“Kindness is a gift men use to get what they want” – The Widow
As Into The Badlands winds down its premiere season it seems as though the show is doing its best to make viewers crave for more. Snake Creeps Down was an outstanding joyride with several twists and turns, cringe worthy injuries, pulse pounding fights and a host of revelations to help set up Season 2.
Last week’s episode, Two Tigers Subdue Dragons turned up the intrigue in the series several notches and it continued again this week. Unexpected alliances, backdoor deals and uncovered secrets have shed new light on many of the show’s characters. What once seemed like strengths may now be perceived as weaknesses and vice versa.
Some of the highlights from Snake Creeps Down included Quinn’s recurring health problems. During his address to the clippers he suffers an attack brought on by his tumor. Unable to continue he asks Jade to finish his speech while he seeks comfort with Lydia. Although he is about to marry Jade he leans on Lydia, his true right hand, to help him recover from the pain.
Ryder begins his diplomatic tour with a visit to Waldo. After reminiscing a bit their chat turns to the pendant Ryder took from M.K. and what side Waldo will be on if there is a power shift in the near future. Waldo’s answer reassures Ryder and is central to how one survives in The Badlands. Neither Ryder nor Waldo are able to fight their way to survival or power, so they must rely on their cunning to get them what they desire.
Lance Henriksen joins the fun as Lydia’s estranged dad. Ryder goes to see him to get more information about the pendent and during the visit more of their family history is revealed including an interesting tidbit about Lydia. Ryder is a man with options. Although he has appeared helpless at times this season he is surrounded by powerful people and may in fact be the epicenter for a shift in who controls The Badlands.
While several characters got to shine in Snake Creeps Down, this episode belonged to Sunny. Daniel Wu’s strong performance displayed the many facets of his character. His status as regent, guardian, lover, and expectant father forces Sunny into a delicate balancing act between his loyalty to Quinn and his own personal desires.
The final highlight of Snake Creeps Down was the Sunny/Widow showdown. It was an epic fight worthy of multiple viewings. The moves and the plethora of weapons used in the seesaw battle belonged in a martial arts feature film and made this fight one of the best of the season so far.
Although it wasn’t, Snake Creeps Down was definitely worthy of a season finale. It had it all: intrigue, revelations, more secrets, a couple of cliffhangers and an incredible battle to finish things off. If tonight’s episode wasn’t the season finale, one can only imagine what they have in store for the audience when the true finale drops next Sunday.
