Twilight's Last Gleaming

"'I was scared to take a chance on you.'"~Rayleigh Griffin about Bellamy Blake

Summary
When Raven Reyes arrives on Earth with grave news, it's a race against time as the 100 come up with a plan to signal the Ark, letting them know they're alive. One new romance is threatened, while another one sparks to life.

Plot
Rayleigh's awoken in the drop ship by Jasper and is dragged outside by him and Monty, They point to the sky where a something is burning as it reenters Earth's atmosphere. Rayleigh believe's it's a cargo pod and Monty asks if it might have a radio. Bellamy pulls Rayleigh into a nearby tent and they discuss where the pod could've landed. Octavia enters the tent and explains that everyone's ready to leave. Bellamy says they'll move out at sunrise. Octavia leaves to spread the word. Rayleigh moves to leave saying she'll pack her gear, but Bellamy rebuffs her by telling her she's not going. Rayleigh tells Bellamy she knows he's hiding something, namely the real reason he wants the Ark to think the 100 are dead and she'll see him at dawn.

Rayleigh relays what she just discussed with Bellamy to Monty and Jasper, as she changes in front of them. Rayleigh tells them that while she's gone, she wants Monty and Jasper to organize the contents of the medical duffle she brought back the previous day. Clarke and Finn arrive at camp and enter the drop ship, and Jasper tells them what Rayleigh relayed. Getting a suspicious feeling, Rayleigh goes to look for Bellamy in his tent and finds Roma, who tells her Bellamy already left a while ago. Rayleigh realizes Bellamy went after the radio in the drop ship and takes off after him with Clarke and Finn following. Finn tells Rayleigh that it's not her fault that Bellamy snuck out. Rayleigh huffs saying she revealed to Bellamy that she didn't trust him.

After making it to the ridge, Finn, Clarke and Rayleigh split up. Rayleigh and Clarke find the pod and open the door, revealing an injured Raven Reyes. Raven then steps onto the ground for the first time, twirling in amazement and asking if it's raining. Rayleigh nods with a smile on her face and Clarke welcomes Raven to earth. Finn arrives and calls out to her. Raven runs up to him and they reunite and kiss passionately, much to Clarke's surprise and Rayleigh notes they "really knew each other". Finn asks Raven how she got to earth and she tells him how she rebuilt the pod. Raven starts to feel light-headed and Rayleigh and Clarke come over to assist with her head injury. Finn introduces Rayleigh and Clarke to Raven and Raven tells them how it was all Abby's doing. She then tells them about the planned culling and how they need to alert the Ark that the delinquents are alive. They discover the missing radio and Rayleigh tells Clarke, Finn and Raven they need to find Bellamy. Before they leave, Raven gives Rayleigh a black medical bag that Abby gave to her to bring down. Rayleigh mutters a thank you before leaving in search of Bellamy.

Rayleigh catches up to Bellamy in the woods and orders him to tell her where the radio is. She tells him about the culling and how they are getting ready to kill 300 people for oxygen. Clarke, Finn and Raven arrive and Raven tells him that they have been looking everywhere on the Ark for him. Bellamy tells her to shut up as Clarke asks why. Raven tells them how Bellamy shot Jaha and Rayleigh realizes that is the reason why he took the wristbands. Raven demands to know where her radio is and Bellamy tells her he should have killed her when he had the chance. Raven challenges him to do it and he shoves her up against a tree as she pulls a knife on him and asks again where her radio is. Bellamy lets her go and tells them Jaha deserved to die. Raven tells Bellamy he was a lousy shot and that Jaha is not dead. Rayleigh tells Bellamy this means he is not a murderer; he was just protecting his sister. Now it is time to protect 300 people and give them back the radio. Bellamy tells her it is too late and he tossed it in the river.

Several delinquents searching for the missing radio in the river. Bellamy is sitting on the shore with Rayleigh standing beside him. The two have a small conversation that further implies they knew each other on the Ark. Just then, Jones finds the radio. Raven tells them it will take at least a half day to dry it out to see what is broken. Clarke yells at Bellamy for what he did and that 300 people will die because of him. Raven interrupts and tells them they don't actually have to talk to the Ark; they just have to let them know they are alive.

Back at her pod, Raven is organizing the delinquents on stripping her pod for spare parts to create rocket launchers. Clarke asks if they will be able to see the rockets from the Ark and Raven tells her that Abby will be watching for them. Clarke appears less than enthusiastic and Rayleigh admits to Raven that it's complicated. At their camp, the delinquents are setting up the launchers for the flares. They begin lighting off the rockets and watch as they go soaring into the evening sky.

Clarke and Rayleigh share a sisterly moment when Clarke lays her head on Rayleigh's shoulder as they both watch the flares. Rayleigh wrapped her arm around Clarke's shoulders and kissed her temple like a loving big sister. Clarke wonders if they can wish on the flares as a shooting star, to which Rayleigh replies she'd like to think so. Bellamy stands on the other side of Rayleigh, brushing his hand against the one at her side. Rayleigh glanced in his direction and interlocked their fingers, her's caressing his knuckles. Bellamy asks Clarke if she thinks the Ark will be able to see the rockets. Rayleigh tells him she doesn't know, but hopes so. Bellamy squeezed her hand and moved closer, and whispers in her ear, referencing their earlier conversation. Rayleigh realized that was the first time Bellamy called her by her name since landing and was watching him as he was watching the flares.

Cast

 * Claire Holt as Rayleigh Griffin
 * Eliza Taylor as Clarke Griffin
 * Thomas McDonell as Finn Collins
 * Marie Avgeropoulos as Octavia Blake
 * Bob Morley as Bellamy Blake
 * Christopher Larkin as Monty Green
 * Devon Bostick as Jasper Jordan
 * Lindsey Morgan as Raven Reyes

Quotes
~Rayleigh confronts Bellamy about his motives. ~Raven's first words to Rayleigh ~Rayleigh's statement after seeing Raven and Finn kiss ~Bellamy and Rayleigh's conversation by the shore. ~Clarke and Rayleigh's sister moment as they watch the flares. ~The first time in the series Bellamy calls Rayleigh by her name.
 * Rayleigh: "I can tell you're hiding something, probably the real reason you wanted the Ark to think we're dead."
 * Bellamy: "What, you think you're a shrink now too?"
 * Rayleigh: "No, I'm just good at picking up when people are lying. And you Bellamy Blake, are. I'll see you at dawn."
 * Raven: "Hi. I made it?"
 * Rayleigh: "Guess they really knew each other."
 * Rayleigh: "Whatever happened to that Cadet who always did everything by the book? Who would go out of his way to make sure a med intern would get to the mess hall on time for dinner, and then walk her back to her quarters before curfew. I found him great company. Hell, I miss him."
 * Bellamy: "His mother got floated and his sister was locked up. On top of loosing his family, he lost his job as a Cadet and was demoted to a janitor. Guess we're both different people than we were over a year ago, huh Princess?"
 * Rayleigh: "Don't use that tone, my life wasn't exactly easy. My father was the one who initially found the flaw in the oxygen system. He was going to tell everyone, despite the council's wishes. My mother turned him in, and my sister and I were arrested as accomplices and thrown into solitary. My first love made me hate him so I wouldn't hate the only family I had left."
 * Bellamy: "Guess love isn't all it's cracked up to be. You regret ever telling him?"
 * Rayleigh: "I wasn't the one who told him. Clarke did. I was working in the med bay. Honestly, I wanted to talk to you about it. Ask for your advice. I would've trusted you with the secret. Bellamy, I needed to talk to you."
 * Bellamy: "Well, you should've thought about that before choosing the Prince over me."
 * Rayleigh: "That is not what happened. Bellamy, I never meant to hurt you.The truth is, I...Truth is I was scared to take a chance on you."
 * Clarke: "Can you wish on this kind of shooting star?"
 * Rayleigh: "I'd like to think so."
 * Bellamy: "You think they can see it from up there?" Bellamy asked.
 * Rayleigh: "I don't know. I hope so."
 * Bellamy: "I would've kept your secret, Rayleigh."

Body Count

 * 320 Sky People volunteers in The Culling (off screen)
 * Unknown number of Grounders killed by Delinquents' flares (mentioned in "Unity Day").

Notes and Trivia

 * The title of this episode is a reference to the 1977 movie Twilight's Last Gleaming.
 * This episode has the most deaths of the season thus far.
 * The conversation between Bellamy Blake and Rayleigh Griffin by the shore further hints they knew each other on the Ark.

Relationships

 * Clarke finds out about Finn's girlfriend, Raven Reyes.
 * Finn and Raven are revealed to be in a relationship.
 * Rayleigh admits out loud she was afraid to take a chance on Bellamy back on the Ark.
 * While watching the flares, Bellamy and Rayleigh hold hands, and Bellamy refers to Rayleigh by her actual name (he's referred to her solely as Princess prior to this episode).
 * The episode ends with Rayleigh staring at Bellamy as he's watching the flares. The lighting gives it an almost romantic glow.