Into the Badlands (TV series)

Background

The series is set roughly five hundred years in the future, after war has left civilization in ruins. Some technology, such as electricity and ground vehicles, survived, but society has abandoned firearms in favor of melee weapons and crossbows. The Badlands, a territory spanning several states between the Rocky Mountains and Mississippi River, is ruled by a feudal system. Barons control land and monopolies on commodities like opium and fuel, trading among themselves to keep peace.

They are served by slaves called cogs and prostitutes known as dolls. Each baron maintains power through an army of highly trained, loyal warriors called clippers, who are forbidden from marrying or having children. A regent captains each clipper force. Outside this hierarchy exist nomads, often bandits who raid trade convoys, and organized clans.

The River King controls water trade and remains neutral in baronial conflicts. The Totemists are an ascetic religious movement living in isolated communities, practicing idol worship. The Widow leads a revolutionary anti-feudal group from her late husband's barony; she is recognized as a baron but not respected by her peers. Little is known of the world beyond the Badlands, though it is implied to be less politically stable yet environmentally sound. The mythical utopian city of Azra is believed to exist outside the Badlands, but most consider it a legend.

Cast and characters

Daniel Wu plays Sunny, regent to the most powerful baron, Quinn, and considered one of the deadliest clippers in the Badlands. He is Veil's lover and father to Henry. Orla Brady portrays Lydia, Quinn's first wife, who becomes the Widow's Viceroy and takes over Quinn's mansion, adopting a horse as her baronial symbol on a green banner. Sarah Bolger plays Jade, Quinn's new wife-to-be, who later marries her stepson Ryder after Quinn's presumed death.

Aramis Knight is M.K., a teenage boy with a dark energy inside him that the Widow wants to harness as a weapon. Emily Beecham plays Minerva, known as the Widow, a brilliant martial artist and the newest baron, whose symbol is a blue-winged butterfly on a light blue banner; her territory produces crude oil. Oliver Stark plays Ryder, Quinn's son and heir, who becomes baron after his father's presumed death and marries Jade. Madeleine Mantock plays Veil, a doctor in a secret relationship with Sunny and mother to Henry.

Ally Ioannides plays Tilda, the Widow's adopted daughter and later her regent, who eventually abandons Minerva's cause to lead a bandit group called Iron Rabbit. Marton Csokas plays Quinn, the preeminent baron and former clipper, whose symbol is an armadillo on a maroon banner; his territory produces opium poppies. Nick Frost plays Bajie, a schemer allied with Sunny. Lorraine Toussaint plays Cressida, high priestess of Pilgrim and his followers. Ella-Rae Smith plays Nix, a member of Pilgrim's followers with the Gift, close to Castor.

Production

AMC’s action-drama “Into the Badlands” was billed as a genre-bending martial arts series loosely inspired by the classic Chinese tale “Journey to the West.” The network ordered six hour-long episodes from AMC Studios, premiering in late 2015. Executive producer Stephen Fung handled action direction alongside veteran Hong Kong choreographer Ku Huen-chiu. The show was renewed for a ten-episode second season that debuted March 19, 2017, followed by a sixteen-episode third season starting April 22, 2018.

Filming for the first season took place in Louisiana, then moved to Ireland, with shoots around Dublin and County Wicklow. On February 9, 2019, AMC announced the series would conclude after season three, airing its final episode on May 9. Actor Sherman Augustus later said a fourth season was planned to delve into the post-apocalyptic lore, and a spin-off was also in the works—set twenty years later, following Sunny’s son Henry and the Widow’s daughter as young adults mentored by Nick Frost’s Bajie—but both projects were scrapped.

Reception

The first season received mixed reviews. Rotten Tomatoes reported a 54% approval rating with an average rating of 4.72/10 based on 39 reviews, with the critical consensus noting unfulfilled potential but praising action sequences for martial arts fans. Metacritic assigned a score of 54 out of 100 based on 29 critics, indicating mixed or average reviews. The second season received positive reviews, with Rotten Tomatoes reporting a 100% approval rating based on 6 reviews.

The third season also received favorable reviews, with an 88% approval based on 8 reviews. Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter gave a generally positive review, calling it a bloody, fun counterpart to The Walking Dead. Maureen Ryan of Variety praised the action scenes as stirringly presented and a test passed with flying colors, noting the series as an homage to Samurai films and Hong Kong action fare, with Daniel Wu up to the task of leading the story.