Question about the dark year

[u/cryptic-weirdo]

So I've watched the show a few times and idk if I just didn't pick up on it or they just didn't disclose this. Were they only cannibals for a year? Why only one year? What changed to make them stop being cannibals or did they just continue eating the people from the fighting pits? Was there a negative consequence to the cannibalism like others going insane besides Octavia clearly going mad?

[u/TheBlackRose312]

From what I remember, I'm pretty sure something happened with their crops they were growing in the bunker for protein, and they needed time to recultivate their source of protein, and so they replaced it with human meat. Once the crops were viable, they went back to eating the plants for protein.

[u/cryptic-weirdo → u/TheBlackRose312]

Yeah that part makes sense, I just kinda wish they expanded a bit more on their lives in the bunker I guess. Because I'm sure some people would be more inclined to continue with cannibalism and seeing that argument would've been interesting. Also I would've liked Octavias descent to be more in depth.

[u/TheBlackRose312 → u/cryptic-weirdo]

Yeah, I agree, I honestly would not have minded a season focusing on everyone's lives during the like six years everyone was apart. Having the episodes focus on the different groups and how they all dealt with it.

[u/Jesuscan23 → u/TheBlackRose312]

Yes I would watch a spin-off based on the dark year in the bunker. That's what I love about the 100, there could be so many different spin-offs. I'd love a spin-off focused on earth shortly before the nuclear apocalypse and after the apocalypse showing how things were after the bombs and how the grounder communities were formed. Heck they could even do a spin-off focused on Eligius missions. There's countless spin-offs they could do, i would absolutely love if they did one.

[u/NoobTube92 → u/Jesuscan23]

They were going to do a spin off of when the bombs went off, the episode "anaconda" was the pilot for it.

[u/1maginary_Friend]

They kept the fighting pit in operation even after the dark year. When residents broke the rules they’d fight to the death and eat the loser.

This was multi-factor problem solving. It kept people in line. It provided a food source. It reduced the number of people. And it eliminated the need to have a space to store corpses. They only called the first year that they started the practice “the dark year” because people were truly starving.

[u/ReganX]

Yes, it was one year. Their protein crop was infected by a blight and it would take a year to regrow plants from healthy seeds.

[u/Objective_Ice_2346]

I don’t think the crop quality was the problem, I think it stopped producing enough for everyone, and it got to so little production they needed another source of food to get them by… until there weren’t as many people to feed.

[u/EfficiencyAmazing880]

No offense but how didn't you get the reasons they only engaged in cannibalism for a year even tho u claim to have watched the show a couple of times?

[u/cryptic-weirdo → u/EfficiencyAmazing880]

I understand why they resorted to cannibalism, what I don't get is the fact they every single one of them just suddenly stopped being cannibals cause the issue was resolved?

Edit they say it only lasted a year but I feel like at a years mark they could've covered more of the recovery from cannibalism since I'm sure that not everyone would've willingly gone back.

[u/crunchycrunch246 → u/cryptic-weirdo]

Why wouldn't they go back, I assuming because of the taste, regardless of the food source I think it was just a protien jelly thing they ate, so not sure if people would have cared that much to try and not go back to plant.