User blog:Thewritersdiary/Bellamy and Clarke: Explained

It's no secret that Bellarke is a common ship. The thing is, there's so much fighting on the web about whose ship is better that no one really takes the time to explain why their ships even exist in the first place. I do ship Bellarke - I want it more than any other ship I've ever wanted before - and this post is going to be about why. This is not about Clexa or anything else; it purely focusses on the relationship between Bellamy and Clarke. It doesn't matter if their relationship is platonic at the moment or if it may always be; this is merely an analysis on why there are so many shippers and the romantic potential that they see.

In all honesty, this blog post is more for my benefit than anyone else because I like to organize my thoughts and I don't know what better environment to do it than the Wikia where users tend to be about 1000 times more polite than most places online. So, here goes.

First of all, their relationship is built off of mutal respect and trust. At least, the roots of their relationship started that way. Okay, so maybe in the first two episodes their relationship was antagonistic, but I think that Bellamy has done enough at this point that no one is going to hold that against him any more. I think that that respect (albeit grudging at first) started in the third episode, when Clarke mercy-killed Atom. At least for Bellamy, anyway. Up until that point, Bellamy believed Clarke was weak and naive, but she proved him wrong and that's been apparent ever since that incident happened with the way he treates her and talks to her: like an equal. Even when he's angry, the respect is still there. As for Clarke, I still believe that she respected him after that incident too, because it showed that Bellamy wasn't a killer and before then she probably didn't know what to think about him. Then, over time, that respect was solidified and we can say that that progression happened somewhere in the episodes before or during "Day Trip" for sure.

As for trust, this is a really huge part of their relationship, any relationship, really. There's a lot of trust there, and you can argue about some of the questionable things that Clarke did in Season 2 but, like I said, the base of their friendship started off of trust, and I think that regardless of the things Clarke has done, Bellamy has been unwavering through it all. Bellamy is probably the number one constant in Clarke's life so far (except for maybe her dad or Wells, who are dead) and I'll explain why I think that. Her mom betrayed her and although Clarke has forgiven her for that, Abby still continues to do some things that I know Clarke wouldn't agree with. They've both done things to undermine the other's authority; both of them. It was obvious that they both disagreed with each other at multiple times. Furthermore, Abby does not understand Clarke, however she may try. She cannot relate with Clarke and that makes it harder for her to be there for her. This is why Abby can't be her constant; she just doesn't understand.

You can say that Finn and Clarke held unwavering loyalty to each other and they trusted each other more than anyone else, but I don't agree with that. Multiple times, Clarke didn't tell Finn about her plans (like getting Bellamy to bring backup at the meeting with Anya against his wishes) or betrayed him in some small way. Finn lied to her, too. They weren't perfect. (Please know that this is not in any way a jab at Flarke shippers. Every relationship has their strengths and their weaknesses, Bellamy and Clarke included.) I believe that Finn's exact words to Clarke in one of these instances was "you didn't have to trust the Grounders, you just had to trust me" or something along those lines. Plus, Finn went ballistic. He snapped; it's natural in their environment and with all the things that they've done. However, it still happened. Finn changed (they all have) and after that their relationship never would have been the same even if Finn hadn't died. Finn wasn't constant in her life, either.

Octavia and Clarke have never seen eye-to-eye with everything; they've lied to each other countless times, went behind each other's back, done things that the other would undoubtedly disagree with. They clash on so many levels. Sure, they have their good moments, but if anyone tries to convince me that Octavia is Clarke's constant, they will fail: utterly and completely. As for Raven, they've clashed many times, too. Raven and Clarke seem to understand each other slightly more than Octavia does, but it's still pretty similar. As for Lexa, she's not Clarke's constant for obvious reasons.

That leaves Bellamy. She trusts him and I think that Bellamy trusts Clarke, too, after everything. There's a reason for this that I think I've figured it out. Bellamy has always been straight with Clarke, even in the first episodes. I can't think of a single time that he lied to her. Even when he was antagonistic and they didn't like each other, at least he was honest. Bellamy became Clarke's confidant, and I think that Clarke was especially the one who Bellamy opened up to; he didn't even do that with Octavia. I guess there's some things you don't share with your little sister, but he shared them with Clarke.

Going along similar lines, Bellamy and Clarke also understand each other. They can relate. They've both fought to protect their people from the beginning and, better yet, did it alongside each other. They made decisions together and they both know what it means to be a leader and that they have to be the ones to make a lot of the hard choices. Through their interactions, they've shared the things that plague them and their guilt: together. They just get each other, on emotional and mental levels. I don't think anyone else understands them the way they do each other. Bellamy and Clarke understand each other in ways that no one else can, just because their experiences aren't the same. Bellamy and Clarke have gone through a lot together and those experiences have led to understanding. The same goes for Clarke and Lexa; they also understand each other in a way that no one else can, but it's different.

One of my favourite things about their relationship is that they allow to show vulnerability in front of each other. This is especially nice to see with Bellamy because he was initially so closed off. Also, usually the male in relationships are played off as tough and unfeeling and the stronger of the two. "The 100" hasn't done this at all with Bellamy and Clarke. How many times has Bellamy cried in front of Clarke? Did that make him weak? Not at all. Did this make Clarke believe he was any lesser than he would be if he hadn't cried? No. In fact, it only strengthened their bond more. They open up to each other, have told each other things that they haven't said to anyone else. Remember "Day Trip", at the tree after Bellamy killed Dax? Bellamy told Clarke what was plaguing him; he didn't tell Octavia, or Miller (can you imagine?) or anyone else that he knew. He told Clarke. He allowed himself to be vulnerable in front of her. Even Clarke had a little moment where she spoke about her mother at this point, too. Another time she showed vulnerability was after Finn died and she told Bellamy that she couldn't bear to lose him, too. I think it takes a lot of trust to put yourself out there in that way.

They also influence each other and learn from the things that the other does. They act as role models for the other person. It's clear how they have affected each other. Bellamy helped Clarke think more rationally when it comes to war and how to make harder choices. She influenced him in the way that he is more caring for others, and forgiving. He doesn't act as impulsively and knows how to let things go. They're beginning to sound more and more like each other as the show goes on. In fact, I think Bellamy is closer to being the person that Clarke was at the beginning of the show than she is, and vice versa.

Bellamy and Clarke are very different, but they are also very similar. They have the same motives, but different ways of achieving them. When working together, they are excellent leaders. Separate, not as much. Basically, they just work better together. This is partly because they learn from each other, but also because they complete each other. Where one has strengths, the other has weaknesses. Where one is lacking in a certain trait, the other is not. They know when to point out that the other is making a mistake and can fix it before it is too late. Some of the best moments on the show stem from the great leadership that the pair have together. Like Bob Morley once said, they compliment each other.

Another favourite part of their relationship for me is that they always forgive each other. That's such an essential part to their relationship. They always manage to look past each other's mistakes and recognize what they need to do to help each other. I think this has to do with their understanding of each other. They've have come to know each other so well that they can recognize what is going through their brains and why they make the choices that they do, no matter how hurt they are by them. Clarke lent Bellamy forgiveness for his past mistakes in "Day Trip". In "Blood Must Have Blood (Part Two)" Bellamy did the same thing for her. And I don't think he was just forgiving her for irradiating the mountain, because he did that too and if that was the only thing he was forgiving her for, it would seem less meaningful because he did the exact same thing as her. I think he was also giving her forgiveness for Finn, for sending him to Mount Weather and basically telling him she didn't care, and for lying to him about TonDC, among other things.

Even when they don't outright say that they forgive each other, it is apparent through their actions or other things they say. Like when they were talking at the campfire, when searching for Finn, and Bellamy told Clarke that closing the drop ship door "had to be done" and Clarke said the same thing to him about sending Finn and Murphy with guns to the Grounder village. It's the little things that go a long way in their relationship. We've seen Bellamy and Clarke hold grudges and yet they never seem to hold grudges against each other. They know how to let things go because they understand each other. Sure, they still argue, but they don't let it get in between them for very long.

A huge reason people ship Bellamy and Clarke is because they love each other. Even if Jason Rothenberg hadn't said this himself, it's obvious. They clearly care a great deal about each other. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people deny that Clarke and Bellamy love each other simply because it isn't romantic. Love isn't solely romantic. Bellamy and Octavia love each other; Clarke loves her mom. Love doesn't need to be romantic. And I've accepted the large likelihood that Bellamy and Clarke's love for each other is purely platonic. That doesn't make it any less special.

Through their experiences and trust and loyalty to each other, they have created a bond. Bellamy and Clarke do love each other and there are many instances to prove this. Like when Clarke ran to Bellamy after figuring out he was alive, and the way that Bellamy hugged her back so tightly. Their talk at the campfire that night; Bellamy's concern over how Clarke was doing after killing Finn. Clarke's realization that "love is weakness" and then continuing on to tell Bellamy she was being weak for caring whether he lived or died. She admitted that she loved him. Does that mean it's romantic? Not necessarily. She still loves him, regardless. And I think their love is a thousand times more powerful through the things they do for each other and their few hugs than it would be if they had just kissed.

Going off of the last point, I believe they have also come to need each other. In an interview, Jason Rothenberg said that they have both realized that they are "indisposable" to each other and went on to explain that they do need each other, although they don't outright say it. I always assumed this from the things that they've done. I think that in many ways, Bellamy is Clarke's refuge. When she hugged him in Episode 5 of Season 2, the look on her face was of pure joy. It's rare that we see that in this show nowadays. And the same goes for Bellamy. He also seemed very happy to see her. And he hugged her back so tightly, like he didn't want to let her go. It makes me happy to see them happy. On the discussions board about the Season 3 trailer I didn't even mention Clarke and Bellamy's hug because it seemed like such a small part of the overall trailer. But I did notice that the only time Clarke even smiled a little bit was when she was in Bellamy's arms and I think that says a lot about their relationship. The tear streaming down Bellamy's cheek showed just how much he had missed her. And some people still manage to believe that their relationship is meaningless when there is so much evidence proving otherwise.

Because of them needing each other, I think that they would do almost anything to protect the other. It was strongly implied that when Bellamy said, "He would do anything for her, to protect her. It just makes sense," in "Remember Me" he was talking about Clarke, although it hasn't been confirmed. Octavia even seemed to interpret it that way with her "look at the thanks he got" and if you rewatch the scene, Bellamy isn't looking at Octavia or Lincoln as he said his line - he was staring in Clarke's direction. Plus, they have saved each other so many times. Like when that delinquent pointed his gun at Clarke in "I Am Become Death" and Bellamy hit him with it (despite being angry with her), when he attacked Dax (unarmed) when he was about to shoot Clarke in "Day Trip", saving her from Anya in "Unity Day", or the time that he knocked the cup he assumed was full of poison out of Clarke's hand in "Remember Me" and then stepped in front of her to protect her from Lexa's guards. There are countless other things he's done to protect her. Bellamy doesn't really allow himself to care about that many people but when he does he is very passionate about protecting them. This was shown with Charlotte and I think that in this sense, Clarke's relationship with Bellamy is very similar to Octavia's. Clarke has also done things to protect Bellamy, although the whole "love is weakness" thing messed that up for a little while.

One of the huge factors that makes people ship Clarke and Bellamy is Bob and Eliza's undeniable chemistry. The actors have seen it, the writers have seen it, and the fans most definitely have. Another pet peeve of mine is when people say that Bellamy and Clarke have zero chemistry. Obviously they do. If they didn't, explain to me why so many people would ship two characters that have had no romantic interactions whatsoever? It's the chemistry working it's magic (among other reasons). So many people naively assume that chemistry has to be romantic to be real. It doesn't. Bob and Eliza have chemistry; that's just a fact. I don't think I would ship Bellamy and Clarke as intensely as I do if they didn't have that chemistry. If it was a different actor or actress in place of either of them, I probably wouldn't ship it. It's just to weird to think about. And for Clexa shippers, I fully recognize that Clarke and Lexa have chemistry, too. It's just a different kind of chemistry. You can't really compare the two ships.

One thing that has always struck me about Bellamy and Clarke is how their relationship is healthy. Neither of them are controlling of the other, they don't abuse each other in any way, nor purposefully try to hurt the other. They support each other, understand, trust and respect each other. Unfortunately, in our day and age the "bad boy" trope is all too common. In fact, it's so common that it's become rare to expect anything else in a romance. This is why the prospect of Bellarke is so refreshing. You can argue all you want, but I will always disagree that Bellamy is a bad boy. He isn't. He may have done many questionable things, but the only time he was ever played off as a bad boy was at the very beginning and he did all those things to protect Octavia. And no, just because someone sleeps with a lot of girls, doesn't make them a bad boy. Can people just let it go?

Anyway, I love Bellarke because I know that if it ever did happen, it would be a healthy relationship. Bellamy and Clarke, I think, are good for each other. Yes, they've done bad things together, but so has everyone on the show. I truly believe that Bellamy and Clarke are both good people in a really, really bad situation. They've been forced to do things they never imagined they would have to, nor would they ever want to. They are facing the aftermath of those things. I think anyone that Bellamy and Clarke would be with would have had to do bad things. Is there any one left on the Earth that we see in "The 100" that hasn't killed or done anything bad? I find that very unlikely. So no, I don't see the bad things that they have both done as a reason that they shouldn't be together. My last point for today is that I think that the person who someone is in love with, they should trust with all of their heart, both people should respect each other, and they should be the one person that they would want to go to to find comfort. They should be willing to make sacrifices for each other and should choose the other person over anyone else. The person that either Bellamy or Clarke are in love with should be willing to do these things for them and be their go-to. Their lover should understand them more than anyone else. The thing about Bellamy and Clarke being with anyone except for each other is that I just don't know who the above would apply to? Who understands Bellamy and Clarke better than they understand each other? Who would be willing to make those sacrifices for them? Who would they go to when they need support if not each other? Who's their go-to? I just don't know any other character on the show (right now at least) that would have that same level of understanding, trust, and devotion. This could change, but it would take time for a relationship like that to develop.

So maybe Bellamy and Clarke's relationship is platonic; maybe it will always be. It's more than likely that it will stay that way forever. Regardless, I think their relationship is one of the most pure and beautiful relationships on television right now, period. I almost don't want it to ever turn romantic because I love their bond right now so much. I wouldn't mind at all if all I got out of the show before it ended was hugs and glances and them protecting and forgiving each other. That's a hell of a lot more meaningful of a relationship than 90% of the romantic relationships in other shows.

And Jason Rothenberg and the other writers can say that none of this was planned and I believe them. At least, I believe that they weren't expecting the massive eruption of shippers at first. Once they saw the positive response, everything going forward was done knowing exactly how the shippers would interpret it, whether it was intended as being romantic or not. The thing about the media is that everything is intentional: everything. Whether they're going to do anything with Bellamy and Clarke's relationship to make it romantic or not, it doesn't matter. What they have done so far was all purposeful. Shipping makes them money. And they're going to keep feeding shippers with hope because a hopeful shipper is a shipper that's going to keep watching: it's that simple. And I've stopped trying to interpret Jason's cryptic tweets. It's not like if Bellarke was going to happen, he'd be advertising it to the world.

It's gotten to the point that I no longer care how their relationship turns out (well, sort of) just so long as they don't ruin the incredible bond that Bellamy and Clarke have right now. If they are friends forever, so be it. If it becomes romantic and they ruin it, that would suck. If it's going to be romantic, I want the slow burn and that's it. Don't let them be together until at the earliest the last three episodes in the last season. Even ending it with a suggestion of romance but never putting it on screen would make me happy. At the end of the day, I just want Bellamy and Clarke to be happy, together or apart.

And please, before you go to the comments, please know that I have no interest whatsoever in discussing whether it is platonic or not with you. I'm not so blinded by my shipper heart to believe that everything I have said above proves that their relationship is romantic so don't twist my words to make it seem that way. And if you don't ship Bellarke, I'm also not interested in debating with you. We both know that no matter what either of us say and how awesome we think our arguments are, neither of us is going to change the other's mind about their ship. I am telling you right now, the only reason I would ever stop shipping Bellarke would be because something happened on the show to make me stop shipping it, not because someone else convinced me otherwise. I know it's the same for other shippers, too.

I respect Clexa shippers. I don't go to the Clarke and Lexa comments section to explain why I think Clexa is stupid. I don't think Clexa is a stupid ship at all. I think its a good ship; I understand that ship. It's just that for reasons I will not list here because I'm not looking for an argument, I don't ship it. Alycia and Eliza have great chemistry, too, just like Bob and Eliza, so don't think that I hate Clexa. Lexa and Clarke both have pretty kickass characters, to be honest.

Not that I'm expecting many negative responses. In my experience most Wikia Contributors have been very polite and respectful. It's mostly the Youtubers or other people online that have no chill. But please know that if there is any negative responses, you can expect the comments section to be disabled.

When I first started shipping Bellarke, I used to be bothered by people insulting the ship. I'm not anymore. "The 100" isn't all about the romance and that's been proven time after time. People who dedicate their time to arguing with people who disagree with them is pathetic. The truth is, it doesn't matter what any of say in the end. The writers will do what they want to do with the story, even if six billion people wanted one ship to happen. It actually makes me feel a bit ashamed to be a Bellarke shipper when I see the tweets that Jason and the rest of the cast and crew get about Bellarke happening. It's embarassing. And it's also embarassing to see Bellarke shipprs harassing Clexa shippers. Don't be that person.

That concludes my blog post. Thanks for reading and have a great day.