Into the Badlands, Season 1
Created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar
Aired Sundays at 10pm (ET) on AMC
With The Walking Dead going six seasons strong and counting, AMC, an immensely popular and successful network, clearly has no qualms about getting its hands a little dirty. If there is quality television to be made out of material that would fit right in with good old-fashioned grindhouse motion pictures, AMC is ready and willing to capitalize on it. If the zombie apocalypse is not one’s cup of tea, then perhaps a trip Into the Badlands is. Taking several cues straight out of the old fantastical martial arts adventures that were all the craze in the 1970s, the show, created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, relishes in telling a reasonably large scale action-drama set in a world where severe punishment comes at the tip of a sword or the landing of a bone crunching kick. Martial arts fans who want a lot R-rated fisticuffs can rejoice, as Into the Badlands is here to scratch that itch and them some.
Set in an undefined period in the future, the story transpires some time after a long stretch of warfare that, as wars are wont to do in dystopian futures, destroyed civilization as people in the early 21st century recognize it. Gargantuan portions of land are divided and owned by clans as opposed to states, each clan led by its respective baron. Quinn (Marton Csokas) and Minerva (Emily Beecham), who’s better known as the Widow after assassinating her husband, are bitter rivals, each producing much sought after valuables, poppy harvested for opium in Quinn’s case and oil in the Widow’s. The rule of law is the rule of violence. Clippers are the dominant police force, only that they employ martial arts weaponry as opposed to firearms, outlawed long ago. Quinn’s highest ranking Clipper, Sunny (Daniel Wu), ponders the impossible: leaving with his forbidden love Veil (Madeleine Mantock), a doctor in Quinn’s district. Their one hope may rest in a wandering teenage boy, M.K. (Aramis Knight) with a bounty on his head, but M.K. is sought after by just about everyone, for not only might he possess knowledge of a peaceful distant land, but harbour within him a power greater than any of the barons can imagine.
As previously stated, one of the show’s calling cards is its love for all things martial arts related, from hand to hand combat to contests with sharp weaponry, and each foot chase requires those involved to demonstrate special physical ingenuity. In a nutshell, as far as the action is concerned, Into the Badlands throws almost everything it can at the audience, never shy to try out new things and push the boundaries. Why would it even consider holding back when veterans such as Stephen Fung and Ku Huen-chiu, the former also serving as executive producer, are operating behind the scenes on the stunts and choreography? From the opening minutes of the premiere, “The Fort”, it is abundantly obvious that a lot care and professionalism has been invested in the high-octane moments, of which, it should be noted, there are plenty.
But bringing brilliant action stunts to life is a beautifully collaborative ambition. Yes, Fung and Ku both deserve applause, but so do the actors involved, many of whom, such as Emily Beecham, had no prior proclivities towards martial arts. The amount of rehearsing and learning was undoubtedly considerable, given that the camera movements and editing style favoured by the season’s two primary directors, David Dobkin and Guy Ferland, forsake easy ways out to hide the actors’ faces. Much of the time, the principal cast members are in fact jumping all over the place, being pulled around by wirework, and swinging swords and axes left and right with deadly precision. Others, namely Daniel Wu, get by much more handily given their previous filmography. The best part, at least to those with stronger stomachs, is that Into the Badlands continuously showcases how brutal the fights are. Blood gushes, faces are smashed, and bones are crunched. This is no holds barred material, and the squeamish best run for the hills…or turn to another channel.
Brilliant choreography and action-direction aside, none of the thrills would be worth their salt if the story and characters involved were throwaway cut-outs. It is in this specific respect that Into the Badlands, while not necessarily breaking new ground, is deserving of praise. The world building is very well executed, and with each new episode, said world feels that much more complete. Interestingly enough, some of the details pertaining to this dystopian future resemble those featured in the brilliant Images Comics series Lazarus (a broken society run by families, each with their supreme warrior named Lazarus instead of Clipper). Whether that is coincidence or not is besides the point, for what matters is what a show does with the material, be it wholly original or otherwise. Into the Badlands sports a fascinatingly dangerous world where alliances are tenuous at beast, but exist they must, for each separate territory specializes in producing a select few or singular good. For as much as the barons might detest each other and believe that the grass is always greener on the other side, there is a co-dependence that dictates proceedings. That is, unless someone clues in on the unfathomable powers stored somewhere in M.K.’s psyche.
Best of all, a lot of the cast members are genuinely fun to watch, regardless of whether they are among the more virtuous or the more vile. As Sunny, Daniel Wu finally gets the opportunity to shine on an American show after years of great work in Hong Kong (not that working in the Hong Kong film industry is a bad thing, only that Wu is an American after all!) lending his role just enough nuance and decency to make it easy to root for him. Emily Beecham is deliciously conniving as the Widow, able to turn on a dime. At the other extreme is Marton Csokas, who inhabits Quinn with terrifying delight. Do not fall under the charm of his southern twang, as this is a man hell-bent on ruling with an iron fist. Not everyone is on par, with the weak link of the bunch being young Aramis Knight as M.K.. While not necessarily a green actor, perhaps the inexperience of having an entire saga revolve around him explains some of the stiffness.
True to the spirit of good season finales, episode 6, “Hand of Five Poisons”, presents surprising turn of events that would, one assumes, change some of the rules of the game. Much of what was established in the first episode has either been turned on its head or has veered off in dramatically different direction, to say nothing of the inclusion of an entire new angle to the story involving some characters previously unbeknownst to viewers. What does all of that mean for season 2? The time has begun to speculate…and play the waiting game.