'The 100' Season 7 Countdown: Luisa D'Oliveira on Emori's 'wonderful journey' and what's next for Murphy and her
With the final season of 'The 100' being less than a month away, the fever is high. The dystopian sci-fi drama was first based on Kass Morgan's young adult novel of the same name, but even during the first season, the Jason Rothenberg show veered away from its source material to give its audiences a dark, mature take on what a post-apocalyptic world would look like.
Along the way, we meet many interesting characters. One of them — whom we are introduced to in the second season — is Emori (Luisa D'Oliveira), a Nomadic Grounder who was cast out by her people because she was born with a deformed hand from the radiation. Season 2 is also when John Murphy (Richard Harmon) first meets Emori.
Their relationship has undoubtedly been the driving force behind his development through Season 6. Murphy, hands down, is one of the best-written characters on television, though it is Emori's presence that makes it so.
We know for sure that there will be a lot in store for the two characters in Season 7 of 'The 100'. MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) caught up with D'Oliveira, who plays Emori, to talk about the show and her experience working on it.
D'Oliveira, like Sachin Sahel, is excited for fans to see the final season. She said, "I was blown away by the first episode and I think everyone's really going to like it. I like how 'The 100' is able to keep telling fresh stories but keep the same themes."
In Season 6, Murphy and D'Oliveira took things into their own hands to ensure their survival. They even worked with Russell Lightbourne to get mind drives of their own and Murphy's actions led to the death of Abby Griffin (Paige Turco), Clarke's mother.
D'Oliveira said, "I will tell you that the fact that they took on a bit more of an influential role, at times a faux leadership role in Season 6, will have to be dealt with at some point in Season 7. The social structure of Sanctum has been turned upside down and there’s going to be fallout from that."
D'Oliveira also spoke about having a "wonderful journey" while playing Emori. She said, "It's made me think about how much a person can truly change when they want to. She's a clever survivor and she always will be, but we've seen her learn that there are other ways to move through life other than purely self-centered survival."
She continued, "John Murphy has been a huge part of making that happen, and lucky for me, Richard is a brilliant and generous actor, so telling their stories has been a great journey professionally. I think her growth has been two steps forward and one step back, which is how it often is in real life. No road to change is ever really straight. She doesn't always get it right, and I think that's one of the things that makes her relatable.
D'Oliveira hopes fans will take away themes "that have been weaved throughout the show" from the final season. "That life is rarely black and white, being a good leader is very difficult and should be valued, even the best intentions can lead to the wrong actions, that there's life on the other side of pain, forgiveness leads to healing, everyone carries their own burdens, life has room for redemption (and) struggle creates resilience."
She continued, "It's a show of imperfect people trying to do their best, and there's a lot in there we can apply to our own lives."
Working on a show for more than five years will inevitably lead to a lot of memories and for D'Oliveira, it is the difficult days during shooting that have become fond memories. She remembers best "the days in the rain and the cold, the night shoots, the days we were out of time".
She said, "There's something about fighting the clock or the cold that bonds the cast and crew like nothing else, and we had plenty of those. All the little moments feel very previous now. The mornings and music with the cast and hair/makeup team in the trailer. Sharing umbrellas during a downpour (which) happened often. Joking, reading, running lines and waiting with the cast in the sunshine or rain."
D'Oliveira also fondly remembers shooting the scenes in ALIE's lab from the end of Season 4. "Something about those endless white walls made you loopy and a bit hysterical by hour eight," she joked. She also remembers moments from filming when seven fully suited cast members were crammed into a tiny rocket and how Richard gave Emori "gifts" when they were working — like a rock, a leaf or a half-broken stick.
D'Oliveira also adds that other fun moments included Sahel's puns, Lindsey Morgan's energy, Tasya Teles's hugs and the prank wars between Richard Harmon and Lola Flannery. She also fondly spoke about Flannery growing up "in front of our eyes".
She said, "You don’t always realize what something means to you until it comes to an end. I’ve loved my time on this show. It will always hold a special place in my heart."
So, which episode does D'Oliveira think fans should look forward to? Like Sahel, she says, "So many, too many to number. But I will say I've seen the first episode and loved it. It really starts the season with a bang." She also said fans would be excited to see the worldbuilding, politics and all the different relationships in the final season, "and the action of course".
She also adds that both Murphy and Emori are glad that Clarke Griffin is alive and that they all survived the Primes. She said, "After the close calls each of them had with death in Season 6, I think they’d like to avoid that happening again anytime soon if possible."
Right now, like everyone else, D'Oliveira is isolating herself and not working on anything since everything is shut down due to the ongoing paramedic. She also wished for fans to stay healthy and safe.
Follow MEA WorldWide's countdown to the final season of 'The 100' for more. The final season will premiere on May 20 on The CW at 8/7c.
