TV | Into The Badlands | Liked It

There were enough interesting elements here to keep me interested but some of the script was extremely poorly written. For example, the writers want us to know more backstory to some of the characters so they get another character to explain their history to them as if they'd never heard it. That's really dumb and insulting to us, the viewers.

The acting was pretty good, especially Marton Csokas. The rest of the cast isn't bad, they just don't stand out.

The production is excellent, as expected and the world they created is fascinating. Unfortunately, it also feels like a bit of a Shakespeare and Game of Thrones ripoff in that this character is scheming against that character and that's the main plot motivator. Fortunately, there's good subplot or I would have gotten really bored.

I liked the mix of wuxia and a baroque steampunk South. That worked really well, except...only Csokas seems to go whole hog on it and that's a shame.

Hopefully, AMC will have another hit on its hands. This definitely feels, while still worth watching, not fresh. It mixes in lots of Walking Dead in the process, which is no surprise.

One last note; I recently read an article by creators Gough and Millar, who do have previous experience with martial arts-focused television shows and movies like this one, but they spent a majority of the interview badmouthing David Carradine and Kung Fu. It left a really bad taste in my mouth, the level of disrespect was terrible. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt though and assume it was the interviewer's bad writing that caused that to happen.

It cracks me up how many folks I've spoken to who don't understand why this fictional world doesn't have guns. It's literally explained in the first line of the opening scene; they're banned. Don't think that's realistic or possible? They did it in Japan, so there's factual proof that such a thing could occur.

They left the plot open for the second season by only allowing us to really get to know two of the seven barons. That's a good thing.

The soundtrack is a perfect analogy of this show; it isn't bad but it's extremely familiar, almost as if they're using stock music, with the exception of the notable theme music by Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda which is very cool.

I'll watch the next season but I'm not dying to see it.