'The 100' actor Sachin Sahel on Ships Alliance's mission: 'People should be able to like what they like'
In May, the final season of 'The 100' will premiere on The CW and for a show that has built up a dedicated fanbase over the years, it tends to attract some harsh arguments from fans, such as who Clarke Griffin (Eliza Taylor) should end up with.
This is what prompted Sachin Sahel — who has played Dr Eric Jackson from Season 1 — to found the Ships Alliance, a campaign of positivity for fans who want to co-exist peacefully in a shared online community. MEA Worldwide (MEAWW) caught up with Sahel to speak about what to expect from the final season. He also spoke to us about Ships Alliance and how it came about.
"The only reason I don't ship anymore is because I've learned to love what there is to love about all ships. The problem in this is that if you make an alliance with a ship, then it means you dislike another ship and I think that it's unfair. People should be able to like what they like and still not hate the other side. I never want to do that to people again because I appreciate all sides and I appreciate all people," Sahel told MEAWW.
He adds that the Alliance will be more active when the final season for 'The 100' starts airing. He says, "It is specifically made for times when people might feel they're not as safe online. Basically, it is about positivity and giving back to positive people. It's just there for when people want to find a safe space they can go to." Sahel also hopes to do something that could help fans feel better, happier and safer.
Sahel believes that it wasn't one catalyst that spurred the creation of Ships Alliance. He says, "It mostly was when things started happening outside the show in real life, that I realized this is not just an internet issue. I thought that it was important that something had to be done."
He continues, "I didn't really know what had to be done, or how to go about it. It kind of created itself as it went along and though input from fans and others. I grew up loving shows and I never had a situation where something I loved would be attacked because I loved it, so I wanted to create a safe space for people to enjoy television the way that I enjoyed television growing up."
Sahel has said the Ships Alliance path after 'The 100' ends is not set in stone; however, he is sure that he will keep the ship steered based on how fans want to go ahead. He said, "I will do the best I can to help out in the ways that they feel are needed."
He added, "It's always going to be evolving, it's always going to be changing. I never want to say this is what we are, this is what we're going to be doing because I think it's important to go with the flow of what's necessary and what's needed at the time for people to feel safe."
He continues, "After the show, who knows? Maybe we'll try to give to more charities, maybe we'll try to do a lot more giveaways. All we are doing right now is just giving away free stuff to people for being positive — that will probably continue."
Season 7 of 'The 100' will premiere on The CW on May 20th.