Into the Badlands Recap: Everything You Need To Know For Season 2

A mysterious boy with a powerful secret forces clipper Sunny to question his allegiance in Season 1 of “Into The Badlands”

In a world where war has ravaged the world and society has returned to feudalism, seven male and female barons rule the badlands.  Each reigns over a sought after commodity and maintains a tenuous peace with the others through trade and the use of Clippers, highly trained soldiers who look after the interests of their barons.  Sunny is the regent, or head clipper, for Quinn, whose poppy fields supply the raw materials to make opium.  When he comes across a group of nomads who have killed off all but one of the young cogs (slaves) of his baron, he sets off a chain of events that will lead to the ultimate betrayal.

With the discovery that the young man, named M.K., was sought after by rival baron The Widow, Sunny initially brings him into Quinn’s fort.  While back home, he learns from his lover Veil that she is pregnant, which is punishable by death should it be discovered.  Still reeling from the news, he later helps M.K. escape, only to have him cross paths with The Widow’s daughter Tilda.  She later discovers M.K.’s secret, but helps him keep it even in the face of her mother’s scrutiny.  After an attack on Sunny and Ryder, Quinn’s son, M.K. comes back to the fort to train as a colt so that he can help Sunny escape with Veil and their baby.  

Unfortunately, Quinn wants revenge on The Widow for harming his son, leading to a battle that costs him many of his clippers.  He later sends Sunny to help recruit an ally, but when it goes sideways Sunny makes up his mind to leave the badlands.  He enlists the help of his friend Waldo, who helps him gain an audience with the River King to request safe passage.  Before his plan can be put into place, however, Quinn becomes convinced that Sunny is a traitor and imprisons him.  M.K. makes a deal to save his life and Tilda’s by joining Quinn’s ranks in attacking The Widow, but Sunny escapes with Waldo’s help and goes after him.  

When the air has cleared and the battle is complete, Quinn is dead at Sunny’s hand and the Widow has escaped.  M.K. is later kidnapped by three monks who share his dark power, while Sunny is captured by the River King, who plans to sell him to the highest bidder.

The Major Players

Sunny (Daniel Wu) – Regent, or head clipper, for Baron Quinn, who was found as an orphan and raised in The Fort.  His immense skill as a fighter and swordsman has given him a deadly reputation, but he still strives to do the right thing.

M.K. (Aramis Knight) – a young man who was separated from his mother and captured by the Nomads for The Widow.  His mind and body play host to a dark energy that is both powerful and deadly, resulting in both The Widow and Quinn wanting to use him for their own devices.

Quinn (Marton Csokas) – a former clipper who forcibly took his baronship, he is now struggling to maintain power admist a terminal illness that is threatening to tear down everything he has worked hard to build.

Lydia (Orla Brady) – Quinn’s first wife, she is equally harsh in his criticism as passionate in her support of both Quinn and her son Ryder.  

Jade (Sara Bolger) – Quinn’s soon-to-be second wife, who has risen from the ranks of a cog and will do whatever she must to stay there

The Widow (Emily Beecham) – previously known as Minerva, she is rumored to have killed her baron husband and succeeded him.  She is an extremely skilled swordsman and fighter in her own right.

Ryder (Oliver Stark) – Quinn’s son by Lydia, he has a huge chip on his shoulders and betrays his father in an attempt to overthrow him as Baron.

Tilda (Ally Ioannides) – The Widow’s daughter and trained assassin, she befriends and later falls for M.K. and tries to help him.

Veil (Madeleine Mantock) – Sunny’s lover and soon-to-be mother of his child.  She is the doctor for The Fort.

The Pieces on the Chess Board

Jacobee (Edi Gathegi) – a Baron who forms an alliance initially with Quinn against The Widow. He later throws him over for Ryder.

Zypher (Ellen Hollman) – regent for Baron Jacobee, she shares some sort of history with Sunny

Waldo (Stephen Lang) – a wheelchair-bound former regent who trained Sunny and later M.K..  He eventually betrays Quinn after encouraging Sunny to escape out of the badlands while he can.

Bale (Benjamin Papac) – another Colt who befriends M.K., promising to watch his back.  He later attempts to kill Tilda to advance himself, but is killed by the dark energy within M.K.

Angelica (Teressa Liane) – a prostitute who is also a loyal spy for The Widow.

River King (Lance E. Nichols) – imports goods and cogs up and down the river through the badlands

Penrith (Lance Henriksen) – Lydia’s father and leading priest

Coming Back For Round Two

Sunny – now a captive of the River King, he must find and fight his way back to the badlands in order to save both Veil and M.K. before it’s too late.

M.K. – taken to an unknown temple by mysterious monks who share his dark gifts.  Only time will tell if they will train him to harness his power, or be yet another group trying to use him for their own benefit.

The Widow – having narrowly escaped her face-off with Quinn and Sunny, she must reassert her power and defeat her foes if she is to achieve peace for her girls.

Ryder – with his father finally dead, we can only assume he will take power.  However, will his deal with The Widow come back to bite him?

Veil – we don’t know if she will find out what happened to Sunny, but if anyone finds out whose baby she is carrying, she will no doubt be in danger.

Tilda – still unsure whether to believe her mother truly has her best interests at heart, we will likely see her make a decision and choose a side.

Jade – Now that Quinn is dead and Ryder has succeeded him, will she find a way to weasel herself back into his bed and his heart?

Lydia – having returned to her father and the religion she grew up in, will news of Quinn’s death bring her back to The Fort?

Waldo – having been revealed as the traitor, what will become of him?  Has he also escaped from the Badlands?  Will he swear new allegiance to Ryder?

Rest In Peace (Or Is It Pieces?)

Quinn – it was only a matter of time between his brain tumor and his son’s betrayal, but he managed to make it until the very end of the season

Jacobee – it was his deal with Ryder that ultimately was his undoing, and he was killed by M.K. at Quinn’s bidding

Zypher – we didn’t get to know too much about this clipper, but we weren’t too devastated when she died as well.  That’s what you get for betraying Sunny!

Bale – Never get between a guy and his crush – that’s the deadly lesson he learned when he tried to kill Tilda in front of M.K.

The New Faces

Bajie (Nick Frost) – described as a schemer with questionable morals and always looking for a new score.  He joins up with Sunny as his unlikely ally

Rojas (Ivo Canelas) – one of the other surviving Barons

Hassan (Alan Wai) – another of the five surviving Barons

The Engineer (Stephen Walters) – we don’t know much about him yet, but could he be someone Sunny meets on the River King’s ship?

Mother (Elif Knight) – M.K.’s mother, although we do not know when she will make an appearance or if it will be a flashback rather than in reality

What’s Next:

AMC released the official Season 2 Synopsis on the show’s website, and it states that

Into the Badlands Season 2 finds Sunny (Daniel Wu) and M.K. (Aramis Knight) separated and scattered to the wind, each imprisoned in unlikely places.  While M.K. struggles to control his powers, Sunny is determined to fight his way back into the Badlands to find his family or die trying.  On their journey, Clipper and Colt are assisted by mysterious, new allies whose motivations may be anything but pure.  Meanwhile, The Widow (Emily Beecham) continues to consolidate power against the other Barons, while a dark and mysterious threat prepares to exact revenge on them all.  Alliances are struck, friendships betrayed, and by season’s end, Sunny and M.K.’s lives will be forever altered with devastating consequences.

So tell us, are you ready to join Sunny in his quest to get back with his family?  Perhaps you’re standing with The Widow in her quest to take over the Badlands?  Or maybe…just maybe you’re hoping to learn a few tricks to tame the darkness with you, just like M.K.?  No matter what, tune in with us to find out what happens next?

Into the Badlands premieres SUNDAY, MARCH 19TH, 2017 at 10/9C on AMC