Into the Badlands 209 Nightingale Sings No More
*This review contains spoilers!
With only one episode left before next week’s season finale, the various plot threads from this season appear to be coming together in Nightingale Sings No More. Sunny ponders his assault on Quinn’s compound, the Sunny/Widow alliance experiences takes a dramatic turn and Veil’s struggle to free herself and baby Henry from Quinn’s clutches all play out against the upcoming war.
Nightingale Sings No More begins with a flashback from 20 years ago featuring Bajie and the aforementioned Little Flea from last week’s episode. It would appear that Bajie’s former protégé was quite the handful and full of surprises. The revelation that she possessed a book from Azarah, had the dark power of the Abbotts and incredible fighting skills almost seem insignificant once her true name is uttered – Minerva. For those of you who’ve been paying attention over the last few episodes that name should ring more than a bell because it belongs to one of the main players on Into the Badlands. Yes the little girl with M.K.’s powers who’s fate haunts Bajie to this day grows up to be none other than the Widow herself!
This revelation explains why the widow was so interested in M.K. when he first displayed his “gift”. It also sheds some light on Bajie’s reaction when he saw Sunny and the Widow fighting side by side against Baron Chau’s Clippers. The gift, at least as its been depicted so far has been nothing more than a burden for those who possess it. Odessa’s reaction to seeing Tilda with M.K. and her surprising connection to him not only elicits fear but also tests the loyalty of her new relationship.
Loyalty and trust takes a big hit for several parties in Nightingale Sings No More. Quinn’s Trojan horse tactic blows apart any chance of a Sunny/Widow alliance when it’s revealed that the Widow was responsible for Veil and Henry’s current fate. The Widow has been walking a tightrope made of her own delicate webs, bouncing from alliance to alliance and cutting off potential enemies at the knees before they could harm her. Her machinations may have cost her her closest ally and like Quinn she feels the sting of betrayal from a child. Her actions near the end of the episode are harsh and painful to watch and as the screen fades to black we’re left to wonder if we haven’t witnessed the birth of the next big bad in the Into the Badlands universe.
