Thanks to Ivan for the heads up.
“At the core of the series is really–it becomes a journey of spiritual enlightenment,” Gough continued. “I think this six-episode season is about Sunny waking up. At the beginning he’s very much part of the power structure and literally enforces it. So in a way he’s this incredibly powerful person but he’s sort of dead inside.”
Quinn watches the fight from nearby, but Sunny appears and runs Quinn through with his sword. According to series co-creator and showrunner Miles Millar, attacking Quinn is Sunny finally waking up.
“[Sunny’s] almost been brainwashed by this incredible man, this charismatic man that he’s seen as a father figure since he was a boy,” Millar told TheWrap. “In the finale, he’s able to run him through with a blade, which is his liberation. Unfortunately, he then gets his ass kicked and taken prisoner.”
Quinn watches the fight from nearby, but Sunny appears and runs Quinn through with his sword. According to series co-creator and showrunner Miles Millar, attacking Quinn is Sunny finally waking up.
“[Sunny’s] almost been brainwashed by this incredible man, this charismatic man that he’s seen as a father figure since he was a boy,” Millar told TheWrap. “In the finale, he’s able to run him through with a blade, which is his liberation. Unfortunately, he then gets his ass kicked and taken prisoner.”
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After seeing the season finale, I think the first question on every viewers mind is, “Have you guys heard word about a Season 2 renewal for Into the Badlands?
Al Gough: We haven't gotten anything official yet. We know that the network is obviously very happy with the show and how it's performing, but we haven't gotten official word of a pickup.
Going into season one, what were some of the major themes that you wanted to explore? The difference between nature and the ability to choose your own destiny seems to be a big one. I was wondering what you think viewers might take away from the show concerning that them.
Miles Millar: That's very accurate in terms of the theme. Plus, a guiding theme through the show is weakness and strength. It's also about physical, emotional, and spiritual enslavement and breaking free of those all.
Al Gough: Yeah, your nature versus your ability to change. In this first season, it's really Sunny kind of waking up to the world he's in. He's sort of been indoctrinated into this world at a very young age. He's very much part of the power structure, and actually helps enforce the power structure. He's been sort of under Quinn's thrall for most of his life. This season is really about his sort of awakening. It happens through, not only his relationship with Veil, he finds out he's going to be a father, and that's something that's forbidden for him. Also with M.K., because it's a serious boy with some serious power who may have a link to his past. I think you see, certainly when he gets to the end of the season, he sees Quinn for what he is, and puts a sword through him and tells him he's going to be in a last tattoo.
I think its Sunny trying to change. Then the question is, which Waldo brings up very early on, “Can you escape who you are?” I think that's always going to be Sunny's dilemma, which is even if he's physically trying to leave the Badlands, can he ever actually escape who he is? That's one of the big scenes of the series. It's sort of this idea of spiritual enlightenment, and can you change. The change isn't going to come from this sort of changing your logistics, it's really sort of an awakening inside yourself. I think that's something that you could begin to see Sunny waking up to in this season. By the end of it, because of that, he's been stripped of everything. His title, his rank, he's lost the people he cares about. He's practically beaten to a pulp. Now that all of those sort of outside signs of strength have been stripped away, what does that mean?
In a way, it's like as he becomes stronger in spirit, but to the outside world it looks like he's been weakened. I think that's something that will follow him. All the characters go through that. What's their internal strength versus their external strength? You'd look at someone like Veil. She's pregnant, she's a doctor. She certainly didn't use any martial arts or demonstrate any fighting skills in this season. Doesn't mean she doesn't necessarily have them, but she doesn't seem to. She seems sort of vulnerable, but she's actually very strong. At the end of the season, when she basically offers Tilda a way out that could potentially kill The Widow, you see that there's a darkness and a corruption in the Badlands that gets to everybody at a certain point. How do you sort of fight that?
Al Gough: We haven't gotten anything official yet. We know that the network is obviously very happy with the show and how it's performing, but we haven't gotten official word of a pickup.
Going into season one, what were some of the major themes that you wanted to explore? The difference between nature and the ability to choose your own destiny seems to be a big one. I was wondering what you think viewers might take away from the show concerning that them.
Miles Millar: That's very accurate in terms of the theme. Plus, a guiding theme through the show is weakness and strength. It's also about physical, emotional, and spiritual enslavement and breaking free of those all.
Al Gough: Yeah, your nature versus your ability to change. In this first season, it's really Sunny kind of waking up to the world he's in. He's sort of been indoctrinated into this world at a very young age. He's very much part of the power structure, and actually helps enforce the power structure. He's been sort of under Quinn's thrall for most of his life. This season is really about his sort of awakening. It happens through, not only his relationship with Veil, he finds out he's going to be a father, and that's something that's forbidden for him. Also with M.K., because it's a serious boy with some serious power who may have a link to his past. I think you see, certainly when he gets to the end of the season, he sees Quinn for what he is, and puts a sword through him and tells him he's going to be in a last tattoo.
I think its Sunny trying to change. Then the question is, which Waldo brings up very early on, “Can you escape who you are?” I think that's always going to be Sunny's dilemma, which is even if he's physically trying to leave the Badlands, can he ever actually escape who he is? That's one of the big scenes of the series. It's sort of this idea of spiritual enlightenment, and can you change. The change isn't going to come from this sort of changing your logistics, it's really sort of an awakening inside yourself. I think that's something that you could begin to see Sunny waking up to in this season. By the end of it, because of that, he's been stripped of everything. His title, his rank, he's lost the people he cares about. He's practically beaten to a pulp. Now that all of those sort of outside signs of strength have been stripped away, what does that mean?
In a way, it's like as he becomes stronger in spirit, but to the outside world it looks like he's been weakened. I think that's something that will follow him. All the characters go through that. What's their internal strength versus their external strength? You'd look at someone like Veil. She's pregnant, she's a doctor. She certainly didn't use any martial arts or demonstrate any fighting skills in this season. Doesn't mean she doesn't necessarily have them, but she doesn't seem to. She seems sort of vulnerable, but she's actually very strong. At the end of the season, when she basically offers Tilda a way out that could potentially kill The Widow, you see that there's a darkness and a corruption in the Badlands that gets to everybody at a certain point. How do you sort of fight that?
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