Into The Badlands has a lot of expectations from viewers going into it. It may not have intended it, but a lot is riding on the success of this show both for Asian leads on TV but also for martial arts as a mainstream genre for TV. Lucky for us viewers, AMC has managed to deliver a series worth all of that expectation.
Review/Recap
Daniel Wu as Sunny – Into the Badlands _ Season 1, Epsiode 1 – Photo Credit: Patti Perret/AMC
The episode starts out narrated by a character we meet a bit later in the episode, MK played by Aramis Knight (Enders Game). The world is set long after a huge war that left the world in chaos. Guns were abolished. 7 men and women came together and created order, the Barons. The protection they offered soon became servitude and that is the world of Into The Badlands.
The series starts out with us getting to see Sunny, in the badlands fighting off nomads who he believes have been stealing from his Baron’s shipments. Right from the beginning we get our first martial arts fight scene and the choreography did not disappoint. What was great about this first scene is the fact that the quality in the fight scene was far above what even many hollywood productions have given us in recent times. Many grip over the fact that during these scenes they all go after the good guy one person at a time instead of all at once, but you get a little of both here.
Marton Csokas as Quinn – Into the Badlands _ Season 1, Epsiode 3 – Photo Credit: Patti Perret/AMC
Sunny finds out that The Widow was after a boy named MK, whom he takes with him back to the fort. He gives the boy two choices, work the fields or fight and become a clipper. He brings MK to a meeting were all the new recruits (potential Colts) are about to meet the Baron Quinn played by Marton Csokas. Quinn explains to the boys that there is no god in the badlands, only him. He provides them with food, shelter and a ‘family’. He shows off Sunny’s marks indicating the 404 souls he has killed for his baron.
MK is put into the ring to fight with the other boys but ends up creating a scene when another boy grabs his necklace and they start fighting. Sunny breaks it up and seems to know what the symbol on the pendant is but doesn’t say anything and walks away. Sunny heads into town to get additional marks on his back. Sunny finds out from the girl he loves that she is pregnant which is bad news for Sunny. The baron does not allow clippers to have their own families. If she keeps it, Quinn would most certainly kill it and her, not to mention question Sunny’s loyalty.
Aramis Knight as M.K. – Into the Badlands _ Season 1, Epsiode 1 – Photo Credit: Patti Perret/AMC
The boy who started the fight with MK later comes at him at the barracks but something interesting happens. After drawing blood from MK, his eyes suddenly go black and he launches the other boy across the room, then catches a glass shard from the mirror and throws it right into the boy’s eye. Sunny catches all of this as he watches MK pass out afterwards.
Azra, the name of the city that is beyond the badlands, and MKs home. Apparently it is also where Sunny is from but the thing about it is that there are not supposed to be any cities beyond the badlands. At least, that’s what the Barons have led everyone to believe. Sunny heads back to see Veil about the baby but stops short of going in. After heading back he finds himself ambushed by those working for The Widow. After handedly beating all of her guards, she steps out and demands Sunny bring her the boy that she believes is at the fort.
MK who is desperate to get the pendant back, gets caught trying to sneak into the Barons home and take it back. He is sent to the cells and is set to be executed in the morning. In an emotional scene with Sunny where he asks him to find his mother and give her the pendant, Sunny lets him go and helps him escape.
Sunny is seen by the Barons first wife and then Sunny is suddenly called back to the Barons home. Lucky for him it doesn’t appear the wife has said anything, yet. However the Baron wants Sunny to live closer to their home so he can protect him better. However she appeared to know about Azra as well, but how? We have a few theories but we won’t reveal those just yet.
Marton Csokas as Quinn, Oliver Stark as Ryder and Daniel Wu as Sunny – Into the Badlands _ Season 1, Epsiode 1 – Photo Credit: Patti Perret/AMC
Verdict 9/10 – Dystopian martial-art drama with a supernatural twist
Aramis Knight as M.K. and Daniel Wu as Sunny – Into the Badlands _ Season 1, Epsiode 1 – Photo Credit: Patti Perret/AMC
The first episode does exactly what its meant to do, and that is set up the world, the characters and the overarching story. A lot of characters are introduced in the first episode and not all of them are fleshed out right away but I wouldn’t want them to be. The 3 fight scenes, 2 involving Sunny and 1 with MK, were both well executed and fun to watch. The leads in the series played by Daniel Wu (Sunny) and Aramis Knight (MK) both had great chemistry on-screen. What solidified both of their characters for me was that final scene in the dungeons where MK pleads for Sunny to keep a promise to find his mother. The story itself is a bit generic in the premise that brought us to The Badlands, but is unique as we see the unique twist with MK’s powers and the connection between Sunny and MK. Just enough mythology and mystery to keep us itching for more. However we can promise you, next weeks episode ups the game for the story and the characters ten fold.
If you missed either of our interviews with the leads be sure to check them out: Interview With Daniel Wu / Interview with Aramis Knight
