WARNING: The following contains spoilers for "Red Sun Rising," the second episode of The 100 Season 6, out now.
Tensions have run high throughout the first two episodes of Season 6 of The 100. As the characters face the unexpected dangers of the new planet, Alpha, a surprising character overcame his misgivings to step up into a hero role and save the rest of the expedition in the latest episode of The CW's post-apocalyptic series.
As the characters discover that the planet's eclipsed red sun causes them to lose all inhibitions, bringing out their more violent impulses, they quickly disarm themselves and chain each other up so as to not cause harm when they are overcome with uncontrollable urges to kill. However, hearing two of the team from a distance begin to cry out in pain, Clarke Griffin and Bellamy Blake manage to unchain themselves to investigate, leaving behind John Murphy who, unbeknownst to everyone, has hidden a sharp scalpel on his person.
The episode sets up Murphy to be the biggest, most violent wild card, but that proves to be a feint, even after Clarke and Bellamy discover their sarcastic companion has used the scalpel to escape his own chains and recover the assault rifles that had been previously out of reach. Instead, the two biggest dangers under the red sun are Clarke and Bellamy themselves.
As the red sun begins to take a toll on Clarke and Bellamy's psyche, Clarke is overcome with suicidal thoughts and brandishes a knife against herself, while an enraged Bellamy attempts to break in and kill her. Just as the situation is at its most dire, Murphy shows his true colors.
Murphy does endure a paranoid episode due to his exposure to the red sun while armed with the team's guns, but he is able to come to his senses faster than anyone else. To save Clarke, a character he has openly shown contempt for due to her past betrayal in Season 5, Murphy dissuades her from committing suicide, talking her into lowering the knife at her own throat.
With Clarke no longer in immediate danger, Murphy fights the enraged Bellamy by himself, hoping to tranquilize him, though his maddened opponent quickly gains the upper hand and nearly drowns him in a nearby pond before Clarke rescues him, neutralizing all three with a stun grenade.
For the previous five seasons, Murphy has been the smarmy, self-centered figure among the survivors who always prioritizes himself over others and always takes the easy way out whenever it is presented.
While estranged from Clarke, Murphy doesn't hesitate to put himself in harm's way to save her from herself. Over the course of the series, Murphy has show fledgling signs of personal growth and more and more altruistic tendencies. His rescue of Clarke and willingness to face a crazed Bellamy alone are among the most selfless things the longtime cynic has ever done.
However, in the final moments of the episode, Murphy's heroism may have come at a high cost. While the expedition recovers from the effects of the red sun and reunites with a second team from their ship orbiting Alpha, Murphy barely clings to life, a mysterious infection beginning to spread across his body. John Murphy stepped up into the hero role in the latest episode of The 100, though it may ultimately cost him his life.
The 100 airs on the CW for its sixth season on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The series stars Eliza Taylor, Paige Turco, Marie Avgeropoulos, Bob Morley, Henry Ian Cusick, Lindsey Morgan, Richard Harmon and Tasya Teles.