the only way I can explain the Lexa scenes we get this season is because she is going to die. what do You think?
me: [edvard munch’s “The Scream” canvas 91 cm × 73.5 cm]
Alrighty, this is the last time I’m going to answer a question related to Lexa’s death, because I get way too tired of answering the same thing over and over.
Give it up for the last round. *pops bottle*
1. Lexa politically maneuvering between “weakness” and “strength”:
I don’t know how many times you have rewatched the first 5 episodes of season three but there is one thing that you will notice immediately:
Lexa starts this season as weak as Clarke, or almost.
The first scene we get of her starts like this:
The contradiction between this scene and the one I’m going to add up next is very interesting in the sense that Lexa represents the ‘act of enunciating’.
Okay, here is the thing. Lexa is a notorious target for political attacks in the beginning of season 3. Not in the sense of assassination attempts, but the reaction of her coalition towards her. The other 11 Clans have no real wish to ally with her anymore, they play against her without any sense of justice, they consider her weak, talk without knowledge, side with the Ice Queen who’s army marches on Polis. Lexa is politically in a very weak state.
The first picture is shot from an angle which provides us with the image of the Commander we know. Indicating that she is still in power and the ruler.
The second picture is shot from an angle that allows us to be on the same level as Lexa. In that scene Lexa is in need of Clarke’s help.
Leaving all personal aspects of this scene out, Lexa finds herself in a very damagable situation, which the last scene of this episodes highlights:
There is a continual movement between Lexa as the Commander and Lexa as an individual in this scene that really stood out to me. This is the moment where the viewer not only needs to plug the gap between Commander and Individual, but also has to realize that for the first time Lexa has to fight for her position alone > indicating the fight in 3x04. Lexa has never been one to want war but peace. And her peaceful ambitions are announced throughout the show, but for the first time it’s done in a way where you can’t deny it. It is a fact.
And to highlight the state of her vulnerability even more, the camera actually zooms back, getting farther away from her and ends with capturing this picture:
The Commander of 12th Clans, on top of the Polis Tower, looking down at her people, worrying about the future. That’s the political context of this.
Then we have 3x03 and the heightened mood between Lexa and the other eleven clans.
Of course an Ice Nation representative would be the one to refuse to bow to Lexa and sit down to discuss things with her. He doesn’t accept her as someone who has higher power anymore. And obviously he knows too much.
She didn’t show it, but I wonder how much it hurt. Getting a reminder of what happened in the past and that the Ice Nation wouldn’t have a problem to have a repetition of that is speaking volumes. That being said, we also have the problem that the Ice Nation representative does this in front of everyone. He reduces Lexa into a little girl who doesn’t fit into the role of the Commander. But boy, you don’t know who Lexa is. He literally kicked his own ass in this exact moment. No one talks about Clarke or Costia like that.
And here comes one of many political maneuvers:
Hello, Heda. Honestly, I love how she just kicked him off of her balcony and the other clans stood up to look as if saying “she fucking did that” and then we also have the response (or lack of) from the Polis people who see the Ice Nation representative hit the ground and they just look at him like “It’s Thursday.”
No but on a serious note, she is actually very terrifying here. Like, people hear that she is “weak” right now, but did that just look fucking weak to you? She literally just decided between life and death and chose the latter. She has that power, and if you move against her she will fucking end you. And then I also love how she says to him “let us talk in private” after he exposes her in front of everyone. Do you know what “private” means in this scene? Every living being that exists between Lexa’s balcony and the ground will see you fall off of the tower and die and everyone will know who did that. Then I also love how she turns to the other clans and says “Would anyone else care to question my decisions”, like it’s not even a question. Make one wrong move right now and she will kick you as well. This is some sick maneuvering that no one expects and that’s why it works so well for her. She is full of surprises.
Another time this happens is in 3x04:
Clarke, Abby and Kane said yes to be the 13th clan in 3x03, Wanheda bowed to the Commander of Blood, Kane got branded. Clarke stays in Polis even after the assassination on the people at Mount Weather.
Which is yet another important part of a political move. Wanheda bowing to the Commander was not Lexa’s only intention. Again putting all personal aspects of this aside, one reason why Lexa needs Clarke is because Clarke can stop an unanimous vote. Lexa knew it was going to happen, of course she knows, it’s her own law - “Let her make her move.”
Considering that all the other Ambassadors side with Nia after hearing Lexa being described as “weak” twice during 3x03, it is not wonder that they agree to Nia’s unanimous vote and want to rip Lexa of her power and position.
And of course Nia is in the believe that she will get what she wants because she doesn’t see one thing coming.
This throws Nia so off lmao. Like, she really had a long-term plan almost fulfilled and then Lexa just goes and decides to make the Skaikru the 13th Clan because she fucking can. And Clarke’s voice is being heard and recognized because she is a part of the coalition and if she speaks against Nia the unanimous vote fails.
This is yet again a very good tactic to change from weak to strength in seconds. Lexa goes from 0 to 100 real quick, and no one ever sees it coming, because she is always a few steps ahead of everyone. She changes the entire game and finally gets what she wants: a fight.
And now brace yourself because Lexa is even pulling a weak vs. strength maneuver during the fight against Roan. She has no chill whatsoever and is so fearless.
That smirk, lmao. I wrote in this post how she goes about it and wins the fight.
She has done it again. Lexa knows how to make bold and surprising choices without anyone sensing them. And it shocks the hell out of people. That is how you keep the position of the Commander secure. On the surface it’s very easy to label Lexa as weak, but once you get inside of her head you see an edge that no one notices and therefore underestimate her and fall to their own death.
This is one side I have always wanted to see. Lexa training with children.
Ever since hearing that Anya was Lexa’s mentor I have wondered how Lexa would be like as a mentor to children who would potentionally become the next Commander, and truly what Jason gave us so far exceeded my expectations.
Let’s talk about the environment, outfits and weapons first.
The first picture represent the outside in the sense of physical strength.
You can see that each Nightblood gets to fight against Lexa. Those who are not fighting sit around her. They are not sitting in a group but separately, each of them choosing a place where they want to sit and observe the fight.
The children learn from a very young age fighting technique’s that require a certain experience with nature. Knowing that the Trikru is a clan that comes from the woods it is an important educational philosophy: the children need to spend a portion of their training in nature to not only get a feel for it - natural stimulation - but first-hand experience. Training outside gives Lexa the opportunity to provide the Nightbloods with life-saving skills:
physical strength (combat skills)
increased problem solving
criticial thinking skills
These are all methods, skills etc. that these children need if they should become the next Commander. And teaching them all these outside, a world that is wide, and huge and endless gives these children a certain awareness of the dangers in the world that most people easily overlook and get an idea of how to fight these dangers.
In the second picture Lexa gives her Nightbloods lessons inside of the Polis Tower, it represents the mental/emotional strength.
The room is not really small but we see the children sit close next to each other this time with Lexa giving lessons in front of them. They form a group which is significant because she’s teaching them about the “Three Pillars of being a Commander” - Compassion (heart), Wisdom (head), Strength (body).
She teaches them the core components of what it means to be a human.
Attachment (making relationships): The capacity to form and maintain healthy emotional bonds with another person > includes things like trust, honesty etc.
Respect (finding value in differences): Appreciating the worth in yourself and in others - “Remember, you are each worthy of your Nightblood.” - no matter if you get choosen or not. You are worthy.
Forgiveness: showing empathy and mercy.
Love: not a weakness but a strength that is a rarity, if you find it value it, support each other, make it together.
Rationality (head): being pragmatic and tactful - mental clarity.
There are a few more, but the point is that Lexa teaches these children to find a balance between phyiscal and emotional investment. To teach them what it means and takes to be fully human. Also, how to find the best way to achieve peace.
In the first picture we see that Lexa is much more guarded and wears more layers than in the second photo.
It is a symbolism that represents that in the outside world you have to hide your emotional parts behind your physical strength because you cannot allow people to see through you. It’s the kind of guarding that prevents the enemy to get a grip on you. They cannot move, calculate and attack you like they want to. This is how you represents in what position you are in.
In the second picture her outfit symbolizes the vulnerability of the human mind, body and soul. Lexa doesn’t show much skin in the second picture, but she doesn’t look like a Commander either. The idea behind that is to emphasize that being human doesn’t mean just physical strength, but that it comes with a certain humanity that you not only have to be able to show to yourself (no repression or rejection of feelings) but that you also have to be able to share it with people that are close to you. Guarding it will not always be an advantage, you have to uncover your trueself once in a while to not forget who you are.
Weapons: wooden sword vs. words.
When Lexa fights against Aden she uses a wooden sword. He needs to learn to be perceptive, has to be quick in his movements, needs to be able to sense danger from all directions. It is purely a lesson for physical survival.
When Lexa teaches the Nightbloods in the room she speaks to them, delving into their minds, hearts and souls - forming an emotional bond. She asks questions and wants them to answer, they participate and are a part of the group. She encourages them to talk to her and listens. Her sole focus is on the children as children and not little warriors. And the difference between how she talks to Aden in 3x03 “Good, Aden. Again!” (anyone else get chills when her voice vibrates during that moment?) and how she talks to the Nightbloods in this scene - she uses Trigedaslang is mind-blowing. She has an direct interaction with them. This is the kind of communication that you have with people that you consider your equals. Lexa doesn’t see herself above the children; through the same language she puts herself on the same level as them, and it is a very personal thing to do because she teaches them all the things that she has had to learn the hard way.
The delivery of the different types of body language, fights and speeches, and physical and emotional guarding, is so essential for the understanding of Lexa’s character, where she comes from and who she is.
Lexa knows what it means to be a Commander; what you will win and lose; what you will take and leave behind; the difference though is that she has learned to intertwine these two components with each other and forms a new context out of it: what it means to be a human.
The other thing is that Lexa loves children. They form the bridge between the violence of the earth and the innocence of life. When Lexa is with them, around them she smiles, she is playful, she is sarcastic. And, if I keep talking about this I will make myself cry because she loves her babies so much.
Alright, this is the part where I really need to fucking concentrate, because this is the part where I will explain why all these Lexa/Clexa scenes are not just there for fan-service or because of the City of Light (lmao), but because we get a special insight look into Lexa’s common every day life in Polis and how her life would look like if she weren’t Commander anymore > hence why we have all this talk about weakness and her legacy:
The thing about Lexa in season 3 is that we experience here from a complete different angle. We see her in various positions, doing different things, alone or with someone. And it completely sets her apart from the season 2 Lexa.
Vulnerability and Emotional Support:
I’m just going to break this down into a few parts so that you can get a better grip on the different levels of vulnerability that Lexa shows throughout the show.
Emotionally 3x03 was a wild ride for Lexa as much as it was for Clarke. Clarke rejects her offer to join her Clan in the beginning of the episode, not only making Lexa worry about her position as the Commander but also even more for Clarke; she wants to protect her. Then we have the scene where she talks to Titus. She is completely honest and open with him calling Clarke “special”, this way stating that she has feelings for her and that’s why she goes such length to offer the Skaikru a seat in her coalition. And then comes the knife scene that represents the turning point of Clarke’s and Lexa’s conflict.
This is the moment where Clarke’s act of repression crumbles. She realizes, and I’m just repeating myself here from one of my previous analysis that you can read here, that deep down she is still in love with Lexa. Over the course of the three months that she has spent alone in the forest Clarke has mastered to repress her feelings, build metaphorical walls that are able to block feelings that could burst out from within her and block feelings that could influence from the outside. And whenever there was a moment where she felt that someone was too close to break that wall, her physical instincts signaled her about the danger and she was able to do something about it. With Lexa though it doesn’t work, because she knows Lexa and Lexa knows her. They understand each other, even if she doesn’t want to admit it to herself. Clarke stops out of love.
For Lexa it is just the same. As I’ve written here, Lexa’s mask falls off of her face once she realizes what exactly she has done to Clarke and what she has turned her into. She is also open and raw with her emotions and accepts the fact that she is the reason - “I’m sorry, I never meant to turn you into this”. She acknowledges the fact that Clarke is hurting because of her and that there is little she can do, so she is ready to give Clarke whatever she wants. Let her go back home instead of joining her coalition. Lexa stops out of love, as well.
After that we get a political and romantical joining of these two:
You get the significance of these two scenes. I won’t elaborate them further.
In 3x04 the level of her vulnerability steps up. During this scene Lexa is more on edge than she has ever been before, and it is not because of the fight against Roan, because even if she might die, she has faith in the Next Commander. Her emotions are more directed at Clarke because Lexa cannot handle how Clarke worries about her:
See? She is completely off her game because she is affected by Clarke’s emotions and is overwhelmed by them. When she says “Leave us” she shouts it, when she says “only if I lose” she takes a deep breathe afterwards and then makes quick movements turning away from Clarke and saying things like “I know you’re just trying to help, Clarke, but there is nothing you can do here”, which is true in the sense that Clarke truly cannot do anything in this moment because this is a fight that Lexa needs to win, not Clarke. She is trying to distance herself from Clarke’s emotional outburst and fights so hard with herself to keep her composure. Her voice wavers throughout the tnire scene, it breaks, it sounds raw, almost on the brink of crying. And then everything reaches it’s final stage where Lexa says “I have to do this on my own and you have to let me” - She is asking Clarke to trust her and to not worry about her because she is Lexa, she knows what she is doing. This is a true sign of weakness here. Lexa cannot ignore how Clarke is feeling so she tries her best to lift that unease off of Clarke’s body and convince her that she can handle this. And it works, Lexa actually gets the emotional support she truly needs:
It is, and I’m again just repeating myself from one of my previous analysis, a monumental moment for Lexa, to see Clarke right there, saying “me, too” because she is glad to see Lexa, as much as she is glad to see Clarke - she is not doing it on her own, but they are doing it together, emotionally. It is an appropriate pause from the political context and makes place for the emotional aspect of their relationship. This moment fills Lexa’s entire being with strength, because Clarke is there and puts trust and faith into Lexa.
And then we have the last scene:
The epitome of vulnerability and “I need you.”
Looking at her outfit again, this is Lexa’s way of showing Clarke who she really is under all the armor and war paint and whatnot. There is a lot of skin; throat, shoulders, arms, a bit of her chest, leg(s), feet - these are all body parts that are extremely sensitive and she bares them to Clarke. She has no weapon whatsoever, just wearing a simple dress (I always wondered if she likes dresses). Then we also see her with her hair down. It completely separates her from the Lexa who has her hair pulled back, in braids, that gets her to look more regal. Here she looks more like someone who is about to do something that does not involve war, and that is a very important decision on Lexa’s part because she trusts Clarke enough to show her the side of her that can get easily hurt. She is completely exposed.
On another note, it is nice to know how Lexa looks like when she goes to bed. It’s just another indicator that she wakes up as a normal human being and then, as the day starts, puts herself into the different roles that she represents.
And then we have context: Lexa comes to Clarke door to say thank you. For what exactly? Ah, yes - “Thank you for backing me.”
See, Lexa actually needed Clarke’s phyiscal and emotional presence during the fight. She needed to be sure that Clarke can trust her decision, that she has faith in Lexa as much as Lexa has faith in herself. Yet another key moment in there relationship.
And then we have the upcoming drawing scene:
Okay, first of all - Clarke learned something, or better, she understands something. She knows Lexa just as much as Lexa knows her.
She not only understands that Lexa needs her in an emotional sense, but that she needs Lexa, too. All these scenes that we have of them alone and together, all the scenes where they smile at each other or have emotional outbursts tie to this very specific moment.
The show started with Clarke drawing. She draws the earth, nature, things that she wants to see, touch, experience, wants to be close to. In this scene, this exact moment she actually draws something that she wants and has. She has Lexa, she knows that now. She knows that Lexa feels much the same way about her. That she is looking for that emotional connection as well.
After experiencing Lexa in various kinds of vulnerable states, Clarke can finally see through her and can see who Lexa truly is.
If you look at her drawing you will notice one little thing: her drawing does not include the “Helm of Awe” - the symbol that Lexa wears between her eyes. Lexa is wearing it in this scene, but Clarke leaves it out because she wants to capture the true sense of Lexa’s humanity and nature - a girl who gets to rest from war, even if only for a moment.
And now I can go into the last part.
All this talk about her legacy and weakness and how she is going the wrong direction right now because she leads with her heart and not her head are so misleading in the sense that they are not directing us into a future where Lexa will die, but into a future where we will see Lexa lose her position as a Commander - her reign will come to an end.
Like please, take a moment and look what we get of her:
Lexa and the different states of weak and strong
Lexa is a political mastermind
Lexa is a very good teacher
Lexa sleeps alone in a huge bed
Lexa can be sarcastic as hell
Lexa reads (maybe even draws herself?)
Lexa hopes for a romantic relationship with Clarke
Lexa is extremely patient, in every aspect of her life
Lexa can get hurt, physically and emotionally
AND SO AND SO FORTH. Like, there is so much to her that you people just ignore. I truly cannot believe we watch the same show.
Remember when in 3x03 in Kane said “If Lexa falls, the coalition shatters.” - have you ever thoought about that you can change that sentence that could sound something more like this “The coalition will shatter and Lexa’s time as a Commander will be over”.
I’ve said it in this post and I’m going to say it here again, killing off a character like Lexa will kill a very significant portion of the show. And not because she is part of a f/f ship or anything, but because she is so integral to the storyline and the historical conflict between leadership and philosophy. Seeing Lexa in all these moment, in different states etc. give us an idea of how her life could be like if she doesn’t reign anymore. How human she can be in a dark world like this, and the fact that Clarke and Lexa are forming a romantic relationship right now is just another indicator for the end of her reign and not death. Like, why develop this relationship to this extent when you plan to kill one of them anyway by the end of this season? Why develop a character to this extent when you want to kill her by the end of this season anyway?! Makes no sense.
pixelskylines
ellievsbear
tangentwithtanner
2087
blakekathryn
