to gain the upper hand with Clarke and win back stolen ground. Their (Erotic) Chess Match is in full swing here, and Bellamy is thinking on his feet, trying for the subtle approach at yet another coup despite his earlier declaration of violence.
First, he suggests that Jasper couldn’t possibly survive a spear to the heart. While it may seem by that statement that he has doubts about Clarke’s experience or judgement, his real aim is to sow doubt among the others of their party. Bellamy has already shown that he reads people well, and part of that talent involves inciting others to action with words alone once he has intuited how best to push their buttons.
To wit: he knows that Murphy (or Wells) is sensitive enough to his suggestion that he might very well stop suddenly, dig his heels in and say, “you know what, he’s right. This is pointless.” And once an objection is voiced, it’s pretty easy for his quick tongue to work the group into a full revolt.
(Skipping over Wells’s and Murphy’s lines here–but it’s important to note that even though neither boy voices such an objection, the resumption of their grudge fight works just as well as a stalling tactic.)
Once again, Clarke replies instantly (she’s got him on her radar now, she’s not going to let him get away with any more seditious speeches or said buttons-pushing) and, as always, employs her Formidable Reason to cut his argument to shreds:
“Jasper screamed when they moved him. If the spear struck his heart, he’d have died instantly. It doesn’t mean we have time to waste.”
Bellamy: (Grabs Clarke’s wrist) “As soon as you take this wristband off, we can go.”
Clarke: (Removes wrist from his grip with extreme prejudice) “The only way the Ark is gonna think I’m dead is if I’m dead. Got it?”
Bellamy: (Pausing, shuffling on his feet) “Brave princess.”
The first few times I saw this scene, I puzzled over that remark and his expression obsessively. Brave Princess…Brave Princess…wtf does he mean, Brave Princess?
And this is what I have concluded (and I may very well be off on this one, so I encourage your interpretations):
I think Bellamy is surprised at Clarke’s cool reaction to his sudden aggression, stepping towards him and telling him off. Surprised and impressed. Damn impressed, and as such it throws him for a loop. I don’t think he’s ever known a girl that was as intelligent, as direct, and as fearless as Clarke. I think he’s startled by the fact that instead of intimidating her with physical aggression and implied threats (and he’s going for broke here: take off the wristband if you want me to Save Jasper) she meets him head on, aggression with aggression. Your move, my move. Play dirty, I’ll play dirty back, Big Boy.
So I think he’s so taken aback that he’s truly at a loss for words, and he goes to the word that he seems to have attached to her in his little Mind File, his Internal Hierarchy: Princess. (privileged, hella smart, prone to command)
Okay…now, onto the final moment: Take Me By The Hand, or, Saving Princess From the Pit of Death!
(Worth mentioning: Finn shows up with his Hero Hair self and tells Bellamy to find his own nickname. Bellamy cuts his eyes to Finn and subjects him to a very pointed study indeed, and then cuts his eyes over to Clarke. He makes that little love connection right away. And then he works it, by using that silver tongue of his to try and incite Wells to jealousy over Clarke: Look, Wells, he’s stealing your girrrrrl! And “you’re invisible”)
((The man is a master at manipulation.))
Clarke, et. al, arrive at the Trou de Loup, and when Clarke sees Jasper, tied to a tree and clearly alive, she rushes over to help him:
She’s ahead and Bellamy’s just behind her, and we all know what happens next:
Bellamy, against all evidence to the contrary, does not behave as a villain here, but as a hero. He immediately reacts to Clarke’s fall, reaching out to grab her and save her from harm, despite the harm (or death) that such a move would mean to himself.
But–and this is the spice of this moment, he hesitates. There she is, dangling over the pit, and he hesitates to pull her up. I don’t think that he was thinking of dropping her so much as debating whether or not to use the imminent threat of her death to persuade her one last time to remove her wristband. But then, maybe he really was thinking of just dropping her.
(But look at those lovely, pleading blue eyes. How could he do that to her?)
Fortunately for all of us, he hesitates long enough that the others rush over to help him pull Clarke from the Trou de Loup. And of course, Clarke and Bellamy take the time to stare at each other a moment after her rescue, reevaluating each other and significantly changing their initial conception of each other.
Which brings us, (fucking finally) to the conclusion:
Conclusions/Current Relationship Status:
In this episode, it’s pretty clear that Bellamy is taking all of his cues from Clarke. He broke up the fight between Murphy and Wells the moment she returned and demanded that they stop. He cracked out a Rabble-Rousing Speech when he saw that she was making headway with the horde. He attempted to counter her every rational move with his own, more emotional/physical response and intimidation. Clarke is Thought and Bellamy is Action.
Yet he asked her directly where the food was and what happened on the trip. This demonstrates that Bellamy intuitively trusts her and looks to her for the truth. This is important: Bellamy is the first to trust in their relationship. That’s one of the many traits their relationship will continually develop over the series–their trust in each other, but it’s significant to note that it is Bellamy that demonstrates trust first. (For Clarke, that takes a little more time).
Then he proves that he can be trusted in turn, because despite his threat to Clarke, his words of violence, he reaches out and grabs the very hand he threatened to cut off. He saves/protects her instinctively. Yes, he hesitates, but the telling fact remains that his first instinct is to protect. Clarke is shaken by her near death in the Trou de Loup, and shaken by Bellamy’s suggestion of violence, his demonstrated capacity for doing harm.
He was all words until that moment, and perhaps she thought as much, until he took her by the hand for the second time and saved her life.
So, our two crazy kids are completely aware of each other now, and paying very close attention to each other. There’s no more after-thought to their motives or interactions after this point. It takes only a day or two for this to happen, this complete connection, understanding, and mutual influence. Like I said, romantic or not, (and it’s not at this point) these two people are already inexorably twined. So, where do we stand?
Bellarke is an official, full-blown entity after just two days.
They read each other very well.
They’re playing a game of (erotic) Chess, Apocalypse Survival Edition.
Bellamy takes his cues from Clarke, Clarke responds to his cues in turn, ad infinitum.
Bellamy trusts Clarke first.
