Into the Badlands (AMC) (1 Viewer)

[Hanson]

Woohoo, finally caught up (the benefits of a 6 episode first season).

The dialog isn't that great and the world building seems slapdash, done more for aesthetics than logic. Some of the acting is... suspect. But...

The show is exciting and beautiful and it doesn't feel like it spinning its wheels. The fight scenes are movie quality, well beyond what we normally get on TV. Very Matrix-y. Enjoying them very much, and I'm not a huge fight scene fan. But these are exceptional.

The Sunny fights are pretty great, but The Widow fight scenes are absolutely epic. Emily Beecham is, like, the greatest. She is the answer to the question that has probably never been asked, which is, "what would it look like if Lauren Holly circa Picket Fences kicked total ass in a Wire Fu movie?"

And she kicks so much ass. That first fight scene of hers in season 1 episode 2 had me hooked. The stairwell fight in the season premiere is insanely good.

Also, Ally Ioannides is magnetic as Tilda, although I can't shake the fact that she looks just like Jared Leto. Like, she's a dead ringer for Jared Leto. From every angle.

It's my new "must watch" show.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I'm glad they pulled the trigger and killed off Ryder.

One of my consistent complaints about Alfred Gough and Miles Millar is that they're a bit too reticent about making big changes to the status quo. They benefited from having Terry Brooks's source material to push them into being bolder on "The Shannara Chronicles" (another deeply flawed but deeply watchable show). I thought it was a mistake to have Marton Csokas's Quinn survive the first season, and I'm glad they didn't drag out Ryder's storyline, when he was so self-evidently ill-equipped to lead. Seeing Sarah Bolger's Jade try to step up into that role is more interesting, since she's got a more strategic mind but some crippling deficiencies. First and foremost, she's going to have to learn how to fight if she wants to be taken seriously in this world.

 

[Hanson]

Into the Badlands looks and feels so much like a comic book brought to life that it's hard to believe it isn't based on an existing property. I mean, this looks like a double page spread from the X-Men or something:

And there are tons of other shots in the show that are strongly evocative of comic books.

The production and costume design is particularly sumptuous this season, and the palette has exploded with the shift to daytime lighting instead of the night and low lit interior shots that predominated a lot of season one. Some of the CGI blood isn't entirely convincing, but the show looks like a reference video to me. The visuals are eye-popping.

Maybe it's because I'm so into the show or maybe the director knows what he's doing, but the entire conclave scene was full of some hair raising tension. I not even quite clear on what was causing such knots in my stomach -- was it because I didn't know who would make it out alive? Was it the cross cutting between the conclave, Quinn's assault, and Veil's attempted escape building on each other? Was it the anticipation of a glorious fight scene? Or was it just because there was so much Widow time? I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but Emily Beecham is, like, a supernova of awesomeness.

That line put such a huge smile on my face and filled me with such giddiness that I had to pause the DVR and collect myself before continuing. She is fucking killing it.

This is a badass show.

 

[Hanson]

A little slower paced this week, a setup episode that only had one Sunny fight scene.

I'm enjoying Nick Frost very much now. For some reason, finding out that his character Bajie is based on Zhu Bajie (Pigsy) from (the 16th century Chinese novel) Journey To the West made me like the character more. I have heard that Badlands is inspired by elements of Journey to the West, and even though I haven't ever read nor seen a movie based on it, the idea that his character is based on some source material makes me happy. Also, he's Pigsy, so that also brings me joy. Again, I have no real idea what that means, I just like it.

The whole "Quinn talking to Ryder's ghost" thing doesn't work for me. Good job by Martin Csokas, but the trope is overdone and it comes off as cheesy.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I knew Ava was doomed pretty much as soon as M.K. started trying to convince her to run off with him, but I was still bummed because Eve Connolly is beautiful and a solid actress in a cast that is wildly uneven.

The reveal that Bajie was gifted like M.K. was an unexpected and rewarding reveal. Nick Frost continues to be a true highlight this season.

For those of us still watching, the show has been renewed for a 16-episode third season:

AMC, April 25, 2017

AMC HEADING DEEPER “INTO THE BADLANDS”

Series Renewed For Expanded 16-Episode Third Season, Returning In 2018​

In Current TV Season, AMC Is Home To Four Of The Top Five Scripted Dramas On Cable​

NEW YORK, NY – April 25, 2017 – AMC today announced that it has renewed the martial arts drama “Into the Badlands,” one of the highest-rated dramas on cable, for an expanded third season of 16 episodes, returning to AMC in 2018.

Midway through its current second season, “Into the Badlands” is averaging 3.6 million viewers per episode, including 2.1 million adults 25-54 in Nielsen Live+3 ratings. In the current television season, the series ranks as the #4 scripted drama on cable and the #4 returning drama, behind “The Walking Dead,” “American Horror Story” and “Fear the Walking Dead.”

“‘Into the Badlands’ looks like nothing else on television, a literal high-wire act attracting passionate and dedicated fans by the millions,” said Charlie Collier, president of AMC, SundanceTV and AMC Studios. “Thanks to series creators and showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar, the terrific cast, led by Daniel Wu, the amazing martial arts team guided by the incomparable Master Dee Dee and fight directors Stephen Fung and Andy Cheng, and everyone else involved who brings this thrill ride to the fans.”

“We are excited and grateful to continue our journey into the Badlands with Charlie, Joel, Susie and all of our friends at AMC,” said Gough and Millar. “We also want to give a big clipper salute to our Irish and Chinese partners! The thought of doing an expanded 16-episode season is both thrilling and exhausting!!”

In the current television season, AMC has four of the top five scripted dramas on cable.

Network Program P25-54
L+3 (000)

AMC WALKING DEAD 9,775
FX AMERICAN HORROR STORY 3,361
AMC FEAR THE WALKING DEAD 3,189
AMC INTO THE BADLANDS 2,123
AMC BETTER CALL SAUL 1,917
Source: Nielsen, ’16-’17 Season to Date (9/19/16 – 4/19/17), L+3, P25-54; excludes repeats, specials, gapped, sustainers, breakouts; Original Scripted Cable Dramas.

From AMC Studios, “Into the Badlands” was created by executive producers/showrunners/writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar and is executive produced by Oscar®-nominated producers Stacey Sher and Michael Shamberg, along with David Dobkin, Stephen Fung, Michael Taylor and Daniel Wu.

“Into the Badlands” airs Sunday nights at 10 p.m. on AMC.

About AMC

AMC is home to some of the most popular and acclaimed programs on television. AMC was the first basic cable network to ever win the Emmy® Award for Outstanding Drama Series with “Mad Men” in 2008, which then went on to win the coveted award four years in a row, before “Breaking Bad” won it in 2013 and 2014. The network’s series “The Walking Dead” is the highest-rated series in cable history and the number one show on television among adults 18-49 for the last five years. AMC’s other current original drama series include “Better Call Saul,” “TURN: Washington’s Spies,” “Halt and Catch Fire,” “Humans,” “Fear the Walking Dead,” “Into the Badlands,” “The Night Manager,” “Preacher,” “The Son” and the forthcoming “The Terror,” “Lodge 49,” “Loaded” and “McMafia.” AMC also explores authentic worlds and discussion with original shows like “Talking Dead,” “Talking With Chris Hardwick,” “The Making of The Mob,” “Comic Book Men,” “Ride with Norman Reedus” and “The American West.” AMC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and its sister networks include IFC, SundanceTV, BBC America and WE tv. AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile.

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Contact:
Jim Maiella
646-273-7911
[email protected] Marnie Black
917-542-6361
[email protected]

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Season 3 Trailer:

Production design, cinematography, and fight choreography look as on point as ever.

Marton Csokas, Oliver Stark, Madeleine Mantock, and Sarah Bolger are not returning. The first three were killed off in the second season. Bolger's character was banished.

Lorraine Toussaint, Ella-Rae Smith, Lewis Tan, and Dean-Charles Chapman have joined the cast as series regulars for Season 3.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Love the show. Am tiring of the widow a bit...

 

[RolandL]

I noticed Daniel Wu and Nick Frost in minor roles in the movie Tomb Raider.