Why The 100 Killed Off Lincoln In Season 3 - Screen Rant

Summary

• Ricky Whittle left The 100 due to conflicts with showrunner Jason Rothenberg, leading to Lincoln's exit in season 3.
• Whittle endured mistreatment from Rothenberg, prompting him to choose the role of Shadow Moon in American Gods.
• Despite a toxic workplace on The 100, Whittle's departure ultimately allowed him for a fulfilling career shift.

After being a regular character, Lincoln, The 100's Trikru warrior, was killed off in season 3 because actor Ricky Whittle refused to continue working with showrunner Jason Rothenberg. Coming shortly after the controversial death of Lexa (Alycia Debnam-Carey), Lincoln's exit cemented The 100 season 3 as being one of its more controversial and least-liked chapters. Lincoln entered a relationship with The 100's Octavia Blake (Marie Avgeropoulos) in season 1, elevating him to an important part of the cast in season 2. At least, that’s what was supposed to happen until personal conflicts got in the way.

Ricky Whittle left The 100 because he found it impossible to work with showrunner Jason Rothenberg. In an interview, Whittle said that “Rothenberg abused his position to make [Whittle's] job untenable,” and that he “chose to belittle [Whittle]," neglecting both the character and the performer (via AfterBuzz TV). Whittle never goes into the specifics of his disagreements with Rothenberg, but it’s clear that there was a fundamental issue between the two of them that led to Lincoln’s The 100 storyline being trimmed down, ultimately leading to his exit from the show in season 3.

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Whittle Left Due To Serious Issues With One of The 100 Writers

The Lincoln Actor Had Irreconcilable Differences With Jason Rothenberg

Despite having issues with Rothenberg, Ricky Whittle seemed to have no real problem with anyone else on the show. He even encouraged audiences to keep watching after he stopped playing Lincoln to support the rest of the cast and crew of The 100. The issue was just with Rothenberg, and was evident enough that other writers on the show confirmed their awareness of Rothenberg’s bullying of Whittle and the deliberate reduction of Lincoln’s role. Whittle had even tried to leave the show during the second season but never specified exactly what happened that kept him on board through season 3.

Ricky Whittle didn’t leave The 100 because of getting the American Gods role.

Lincoln’s part in The 100 being cut down meant that Whittle left to play Shadow Moon in Starz’s American Gods series. After seeing how much Lincoln’s role was reduced, CW president Mark Pedowitz and Warner Television Group president Peter Roth gave Whittle permission to audition for American Gods, a role that he ultimately won.

Notably, Ricky Whittle didn’t leave The 100 because of getting the American Gods role. Instead, he got the role after deciding that he was leaving Lincoln, The 100, and everything else behind. It may not have been officially planned for Lincoln to die in The 100 season 3, but as often happens with TV shows, real life can end up writing the plot.

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Why Whittle's American Gods Casting Was The Better Option Despite Its Cancelation

Shadow Moon Allowed The 100 Star To Showcase His Abilities

Whittle's time on American Gods was also cut short due to the show's cancelation by Starz in 2021, but his skillful inhabitation of the Shadow Moon role solidified why leaving The 100 was the best option for the actor. For one, Whittle was honored with a Saturn Award for his performance on the show before American Gods season 3 ending, which shows the extent to which he excelled at the part.

But more importantly, Whittle was able to leave a toxic workplace and still have a fulfilling career on his own merit afterward – an inspiring example to set for his ample fanbase. Although the actor hasn't taken on any further roles since American Gods' cancelation, the project seemed to have helped him move on in a way that staying on The 100 never would have.

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Lincoln Was Written Off In A Somewhat Satisfying Way

Ricky Whittle's Exit Helped Enable Octavia's Arc

The death of Lincoln in The 100 was heartbreaking for viewers, and while the circumstances behind it were troublesome, it did inadvertently help the show. Lincoln's death was tragic but heroic. While he could have escaped with Octavia and Kane, he instead gave himself over to Pike in exchange for sparing the lives of the remaining prisoners. It would have been an incredibly satisfying arc even if it wasn't purely because of Ricky Whittle's behind-the-scenes treatment and his exit from the show because of them. What's more, it ended up being a key moment for Octavia.

While Ricky Whittle's exit from the show was bemoaned by the fanbase at the time, it did inadvertantly help push future seasons of The 100 to be even better.

Lincoln's final words to Octavia, spoken in Trigedasleng, further highlighted her connection to the Grounders, being the first of the Sky People to learn the language. What's more, seeing how Lincoln sacrificed himself arguably pushed Octavia to become the heroic and selfless leader she became in season 4 (even if she did eventually become much more ruthless after Cooper's coup). Even then, though, the trauma of witnessing Lincoln's death could have been a factor in Octavia becoming the Red Queen. It's an event that kickstarted a morally complex arc for an equally morally complex character.

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Had Lincoln remained in The 100, Octavia's story would have been far more difficult to pull off. She is a tragic character who has known nothing but suffering since her birth, and the execution of Lincoln definitely plays into this. While Ricky Whittle's exit from the show was bemoaned by the fanbase at the time, it did inadvertently help push future seasons of The 100 to be even better.

16 9.1/10 7/10

The 100

10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-14 Sci-Fi Mystery Drama Release Date 2014 - 2020-00-00 Network The CW Showrunner Jason Rothenberg Writers Jason Rothenberg, Mallory Kass

Cast

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• Devon Bostick
• Christopher Larkin

Seasons 7 Powered by

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