Last week we experienced the unsealing of the bunker, the reuniting of Wonkru, and the double-cross by Charmaine that gave them control of the one inhabitable valley on earth. At the end of the episode, we also witnessed the awakening of the prisoners in space from their cryo-sleep, which cast a doubt on the future for Raven and Murphy, and Charmaine unleashed a demonstration of their incredible firepower hitting Octavia with a sonic blast. Of course, Charmaine also tried to finish them all off by launching missiles, but Raven was hacking their systems and prevented the launch.

We’ve come a long way since Clarke and Maddy were enjoying peace in the valley on their own.

Octavia plans to retake the valley

As the latest episode “Shifting Sands” opens, Octavia is amid planning an invasion to traverse the harsh desert on her way to retake the valley from Charmaine. Because the hydro-farm that was feeding the bunker dwellers has a limited supply of food, Octavia is planning to take the shortest route possible, but Clarke tries to warn her of constant sandstorms of glass that could tear them to shreds. Indra tries to counsel caution, but Octavia is not in the listening mood. They even encounter a new problem which is some unknown creatures that bore into the body from the sand in the desert which has infected one of their men.

Back on their ship, Charmaine and her crew are monitoring what is happening and she demands that Shaw regain control of their missiles so that they can hit Octavia’s army before they can reach the valley for an all-out war.

In the valley, Charmaine is disturbed by how unruly her prisoner crew has become and she warns them that things will be changing. She next gives Abby and Kane their first patient, a Hannibal Lector-like serial killer, who they will need to control by a shock collar.

Unlocking the missiles

Charmaine’s crew have retrieved Murphy and Raven from the mothership and McCreary and Shaw are torturing Raven to get her to unlock the missiles.

When torture doesn’t work, they bring in Murphy and threaten to kill him if Raven doesn’t talk. Shaw orders everyone out at gunpoint, saying that he will get Raven to talk. Raven tells Shaw that she doesn’t know how the missiles got locked and Shaw tells them that she doesn’t know because he did it himself but must now unlock them to save Raven. Raven says she has a better plan, but fans do not see what she tells Shaw and Murphy.

Back in the village, Charmaine wants an update from Abby as to the prognosis for the patient. Abby confirms that it is a disease caused by what they had been mining. Charmaine tells her she is a good doctor and has saved herself by proving her usefulness. Kane tries to convince Charmaine that there are many useful people from the bunker, but Charmaine tells him that they are coming as an army to kill her.

She asks Kaine sarcastically if she should invite them for tea. Kane responds by asking her, “I don’t know, do the murderers and thieves you’re with now like tea?”

McCreary interrupts their conversation telling Charmaine that he is going to kill Shaw who could be helping Raven. They hear on the radio that Murphy has escaped. Charmaine rushes to Shaw and Raven and Shaw tells them that he let Murphy go to get Raven to unlock the missiles. He also left a shock collar on Murphy that will allow them to track them to the space crew and Maddy hiding in the valley. Is this part of Raven's plan? Time will tell.

Murphy finds the others and tells them that they need to warn Bellamy about the missiles. They also realize that the collar will allow them to be tracked so Murphy stays behind and Emori decides to stay with him.

That's love.

Back with the invasion force, one of the sand creatures gets into Octavia and Clarke must cut it out before it reproduces. At the same time, they get word about the missiles and are told that they are being tracked from the mothership, so need to hide. They go into the sandstorm to avoid the missile that has been launched. The blast kills many and Indra is wounded, possibly by the sandstorm itself. The next morning the storm is over, and Octavia is ordering them to leave the dead as they can’t wait to get hit again.

A possible thaw in Charmaine

Abby and Kane are separated, and Abby is left to start treating McCreary while Kane is taken to Charmaine for some Tequila and discussion.

Charmaine knows that Octavia’s army huddled around her in a sandstorm to protect her and asks Kane if he thinks her people would do the same for her? He thinks not and is working on convincing Charmaine to welcome them in instead of trying to kill them.

The rover reaches Octavia and Wonkru and Clarke and Maddi are reunited. The closing scene is Octavia glaring at Echo who races to embrace Bellamy. Relationships are going to get dicey in the coming episodes.
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