Just for the sake of world peace, I will put this under a cut and tag it as potential Bellamy hate, although I’d like to point out, that general disagreement about a character’s behavior - as long as it is not written disrespectfully - has nothing to do with character hate. Some people seem to mistake that. You can love a character and still judge them and disagree. Happened to me through all seasons with Clarke, which is why it is so important to me to be objective about my own character as well. I wouldn’t be able to do her justice, if I didn’t see her flaws. But as I said, criticism does not equal hate, and this reply is CLARKE’S point of view, not my own. I will still put it under a cut, just to avoid stepping on anyone’s toes. Anyway, how did Clarke feel about Bellamy betraying her?
I think the initial feeling was PANIC. This was etched clearly on Clarke’s features when she figured out that he was going to help to ascend Madi, because that child is her world. While everyone else spent the last six years in social groups, Clarke was cut off from everyone she knew and Madi was the only person she had around her. That little girl has become her drive, her reason to keep fighting and the most precious thing in her life, that she wants to protect at any cost. Just like a mother would do for a biological child, I don’t think Clarke’s love for Madi is any less than that. Being in chains and unable to help the girl, HELPLESSNESS was the second thing that quickly settled in, because without his help, or anyone else’s help, there was nothing she could do to prevent it. For someone like Clarke, who has been in charge of people, but mostly of Madi for a long time, this was terrifying. She would sacrifice herself easily and without a second thought for the girl, but what is there left to do, when she can’t even do that? Losing control over the situation and being faced with being unable to protect the one person she has sworn to keep safe, was something Clarke was obviously struggling with in that scene and I think it is easy to understand for everyone who has ever been afraid of losing a person they loved, how utterly paralyzing and terrible that fear can be, when you know your hands are tied and you can’t HELP.The betrayal, however, was something she most definitely didn’t see coming and I think there are two aspects to it. First of all, it’s the obviously broken promise he gave her, to do what needs to be done to protect Madi. Despite having spent six long years apart, Clarke’s faith and trust in Bellamy hasn’t faded. In every dangerous situation so far this season, he has been the one person she turned to when it came to Madi and knowing that HE of all people, who knows what it is like to have only one person left really ( bc that was him and O for the longest time ) and someone young to look out for and keep alive, has broken the promise that meant the most to her, broke something in Clarke. The second part of the betrayal is his train of thoughts behind it, and the fact that he places his family above hers. Obviously, there is a war to be prevented, but his argument of why he was doing it, were his friends. The war came secondary, which means that he put his new found family over the one person Clarke loves the most, indicating that her loss would be acceptable, as long as his people stay alive. I think it is that selfishness and utter disregard of the fact that this is a CHILD he is talking about, that hurt Clarke the most. Yes, she was willing to kill Octavia to prevent a war, which is someone who Bellamy loves dearly, but she didn’t. She found another plan, apologized for it and understood she’d crossed a line. He, however, was willing to sacrifice a little girl for the sake of his friends and that alone is not the Bellamy that left her many years prior.Â
Overall, I think that Clarke is entirely broken and hurt by his actions and disappointed doesn’t even cut it anymore, especially because he pulled through with it and manipulated Madi into taking the chip ( for entirely no reason, btw, it all backfired xD ). The fact that she is willing to let him be executed now, shows how hurt she is and how much Madi means to her. He has lost her trust with this and as Madi said, she’ll have a hard time forgiving him. For now, I think they better go their separate ways, because he has crossed a line. Although Madi is still alive, this is by far the life Clarke wanted for her. The short sequence we had with the both of them at the end of the episode showed the change in the girl quite well. She is no longer just a child anymore, but holds the memories of the past commanders, as well as their consciences. It will change her and turn her into a little adult and soldier, who might unite the clans one day, but at what price? She was a child before and Bellamy took that from her with Gaia and made her a chess figure in a game of giants she had nothing to do with, just to move her around as it pleased their purpose. I don’t think Clarke will be able to live with that easily.
