Into the Badlands Ep. 202 – Force of Eagle’s Claw
After the surprise reveal at the end of last week’s episode when Marton Czokas pulled a Mark Hamill in Episode VII all the players are back on stage. The Baron’s appearance means that all bets are off where the power structure of the Badlands is concerned. It’s good to see Quinn picking up the pieces of his shattered kingdom. Revenge is obviously in his plans but how Veil and her son factor into the equation remains a mystery. His chilling scene with Veil not only reaffirms his spot as head big bad on the show but also highlights how creepy he can be.
Force of Eagle’s Claw gets off to a bloody good start as Sunny and Bajie are forced to fight for their lives before escaping the Bordeaux Mines. The fight is pretty entertaining and is reminisent of something Jackie Chan or Samo Hung would have done. Their prison break leads them into the wilderness where their obvious differences become even more pronounced. With nothing in common save the chain that binds them, as time passes it becomes clear that they need each other more than they realize.
Waldo and Tilda have heart to heart and the old man has some wise words for the young regent. He reminds her that they are at war and her rash actions at the end of the previous episode could come back to bite her. Waldo advises her to keep her emotions in check before they get the best of her and he throws out Sunny’s fate as a cautionary tale for her to ponder.
The prodigal daughter’s return appears to be a successful one with Lydia’s re-entry into her father’s good graces. The good lady has apparently found religion and is the happiest she’s been in quite some time. Being the wife of a Baron isn’t all its cracked up to be it seems. Unfortunately reality comes knocking at her door and her years living under Quinn has equipped her with skills and a sense of survival that run counter to her father’s moral code.
Now under the Master’s tutelage, M.K. begins a journey toward self-discovery. It’s a rocky road he travels as past memories are uncovered that leave him shaken. The Master attempts to teach M.K. to reign in his dark side and to take full control of his powers. The theme of growth and coming of age also touches Ryder. Still a few shoe sizes below his father he’s unwilling to see his own shortcomings. Too fast too soon means he’s not ready and with the Widow bleeding his resources dry the pressure begins to mount. It’ll be interesting to see if the parallels between M.K. and Ryder continue as they inch toward their destinies.
