Into the Badlands 2X07 “Black Heart, White Mountain” Review

There’s no escaping the past when you want a future in 2X07 “Black Heart, White Mountain”

Poor Sunny – he just can’t get a break.  He got sent out to the Outlying Territories and sold into labor, then when he finally escapes he finds out he must get through a barrier that makes the Great Wall of China look like a fence to get back home.  When it finally seemed like things were going his way, he ends up fighting the Abbots and gets put down by one of their attacks.  He is thrown into a strange world in which he is a simple farmer with no marks on his back, sharing his life with Veil and his son Henry.  Unfortunately, threatening events soon begin happening – a Ring-inspired little girl who taunts him, dead pigs marked with crosses and lined up, and Henry getting clipper marks on his back.  Before he knows it, Sunny is facing the multitudes of undead figures from his clipper past.

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After Sunny loses consciousness, M.K. pulls back his clothing to reveal a rather nasty Hand of the Five Poisons over the clipper’s chest.  Bajie is quick to identify it as the five-fingered poison, one of the most deadly attacks in the Abbots’ arsenal.  He agrees that the only way to save Sunny would be to get the cure from the Master, but is equally adamant that he has no intention of going back.  M.K. isn’t going to give up so easily, though, and manages to wrangle the reluctant con man into the car along with Sunny back to the temple.  Once there, Bajie again refuses to go until he hears about the young man’s book and the clipper’s compass to Azra.  The two of them break into the temple, steal the supplies, and even manage to avoid being captured before finally saving Sunny’s life and bringing him back.

Meanwhile, in the Badlands, Jade finds herself on the receiving end of The Widow’s new alliance with Quinn as her lands come under attack.  With her cogs fleeing the scene and her clippers either dead or changed alliances, she makes a desperate attempt to escape.  She is caught before she even makes it out to the tunnels, however, and is confronted by both of her archrivals.  The Widow leaves her at Quinn’s mercy, and after a rather tense exchange, he does something no one expects – he lets her live.  Of course, that mercy only carries so far, because he then reveals he plans on having his men escort her to the borders of the Badlands and letting her fend for herself from there.  Judging by the look on The Widow’s face, it’s not a good fate.  

After weeks of non-stop action and drama, “Black Heart, White Mountain” was unexpectedly quiet.  Still, there was a lot being said even if we didn’t hear many words, so let’s listen closely, shall we?

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Bajie is like a big, mouthy onion…the more layers you peel, the smellier it gets

After the stunning revelation that Bajie (Nick Frost) used to be one of the Abbots, we got a glimpse into just how much his time there affected him.  He knows exactly what Sunny is up against with The Hand of Five Poisons, but when M.K. (Aramis Knight) insists that they find a way to save his life, he still initially refuses.  Bajie looks out for himself, something he proudly announces, but M.K. stubbornly refuses to accept that.  After giving in, they find themselves heading back to the temple, during which the young man asks why he left the Monastery.  Bajie tells him a story about Flea, who was his novice before her actions earned her the needle punishment.  They later retrieve the cure, managing to narrowly escape being recaptured by the Master.  Once Sunny is saved, Bajie reveals that he saved Flea so she could go on the run, promising to find her someday.

Bajie: “How’s he doing?”

M.K.: “I think he’s okay. He’s resting. Bruises are already fading.”

Bajie: “Good. We can soon get back to him belittling my morals and telling me I’m a useless piece of crap.”

M.K.: “You’re not a useless piece of crap. A loud mouth piece of crap maybe, but definitely not useless. Sorry about Flea.”

Bajie: “I’ll find her one day.”

M.K.: “I thought she was-”

Bajie: “Still a pin cushion? No. No, I got her out.”

M.K.: “How?”

Bajie: “Let’s say I found a spiritual loophole. Yeah. I used my gift to bring her back. Why do you think I can’t do that shit anymore?”

M.K.: “What happened to her?”

Bajie: “Well, I freed her from the needle room and, um she ran. She had to run, right there and then. I promised her I’d find her again, but no luck. The Badlands is the only place I haven’t looked.”

We always knew that our man Bajie had more going for him than just the fast-talking con, but a lovesick former Abbot?  We never would have guessed.  We were just as touched by M.K. when we first heard the tale of his brief affair with Flea, but then we had to wonder – is any of it real?  We know, we know, that’s so cynical of us, but considering how often Bajie has pulled the wool over our eyes already, can we be blamed?  If there really is a girl named Flea and if he truly did love her, then we finally understand why Bajie has stuck with Sunny this whole time.  He understands what it feels like to lose someone you care about, the person who represents the life you always wanted.  He, Sunny, and M.K. all share the same goal – to be happy and surrounded by family.  

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Bajie and M.K. escape the temple, but only by employing a rather interesting approach

When M.K. suggested that they return to the Monastery to find the cure for Sunny, we admit we were as reluctant as Bajie.  After seeing what the Abbots did to Ava and Sunny with just three of them, it was clear what would happen should they return.  Still, this is Sunny we’re talking about, and soon the two find themselves scrounging through the Master’s room for the cure.  Bajie finds Sunny’s compass and swipes it secretly, and the two of them exit just in time to come face-to-face with their enemy.  Surrounded by Abbots and novices alike, the duo looks doomed until Bajie makes an unusual suggestion.  He tells M.K. to cut the novices to help them fight the Abbots, and with no other options but to follow his advice, he does exactly that.  Surprisingly, it works exactly as planned, and they escape with the cure and their lives.

Master: “You haven’t changed, Bajie. Still hiding your failings behind jokes.”

Bajie: “Well, I’m just, uh, I’m just trying to lighten the mood, you know?”

Master: “You were once my greatest hope. Instead, you have become my bitterest disappointment.”

Bajie: “I’m sorry. If it helps, I’ve disappointed a lot of people since you, old lady.”

Master: “And you, M.K., I sent three of our best to search for you and Ava.”

M.K. “They found us. Ava’s dead.”

Master: “And so are the others, it would seem. I imagine Bajie had something to do with that. You’d be a fool to trust him, M.K. Bajie only cares about himself. That’s why he left us.”

Bajie: “No, I left when I realized that you were a hypocrite, pretending that you cared. All you wanted to do was control.”

Master: “Take them. You should know that weapon won’t help you.”

M.K.: “She’s lying to you! Ask her about Tate. Go on, ask her.”

Master: “There’s so much you do not know, child. It’s a pity you rejected the chance for me to teach you.”

M.K.: “Have any ideas?”

Bajie: “Cut the novices. They’ll attack the Abbots.”

Okay, someone needs to explain this to us, because we’re confused! From what we have seen so far, the darkness within M.K. and the other novices is not one that can be controlled once it is released.  Bajie himself even confirmed this with his story about Flea, the girl who released her power and destroyed everything and everyone in her path – including those she was trying to help.  So, how did Bajie know that cutting the novices would turn them exclusively against the Abbots?  Wouldn’t they be just as likely to attack the two of them for being the ones that cut them?  Considering that the Master seems equally unsurprised by the turn of events, we must assume she knows the secret too.  There is something we’re missing in this scene, but we can only sit and wait for Al Gough and Miles Millar to reveal this juicy tidbit sometime in the future…    

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It may be the Hand of the Five Poisons, but it’s a prison of Sunny’s own making

We’re not entirely sure what the Hand of the Five Poisons is supposed to do (other than kill you), but for Sunny, it means delving into the darkness of his own fears and insecurities.  He opens his eyes to find that he is a simple farmer, living with his wife Veil and their son Henry.  Although he initially questions what is going on, Sunny (Daniel Wu) quickly loses himself in the illusion, tilling the fields and caring for their livestock.  Hints of his true identity bleed through, with his son wanting to be a fighter, a mysterious girl named Artemis in the woods, and a series of terrifying and unexplained events that begin with dead pigs.  Eventually, even he cannot ignore the strange turn of events, and after Veil is killed presumably by his own son, he follows the little girl into the woods, where he is attacked by his undead victims.

Sunny: “Where are you? Show yourself! Where’s my son? What did you do to him?”

Artemis: “What did I do?”

Sunny: “You made him kill his mother.”

Artemis: “That wasn’t my fault. It’s yours. Do you know why you can’t have the life that you want? This dream? All this time, you’ve been so worried the threat would come from outside, but it’s been inside you all along. And now, it’s in your son.”

Sunny: “Where’s Henry?”

Artemis: “He will become you, and that will be your legacy.”

Sunny: “Stand back.”

Artemis: “Or what? You’ll kill me? You already did, don’t you remember? You killed me and my brother in the same careless sword stroke. We’re nothing but black lines on your back now. Still don’t remember? Maybe this will help.”

People: “Sunny. Sunny. Sunny.”

Artemis: “Recognize them, Sunny? They’re all your victims. You can’t even remember their faces. But yours was the last one they ever saw.”

While we cannot say for sure if Artemis really met her end by Sunny’s blade, we know that’s not what’s important.  In reality, she was a physical reflection of Sunny’s inner demon, the one that tells him his past as a clipper makes him unworthy of ever finding peace or happiness.  It is not unlike the mirror room that M.K. faced, and the results are just as emotionally damaging.  Michael Taylor reflects Sunny’s guilty conscience via Artemis’s attempts to sabotage his perfect life.  Daniel Wu portrayal of a man trying to hang on to what he loves is painful to watch, but also reminds us just how much of a fighter Sunny really is.  He understands that the ultimate faceoff will not be with another person, but with himself.  Bajie and M.K. may have helped his body survive, but what about his mind?  How will this affect his decisions in the future?

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Final Verdict: Fear is the path to the dark side, but “Black Heart, White Mountain” isn’t all doom and gloom

Things slowed down quite a bit for Sunny and the others in 2X07 “Black Heart, White Mountain,” with the clipper facing his most formidable opponent – himself.  Trapped in a nightmarish reality brought on by the  Hand of Five Poisons, he confronted the guilt-ridden reality of his mind – that his reunion with Veil and Henry will only end in bloodshed.  While this in itself is rather depressing, the one thing we were reminded of is that Sunny will fight until the end for what he believes in and those he loves.  As they have done before, Gough and Millar seems to hint to us that while a classic happy ending may not be in his future, Sunny’s dogged determination may just give him one he can live with.  He may not be fearless, but he’s far from the dark side.  For that, we’re grateful.

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The surprises keep coming week after week, with the events of “Black Heart, White Mountain” leaving us with so many questions!  What’s going to happen to Jade?  What does Quinn have up his sleeve?  Will The Widow regret her decision to ally with him once she finds out he’s got a giant tumor in his head?  What about Bajie?  Is he telling the truth about Flea?  Where is she?

We admit that the sequences with Sunny at the farm felt a little disjointed.  While the concept was great, sometimes the transitions between innocent denial and terrified awareness on Sunny’s part wasn’t well balanced.  This meant we weren’t able to totally buy his inability to see that pigs with crosses skinned onto them and lined up in a row wasn’t the result of wolves, or that he wouldn’t recognize Moon’s sword when he saw Henry with it.  Perhaps this was done specifically to create the confusion Sunny also felt, but it didn’t always translate genuinely to us.  

Despite this, “Black Heart, White Mountain” gave us an inside peek into what makes not only our favorite clipper tick, but also the possible motivation behind our chatty con man.  This episode may have been slower paced than what we’re used to, but it also provided us a crucial foundation for what’s to come.  How else are we to understand the decisions that Sunny makes from this point if we do not know where he’s coming from?  Daniel Wu was given a chance to show that he’s more than just a swordsmith, and he proved why he was leading man material.

Now that Bajie and Sunny can bond over one more thing they have in common, we’re hoping that the con man will finally learn to trust someone else.  We realized this week that he was betrayed by the Master and the Abbots when he needed them most, and that explains why he’s so guarded now.  We know they can make quite the formidable team, and that’s what is needed to survive the Badlands.

If Bajie gave up his gift to bring Flea back, then isn’t it possible that M.K. hasn’t actually lost his?  We’d love to see M.K. regain his gifts and learn the truth behind what he saw in the mirror room…after all, Bajie is just the latest person to tell him not to trust everything he sees.  We’re also looking forward to finding Flea, because who wouldn’t want to see a reunion between two smart talkers?!  There’s so many things we hope to see in the remaining few episodes, but we’ll just have to wait to see what is actually revealed…

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Before we face the ghosts in our past, let’s get our questions out of the way!

• Do we think Flea is a real person?  If so, did Bajie bring her gift back as well as her life?
• What really happened between the Master and Bajie?  Seems to us like there’s more story there…
• What is the true purpose of the Monastery?  Why do they collect dark ones?
• We know dream Sunny didn’t remember her, but who is Artemis?  She must have held some sort of significance to the clipper…
• Will Quinn really leave Jade to fend for herself?  Could one of the other barons rescue her?
• When will the other barons find out about Quinn’s tumor?  
• What will happen now that Veil is back under Quinn’s custody?  What is Declan going to do with her now?
• What does Bajie want with Sunny’s compass?  Does he know if Azra really exists?
• Do you think The Widow is already regretting her alliance?  Could she be plotting already?
• We know it was short-lived, but wasn’t seeing Sunny, Veil, and Henry as a family so touching?!

Into the Badlands airs next Sunday, May 7th, 2017 at 10/9C on AMC