Into The Badlands - Fist Like a Bullet - Review

"Fist Like a Bullet" builds upon the premiere by exploring other characters on this ensemble cast. The Widow makes her presence known as a fighter and a strategist, disposing of assassins sent by Ryder with bloody efficiency, while slowly planning and taking her calculated move on Quinn. Unlike the aforementioned baron, who does not have a strong relationship with his son, The Widow and her daughters create a deadly team. Her oldest gets in bed with Ryder to manipulate him and her youngest, Tilda, has no problem climbing on another man's shoulder and snapping his neck.

Re-watching the pilot and now this episode, I have to admit that this show does not live up to the standard of many other AMC shows in terms of the quality of its writing. But for a martial arts thriller, Into The Badlands lives up to expectations and delivers on the action as it should. The drama in between is passable, despite the characters being archetypal. As the series progresses and characters are further explored, I have a feeling this show will only improve.

Csokas continues to deliver as the menacing baron with a drawl, Quinn. In the pilot, his true ruthlessness was kind of boiling underneath the surface, but we got to see it in true colours in this episode when he massacred Veil's parents upon the husband, the town doctor, telling him of his tumor. The position Sunny is in at the beginning of the series creates some compelling inner conflict. Would he rather continue working with this increasingly out of control baron or run off into the badlands with his lover in tow and the wrath of Quinn on his tail.

The always great Stephen Lang makes a brief appearance in this episode as the typical old mentor to Sunny who makes the analogy of his birds - they are set free during the day, but always come back to their cages where they are safe and warm - to Sunny's situation. But that's the quandary, Sunny is caged, and without freedom, is having warmth and safety alone worth it? Daniel Wu portrays this character and his inner turmoil solidly, though not entirely convincingly. Also, in the couple of scenes with Veil, that chemistry and tenderness is not felt. I couldn't care less about his girlfriend and she definitely seems doomed. Her death is what will probably take Sunny to the edge.

The episode also sees more of M.K. who so far is the blandest of all the characters. This could be a major problem down the road considering his importance to the narrative. In 'Fist Like a Bullet,' M.K. comes across Tilda while on the run. She immediately takes a liking to the boy, not realizing he is the one her mother is searching for. Caught between letting M.K. be played by her mother and her growing affection for the boy, Tilda decides to help him escape. All is naught, however, when The Widow walks in on them and decides M.K. will be travelling with the assassins she hired.

The second fight scene sees Sunny taking on the aforementioned army of assassins. There was some good strategy involved on Sunny's part, like turning his back to the wall so he could face his enemies front on without anybody sneaking from behind. It was, overall, a hard hitting sequence, but pretty soon him kicking butt will get repetitive. He will need to face a foe equal to his skills, like the Widow, someone who will make him seem more vulnerable.

'Fist Like a Bullet' builds upon the premiere. It continues to develop this rich world and the various characters in the ensemble. The verdict is still up whether the series will deliver as a whole, but with a solid first two weeks, Into the Badlands remains a recommendable martial arts thriller.

What did you guys think? Leave your comments below!

About the Author - Kollin Lore

Kollin is an entertainment writer and a film and television, in particular genre TV, freak having grown up during the 90s and early 2000s a dedicated fan of Buffy and Angel. Current shows like Person of Interest, Supernatural, Ripper Street, Penny Dreadful, Grimm, The Blacklist, Game of Thrones, and dozens of other shows are currently occupying Kollin’s nightly hours. His reviews for Into the Badlands and The Expanse will be coming this fall!

Recent Reviews (All Reviews)