Into the Badlands 2X03 “Red Sun, Silver Moon” Review

Plans are set in motion and paths are chosen in 2X03 “Red Sun, Silver Moon”

Sunny has always said that he’d find his way back to the Badlands, and this week he began the journey.  Bajie, after admitting that he didn’t actually know a way past the wall, reluctantly follows the clipper on his search.  They encounter an unknown man brandishing a blade on a bridge, but soon realize he’s (at least for now) on their side as he proceeds to help kill some of the bounty hunters after them.  He later takes them to his makeshift home, during which Sunny slyly prods him by telling a story of a legendary clipper nicknamed Silver Moon who escaped the Badlands.  Nathaniel later confirms he is the one mentioned, but there’s something off about his behavior.  Sunny later finds out their host  is not as pure-hearted as he made himself out to be, leading to an epic showdown that leaves the latter missing a hand, courtesy of Bajie.  

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Meanwhile, back at Quinn’s underground fort, the ousted Baron has taken it upon himself to be Henry’s father figure.  While Veil looks on, he reads the baby boy a story about Rumpelstiltskin (foreshadowing, perhaps?).  She then tells him it’s time for his nightly X-Ray to assess his health, developing the film and revealing that his tumors are still in his brain.  She quickly trades it out for a fake one with a clean scan, handing it to Quinn and telling him everything is still fine.  Later, colt Declan is found trying to escape the fort through the south tunnel and dragged in front of the Baron for questioning.  Although fully expecting to be publically executed, Quinn gives the boy a lesson and a second chance, provided he channels his fear into aggression.  When he does, Quinn appears superficially pleased.

The Widow and Waldo are preparing to travel to the conclave, hosted by Ryder and Jade at Jacobee’s old stomping grounds.  Tilda is expecting to go as her mother’s second, but is stunned to discover she’s being left behind to watch over the Sanctuary instead.  When she challenges the decision, Waldo reminds her of her disobedience, and also states that a negotiator who is versed in the barons is a more appropriate escort for this situation.  When The Widow later asks why Waldo has sided with her with no expectations or requests, he admits that after his injury, he began to understand how the cogs lived and sympathized.  

Back at the temple, M.K. is growing increasingly impatient at wanting to go back into the mirror room and find out where his mother is.  The Master insists he is not ready, stating that he puts not only himself in danger but others as well when he continues to fight with himself.  Later, M.K. hears the inhuman screaming again and goes in search of its source, coming across Tate being tortured after trying to escape.  Ava finds M.K. and whisks him away before they are both discovered, but after he asks for her to join him in escaping, she hesitates.  He walks off, leaving us to wonder if Ava will report him to the Master, or if she will ultimately join him.

It seems that this week is all about facing your destiny and still choosing to walk the path you have chosen.  Let’s see how each of the decisions our favorite characters make will alter their future, shall we?

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Nathaniel gives Sunny a look into his potential future, but our favorite clipper decides to blaze his own path

Bajie promised Sunny that the path back to the Badlands would be fraught with danger, and it doesn’t take long for his prediction to come true.  They are quickly confronted by a fierce looking warrior blocking their path across a bridge.  He issues a quick warning and then proceeds to throw his blade at them, only to reveal that he has killed one of the bounty hunters after Sunny and Bajie.  The three of them come together to fight off their attackers before the stranger offers them shelter for the night.  Sunny later deduces that their savior is Nathaniel, otherwise known as Silver Moon, a legendary clipper who left the Badlands for good.  After warning Sunny that he can’t escape his past, Nathaniel faces off against him in an intense fight, leaving him handless while Sunny and Bajie leave to continue their journey.  

Nathaniel: “I made my peace by choosing to live in those moments, by making the taking of a life the highest expression of my skill. There’s honor in it that way.”

Sunny: “Not for me, not anymore. Maybe all I’ve known is killing, but I know that’s not all there is.”

Nathaniel: “That’s because you still believe you can have an ordinary life. Which means, you’re headed for an ugly reckoning, too.”

Sunny: “So that’s it? Just keep killing?”

Nathaniel: “Until I run into someone good enough to kill me. Or someone good enough to be worth that thousandth tattoo.”

Sunny: “Maybe that’s your decision. But I’m not willing to give up my chance of a better life.”

While Nathaniel does share some similarities with Sunny, his assertion that his fellow clipper’s fate will mirror his own is a faulty belief.  Yes, we learn they both want a life outside of being clippers, found love and started a family, but that’s where the similarities end.  During their showdown, Nathaniel reveals that there’s a part of him who has always reveled in the fight and the glory, something that we know Sunny has never desired.  We admit we were quite proud when our clipper defeated the legendary Silver Moon in battle, and those few minutes were some of the best fighting we’ve seen yet.  Nathaniel may want his story to act as a cautionary tale, but it only makes Sunny more determined to find his own way.  This was the kick in the pants that our hero needed, although we worry leaving Nathaniel alive will come back to haunt the duo.

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Veil is playing a very dangerous game, one that we worry will cost her both Henry and her life

We were all distraught when we realized that Veil was responsible for bringing Quinn back from the brink of death, and we had no idea what her motivations were.  No matter what, though, it didn’t take long for Veil to realize she made a mistake, as the ex-Baron quickly deems Henry to be his new heir.  This week, as Quinn continues to insinuate himself into Henry’s life, Veil reveals that she has continued to act as doctor to not only the clippers but also to him.  She is doing nightly X-Rays to check his progress, but we see that she is in fact, monitoring the progression of his brain tumor.  It seems that she has figured out a way to fight back, lying to him about his health and biding her time until she can either escape or Sunny can rescue them.

Quinn: “I should’ve seen Jade for the opportunist she was.”

Veil: “Sorry. I didn’t know.”

Quinn: “Trust is such a delicate thing, Veil, so easily clouded by love, or hate.”

Veil: “I was wondering, um all this training.  What, what is it that your men are preparing for?”

Quinn: “Let’s just say, we all pay for our sins, eventually.  Except for those of us who are still pure, ain’t that right, Henry?”

For someone who has always been more of a lover than a fighter, it was quite a surprising treat to see this new side of Veil.  While she doesn’t do it as directly as Sunny does, our lovely doctor is not about to sit on her laurels and wait to be rescued.  She is harboring two rather large motivators for revenge, her parents’ death and Henry’s safety, and it propels her into doing the one thing a physician should never do – harm her patient.  Madeleine Mantock gives us a beautiful performance as Veil, the fear so convincing in her eyes during her interactions with Quinn (Marton Csokas).  However, she plays fierce mama just as well, protective of the clippers under her care just as much as her own son.  We know she’s getting ready to go on the run, and the wrath she faces from Quinn may be more dangerous than what she might encounter out in the Badlands.

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Waldo shows us his softer side, but still reminds us he’s a killer

While it was revealed at the end of last season that Waldo was in fact the traitor that had been working with The Widow to oust Quinn all along, we didn’t really understand what led him to do so.  This week, after preparing her for the upcoming conclave and agreeing to act as her second, we find out what was in his mind.  The Widow reveals that he has never asked for anything in return for his cooperation in overthrowing Quinn and Jacobee, not even requesting to be made her regent despite his experience.  Waldo responds by telling her that he had a revelation after suffering his injury and no longer being able to walk, and that it was not being able to be useful anymore that he understood the suffering of others under the Barons’ thumbs.  Nonetheless, he is unwilling to accept The Widow’s assertion that he wants equality, and even questions her own intentions.

The Widow: “Why are you doing this?”

Waldo: “I already told you. I know the players, their strengths, their weak…”

The Widow: “You backed me over Quinn. But you never asked for anything. Not even the regency. Why?”

Waldo: “Being Regent It’s not just what I did. It’s who I was. When Quinn retired me, I was one sorry bastard. You bet I’m grateful to be back in the game. I’ll tell you something, life looks different from down here. From this chair. Back when I was standing tall I never bothered to notice all the people living on their knees, all the people whose lives are melancholy little tunes. Those are the ones I’m fighting for.”

The Widow: “That’s why I’m here.”

Waldo: “Is it?”

The Widow: “You questioning my sincerity?”

Waldo: “Power is a pricey doll. You get a taste for it, you keep coming back for more. Somewhere along that road, good intentions, they get lost. You would do well to keep that in mind.”

Waldo (Stephen Lang) and The Widow (Emily Beecham) are not what we would call touchy feely types, so we relish any moment of vulnerability that we see in them.  In the middle of opulent surroundings and a looming threat, two damaged people are stripped bare of their masks to reveal their shared truth.  They have both suffered the pain of being downtrodden, and it lit fires within both of them to seek change in the Badlands.  This revelation is why we appreciate Alfred Gough and Miles Millar inserting this quiet scene before the storm of the conclave.  They show us the similarities and contrast between the two, but also why their superficially unlikely partnership is in fact perfectly matched. The chemistry between Lang and Beecham carries a feel of two kindred spirits, which explains why they both innately trust the other despite their previously oppositional roles.  

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Final Verdict: Into the Badlands 2X03 “Red Sun, Silver Moon” has put everyone on the path to making their own destinies, but we’re worried about the future

We’re barely three episodes into the second season of Into the Badlands, and we’re already acting like worried parents.  “Red Sun, Silver Moon” gave each of our characters a choice, one that would change the direction of their lives for better or worse, and we were biting our nails the entire time.  Gough and Millar teased us with glimpses into what could happen to Sunny, Veil, M.K., and The Widow and left us wondering if these were potential or inevitable futures we were seeing.  We were definitely upset about being left with the cliffhanger of the conclave, but then again, wasn’t that the point?

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Obviously, we have some questions that need to be answered.  What exactly did Ava mean by “cleansing the gift” from the other boy?  How is torture supposed to cleanse the gift?  Has Veil been just using her potions to suppress Quinn’s symptoms, or is what he’s taking making the tumor grow?  Is Quinn really going to let Gabriel live after trying to escape?  Shouldn’t Sunny have killed Nathaniel?  Won’t he turn into one of those people who try to come after him?

To be honest, it was quite hard finding a flaw in this episode.  We suppose if we had to pick something, it would be the slightly strange turn Nathaniel did from being a helpful acquaintance to insistent opponent.  However, that could just be chalked up to him being alone for so long and bitter for everything that’s happened.  As he said himself, he cannot escape what was done to him, so perhaps he was only acting in the only way he knew how.

Of the three episodes we’ve had so far, we would say it’s the strongest in terms of the plot and setup.  While the pilot was very exciting and filled with amazing stunt work and fight scenes, “Red Sun, Silver Moon” did a fantastic job of keeping the characters moving forward and the audience guessing.  We were excited to see Stephen Lang get more screen time, and he made the most of it with his subtle but impactful explanation of why Waldo did what he did.

It’s human nature to wonder if fate chooses you or vice versa, and Into the Badlands asks that exact question in “Red Sun, Silver Moon.”  Each of our favorites faced the potential outcome of their choices and took charge of their lives.  Whether their decisions will turn out to be disasters or fortunes is yet to be seen, but definitely something we’re interested in following.

With the next episode finally promising us the already infamous conclave scenes, it’s not hard to guess what we’re looking forward to.  Of course, we still want to see what or who Sunny and Bajie encounter next, and we hope Ava doesn’t reveal M.K.’s plans to leave and get him into that torture device.  For now, we’re going to go self-soothe and mentally prepare for what’s to come next week!

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If we could look into the future, these would be the questions we’d want answered…

• Will Bajie come through and find a way through the wall?
• Just what were they doing to the boy to “cleanse his gift” in that chair?
• Will M.K. find out where his mother is?  How does his mind know?
• Now that Quinn’s admitted to his mistake with Lydia, will he try to find her?
• Is Veil worsening Quinn’s cancer or just hiding it from him?
• Will Tilda really heed her mother’s request? (We doubt it…)
• Will The Widow try using honey, or just do her usual thing?  We vote for the latter.
• Why did Ryder continue using Jacobee’s emblem?  Is it just because he doesn’t want Quinn’s?
• Does Bajie have family?  Will we learn anything more about him?  For a guy who does so much talking, we know very little…
• Again with The Widow’s ridiculously amazing wardrobe.  Seriously, can someone create a replica shop or something?

Into the Badlands airs next SUNDAY, APRIL 9th, 2017 at 10/9C on AMC