Marie Avgeropoulos Promises an Envelope-Pushing Season Two of ‘The 100’

Marie Avgeropoulos The 100 Interview Season 2
Eliza Taylor as Clarke, Bob Morley as Bellamy, and Marie Avgeropoulos as Octavia in ‘The 100’ (Photo by Cate Camero © 2014 The CW Network)

Marie Avgeropoulos (‘Octavia’) had to make her way around the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con on crutches, but fortunately she was in much better shape while chatting about The CW’s The 100 at the 2014 Comic-Con. Avgeropoulos was glad to be promoting the series now that audiences have actually had a chance to see the entire first season, and she promises big things are in store for The 100 over the course of its second season.

Marie Avgeropoulos The 100 Interview

What can you tell us about season two?

Marie Avgeropoulos: “Season two, oh my goodness. It’s much darker and it will push the envelope and shock viewers even more than season one did. What you think is happening is the complete opposite and you’re going to meet a whole new group of people that survived – or not – the radiation and the effects of radiation on the populace. And it also has the adults that came down, so you’re going to see how we had to interact with this newfound Earth. You’re going to see them do the same in their own way as well, so there’s lots going on.”

Do you think the tone changes a lot in season two?

Marie Avgeropoulos: “I mean, I feel like the tone in season one changed because it took us a few episodes to get our footing, to find out really who we were as a show. I guess we got significantly dirtier and more beat down. Our nails get nastier and our characters’ physical appearance just changed a lot too over the course of season one. We’re only three episodes in to season two right now. We’re filming right now so it’s hard to say, but it’s gonna be good. You won’t be disappointed.”

Are you comfortable in your character at this point?

Marie Avgeropoulos: “Yeah. It’s sort of like when you turn the key in a car and put it in drive, it’s just you’re in it. It’ll do its thing.”

How far into season two will we find out what happened to your brother?

Marie Avgeropoulos: “It’s hard not to give anything away because we have things we’re not allowed to talk about. I mean, look. There was a battle going on. Octavia saving her brother’s life is the last thing we saw. She can no longer fight the fight with her injuries and she and her brother say that last prayer to each other, ‘May we meet again,’ and they’re not sure. That’s why that departure was so heartbreaking for both of them, because they really didn’t think this could be it. We were the only siblings. Maybe this is it for us. You’ll have to tune in to find out.”

Is it weird to go to work to get dirty? Is it invigorating?

Marie Avgeropoulos: “It’s only weird when after work you pull into a gas station and you hand someone your credit card and they look at your fingernails or something, and you don’t even want to bring it up. In your head, you’re like, ‘They think I’m homeless.’ It doesn’t come out either and you just leave it there, so you’ve got to go do it the next day. It’s paint, it’s not real. Sometimes it is, but our characters definitely go through a lot of physical changes.”

Is Octavia Lincoln’s girl or is some of her heart with Jasper?

Marie Avgeropoulos: “I mean, I think Jasper is just desperately trying to get out of the friend zone. The Lincoln and Octavia story is so much more dynamic only because Octavia knows what it’s like to be wrongfully accused because her crime was just being born. He saved her life. She could’ve been the one getting speared, and she’s just trying to let everybody know, so she felt like it was her responsibility because she knows what it’s like to be wrongfully accused. He saved her life, so the only thing I can do now that’s morally, if anyone had half a head, would be to do the same for him. So they’re constantly making really epic sacrifices for each other.”

How physically demanding is season two?

Marie Avgeropoulos: “Yeah, it’s a really physically demanding show. My whole left leg has a ton of makeup on it because I’m covered in bruises from the stunts I just did on the other leg. They are related, because I can’t walk, remember? Yeah, lots of tripping, lots of falling. Always is, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is what I like to do.”

Did the physical training of season one pay off and did you keep it up for season two?

Marie Avgeropoulos: “Yeah, we have to keep our bodies in shape to do the stuff that we have to do. It’s always been a really physically demanding show and there’s always a ton of stunts. Right now I’m training with a sword, so I’m taking classes in swordsmanship and it’s wonderful. I’ve never done that before. I’ll try anything once. The show steps it up.”

What’s it like to work with a sword?

Marie Avgeropoulos: “It’s really hard to be fluid. It’s harder than it looks to be fluid with a sword. Lincoln’s supposed to be teaching her how to do this, so when I whip it out of the sheath I have to make it look believable.”

Is she becoming more of a grounder?

Marie Avgeropoulos: “Octavia is headed towards definitely morphing into a grounder. You’re going to see what the grounders, the real grounders, have to say about that, the more they accept her with what’s going on. Of course her people are going to have opinions about that as well.”

How’s Comic-Con going?

Marie Avgeropoulos: “I’m enjoying it so much more than last year for a couple of reasons. Last year the show hadn’t premiered yet so it was difficult trying to sell this idea of we’re going to give you some amazing piece of content when it hadn’t even aired yet. So that’s nice, the overwhelming response from the fans. People are really invested in all of our characters which is nice. We got nominated for an Emmy, which is wonderful. It’s had a great premiere, so we’re all really happy and thankful for that. Last year I was here on crutches so walking is nice!”