Three weeks after fans objected to the death of a lesbian character on “The 100,” showrunner Jason Rothenberg has broken his silence and apologized for the way things went down.
“Despite my reasons, I still write and produce television for the real world where negative and hurtful tropes exist,” he wrote on Medium. “And I am very sorry for not recognizing this as fully as I should have. Knowing everything I know now, Lexa’s death would have played out differently.”
Fans reacted strongly when Lexa (Alycia Debnam-Carey), the lesbian commander of the Grounders and the love interest of main character Clarke (Eliza Taylor), was killed by a stray bullet meant for Clarke.
Rothenberg retreated into silence on social media in the days and weeks following the episode, while a large sector of the show’s LGBT fanbase channeled their anger and social media power into collecting more than $45,000 — and counting — for the anti-discrimination Trevor Project.
Rothenberg also defended his story choices, saying, “The things that divide us as global citizens today don’t matter in this show. And that’s the beauty of science-fiction. We can make a point without preaching. We can say that race, sexuality, gender and disability should not divide us. We can elevate our thinking and take you on a helluva ride at the same time.”
“The 100” returns with new episodes on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on The CW. The show has been renewed for a fourth season.