Levitt is discussing the latest developments on Bardo with one of his coworkers who is currently taking a break from working on a man’s memories in the white room. Levitt takes over for her and the memories come fast and it takes him aback for a second, until he notices something. The scene before him is depicting the moments just before Bellamy’s demise. He slows it down to analyse and he discovers that Bellamy slipped through the anomaly right before the explosion reached him in the room. This is proof that Bellamy is still alive, so now the question is where is he and is he still alive?
He wakes up in a stormy forest scene, still shaken from the explosion he just escaped, but then he sees that he didn’t come alone when one of the Shepherd’s followers attacks him to the ground. Bellamy wins and knocks him out, leaving his unconscious body to explore this new world. This place has tons of cliffs and rocky terrain with many caves to camp in. It’s in a cave that he finds that man who attacked him earlier and despite his heavy religious ramblings, Bellamy insists that they should work together. It’s their best option to survive and get off this planet, but first he helps him with his injuries that he caused. Bellamy tells him to thank a man named Pike for all of his survival knowledge as they spend their first night as new allies. His companion has a ‘Shepherd’s Passport’ in his coat, which Bellamy reads to pass the time as the man sleeps. It dictates their beliefs and philosophies that drive them to follow the Shepherd and it fascinates and baffles Bellamy to no end. To him it doesn’t make any sense and when his companion wakes, he tells him just that. Bellamy tells him that a war doesn’t bring peace, it only brings death and more pain and that is why the Shepherd’s words don’t make any sense, but his companion is not deterred or swayed by Bellamy to think any differently. They discuss these beliefs throughout the episode as they make their way closer and closer to the anomaly.
As they continue to climb to higher ground and closer to their way out, the weather turns volatile. First it’s storms, then it’s intense blizzards forcing them to remain in the cave for months without scaling any closer to the top. There they find a photo of the Shepherd and his family. Further in he sees a light and then he feels a warmth mistaking his companion for having made a fire and investigates the source. There he finds more glowing, misty shapes similar to the anomaly’s signature green glow. His companion calls this the cave of ascent.
Bellamy tells him that his shepherd is a fraud, but he still doesn’t believe Bellamy despite everything he knows. Bellamy tells him that he believes in what he can prove. This is where their difference separate them from the Shepherd’s teachings. Then they run out of rations. They resort to feeding off the bugs that climb the cliffs and caves. Bellamy finally relents and tries to see things from his companion’s perspective and he sits down by the fire and asks him to teach him. They start to recite the Shepherd’s words and it transports Bellamy back to the cave now unthawed and in the presence of Bill, the Shepherd. He leads him to the cave of ascent where Bellamy sees his deceased mother in the flesh. She tells him to follow the light, the light is the way. Then he’s back in the frozen cave, but this time there’s a light coming from the entrance of the cave which has been shrouded in unending storm for the past few months. They walk out and see that the storm has finally broken and they can continue their climb.
His companion slips while climbing, Bellamy immediately grabs the rope to help him up despite his continuing shouts to leave him behind. He refuses to leave him and doesn’t stop until he hoists him back up with him on the cliff edge. They chant the Shepherd’s words through the entire ordeal.
They reach the top and find the anomaly stone, but the portal is down in the clouds requiring a leap of faith to pass through. The Shepherd’s loyal follower and Bellamy’s companion turned friend, makes no hesitation and takes the leap immediately, leaving Bellamy alone with a decision to follow or die alone. His friend told him to believe so he takes the leap, telling himself that he is afraid.
They come through on the other side back in the stone room on Bardo and the Shepherd is there waiting. Bellamy goes over to him and kneels at his feet, showing his devotion and belief in his teachings. Bill tells him that his friends are there but have gotten themselves into a bit of trouble.
Bill comes in interrupting Gabriel’s meal time and Clarke, Echo, and Octavia’s planning. Then Bellamy walks in. Octavia tries to rush him but the guards draw their weapons. Echo asks how this could be as Clarke (having been allowed to approach him) embraces him and informs him of her role as the key and how they don’t know that it’s not possible anymore seeing as how the flame was destroyed. She asks him to say nothing as she lets go and returns to her original spot to address Bill once more. She agrees to help him but before he leaves Bellamy tells him that he needs to know one thing. And that’s that the flame is no longer viable because it’s gone. Clarke doesn’t possess it like she led Bill to believe. Clarke is stunned by Bellamy’s betrayal but that’s all we see. This episode leaves the only leverage Clarke had to save her and her people obliterated by one of her closet friends. Stay tuned for next week’s episode!!
