My though about Mount Weather
First of all, it’s incredibly well written, and as a frenchman i see parallels with french resistance through the last episodes of S2. It’s also very realistic as they are all descendent of the USA, and more importantly, of the US state, which are, and always have been, genocidal supremacists.
The fact that they NEVER tried diplomacy, not with the grounder and not with the skykru is logical given who they are and also their biggest error.
They needed grounder’s blood, as there were frequent leaks of radiation. When the skykru came and they imprisoned them, Cage I wanted to incorporate them into the bloodline to slowly create resistance.
But they did not try that with grounders. I think that’s a big mistake on their part. I don’t think once they discovered grounders they immediately thought of them as savages : they know that they come from the same place, and that they all have been trying to survive since the bombs. Also, i think a lot of their traditions were not as extreme or as installed, as they had few time to develop this culture, which would have then been midway from modern america and what we see in the show. I think they just didn’t get along then, and trying to incorporate grounders would’ve been too difficult for them to do, hence their choice to use their blood. This choice had one great advantage : it’s easy and makes them survive. But it would never allow them to go to the ground for another centuries, as the blood is only a temporary cure. They could not have relied on donation either. But Mount Weather should have abducted women grounder to use as reproductive machines, linking their bloods and effectively create a resistance to radiation. This would be greatly unethical also, but would not deteriorate their relations with the grounders as much as the reapers and blood system did. Eventually, the question of the territory would have appeared, but i think with a little war and their great technology they would have come to an agreement and live side by side. Having made this choice of a perpetual genocidal war was an enormous mistake, and if the skykru came down elsewhere on earth, they would have not survived, as the centuries they needed to adapt combined with the enormous rates of radiation added by primfaya would have never allowed them to go outside, the bunker dying faster than the radiation (like the Ark).
They had a great opportunity when the 100 and then the Ark came down. Culturally and technologically, they were very close and could have formed an alliance against the grounders. Mount Weather could offer shelter, protection, and knowledge of the terrain to the Ark i. exchange for voluntary and controlled bone marrow gifts. They also could threaten them with their missile. I think the skykru would have been very willing to make this deal and both could have developed on a controlled territory they could have imposed control over after a war with the grounders (which i don’t think would be necessarily unethical). They could have formed one people and develop in peace.