One of the writers said this actually:
I want to address this one because I’m seeing it floating around and I think there are way too many unfounded assumptions here.
They had a good chance of winning? That’s a leap.
Yes, they blew the lock on the door and succeeded in getting it open a crack. Here’s what no one seems to be asking: what’s behind that door? MW had lots of shooters up on that ridge, do you think they have any fewer planted inside that door, ready to mow down anyone who comes through?
We actually wrote a version of the script where the door opened and they had two .50-cals sitting there and they just slaughtered everyone. (It turns out, this is very expensive to produce. Alas.)
Lexa knew that it would be a fight once they got the door open. It was a single entrance through which they’d have to enter. All the MM would have to do is shield themselves reasonably well and make sure they had enough bullets. They’d just be sitting there picking off grounders until every last one was dead. It would have been a killing field. We’re talking about losing hundreds of warriors.
So let’s say, maybe, the grounders use their superior numbers to eventually overwhelm MW’s shooters inside the door. Okay, now they’re inside and they’ve still got a fight ahead of them. They don’t know how many MM there are, what range of weapons they have (though we have seen them use gas, so good luck to the grounders against that), or what their strategy is. Do you trust Cage not to simply execute all the grounder prisoners he no longer needs? I don’t. So then is Lexa doing all this to possibly save no one? That’s a reasonable concern.
Enter Emerson, offering an alternative. Lexa gets all the grounder prisoners back without any of the losses. All she has to do is write off the 44. And Clarke.
And you’re telling me that’s not a good deal?
Lexa is the commander. She has an obligation to do what’s best for her people. Are we really going to say that engaging in a battle where so many will die is better for her people than minimizing her losses?
Like it or not, this is what leaders have to do: they have to make the hard choices. They have to set aside their personal feelings and look at a situation objectively. Hundreds of lives lost to maybe save some of her people vs zero lives lost to save everyone.
Hell, that’s no choice at all. And as Indra said in 214, Lexa’s a great commander because she’s ruthless.
And if you’re wondering about the future, with the MM walking on the ground? If I were Lexa, I’d have my scouts keeping watch and send assassins to off anyone who dared leave MW’s protection. The terms of the deal were to leave the immediate area. There is absolutely nothing stopping her from exterminating them later if she feels that’s in the best interests of her people.
Lexa is choosing to live to fight another day, for all her people. It’s not evil. It’s not pretty. It’s war.