After last week’s heart-stopping cliffhanger fans were left knowing that Clarke is no longer Clarke but rather Josephine in Clarke’s body, but no one else knows it! What a kicker right? This whole episode was one big masquerade for her and boy did she have fun playing as Clarke.
Remember that woman, Kaylee who overtook Eligius IV back in episode 2? Well, here we find out that she and her family were actually running away when they stole the transport ship. Adding another level of tension, but this time it was from the other side, hinting towards a dissension in the ranks in the Prime’s rule. Unfortunately, after this was addressed, Josephine confronts her too, curious as to why Kaylee was the last thing she saw before she died. So Josephine thought it was only fitting to slash her throat.
Jordan keeps telling Bellamy and Murphy that Delilah is different but they keep laughing it off. He asks her mother but she just shrugs it off saying some weird, delusional stuff. Finding out what happened to Delilah is Jordan’s mission this episode and by the end of it, he is still left searching.
Josephine incorporates herself into Clarke’s group of friends and she even has a thing for Murphy. Yup, you heard that right. Her first act as Clarke was to let Madi finally go to school not knowing that the real Clarke’s hesitation was because of her natblida blood and the possibility of injuring herself and exposing it was too great to risk. Gaia fights with them but it’s hopeless. This only made Josephine more suspicious of these newcomers and intrigued to find out.
Meanwhile, Octavia and Dioyza’s hunt for Xavier proves folly when he entraps them in this quicksand-like grove called crucible and waits. Later asking the same question over and over again, “how many of you have blood alterations?”
Abby and Jackson are seen arguing over and over again, debating on how to save Marcus and Jackson enlists Clarke to talk to her mother because he’s afraid she’ll relapse, especially since she hadn’t slept in two days. Despite the lack of sleep, Abby is still able to notice Clarke using her right hand when she knows her daughter is left-handed. This marks Josephine’s first slip up as Clarke.
Bellamy and the others go back and forth countless times trying to figure out suitable alternatives to their current living situation, reasoning the need for space to house all 400 others still left on Eligius IV.
Bellamy and Murphy go exploring and find their way into the palace. The last place Delilah went before her change in behaviour. They stumble upon the skeleton room that Clarke found last episode as well as a sneaking Jordan. Then Gaia. And then Clarke. Gaia discovers the mark of the flame on the backs of each skull leading them to believe that they were past commanders. They also draw that connection to the flags the Primes use. Jordan finds a hidden room that opens up to the very last place the real Clarke was before Josephine took over: the lab. There they discover video files and some of Delilah’s clothes from the night of the Naming Ritual. Jordan opens a file and they all crowd around and watch as two scientists kill a girl and implant her. Their realisation comes fast and quick. Their hosts are murderers and these sick surgeries are allowing them to live forever. Bellamy apologises to Jordan for not believing him sooner and they decide that they need to leave, the sooner the better. However, Murphy and Clarke don’t agree and want to stay. Gaia rushes to get Madi and Clarke tags along.
Clarke meets with Russel and Simone to update them on the others movements. Their objective is clear. They must know exactly how many nightbloods they have with them. Hoping that there are enough to fix them jumping the succession to bring back their daughter. Murphy exposes Clarke’s Nightblood origins in front of Josephine, explaining how Abby turned her into one rather than being born with it. This could revolutionise the Prime’s way of doing things, easily fixing their issue.
It’s now night time and Dioyza and Octavia are still stuck, with Octavia almost under. They’re arguing until Dioyza puts a gun to Octavia’s head and asks her if she wants to die. Despite pushing the gun closer to her head, Dioyza lets up and tells her that as long as she’s alive, she can turn it around. I never expected Dioyza to be the one to give Octavia a heart to heart but this might be the thing to pull her from the edge. Octavia is about to go under when a flare up in the sky makes Xavier throw them a rope before running off. She tells Dioyza to go and save herself for the baby. Dioyza promises she’ll be back for her. Octavia goes under until the flare dies and then Dioyza is back and pulling an unconscious Octavia out.
Meanwhile, Jordan confronts Delilah and her calming mood and response puts Jordan more on edge. She tells him that Delilah is happy, in the third person as if she’s no longer the girl standing in front of him. Ominous right? Can he get her back?
Jackson tells Abby to eat and they calmly go over ways to save Kane. She tells him that she wants to save him so bad because during Blodreina’s reign, he was the only one who stood up and fought for good. This was a great emotional scene!! I really hope they find a way to save him and fast because they could use a good guy like Marcus right about now.
Bellamy talks to Clarke in one of the grounder dialects and it stumps her. She plays it cool and just asks him to slow it down a bit because she didn’t get it all. This leads him to believe that she isn’t Clarke. They struggle and she stabs him with a syringe, paralysing him. She tells him that her name is Josephine Lightbourne. Clarke then calls Murphy ‘John’ for a second time making him realise that that is not Clarke. He struggles at first, trying to get a grip on the situation before Josephine turns the tables on him and asks if he wants to be immortal. He responds with, “I’m listening.”
And that’s it. Bellamy’s fate is unknown, Xavier is in the wind yet again, Clarke is still gone, and Murphy may be switching sides. A lot happened here and for that The Gospel of Josephine deserves a 9/10. It loses a perfect score because it did get slow in parts. Stay tuned for next week’s recap!
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