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Into the Badlands, Thoughts?


Alia of the knife

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Haven't seen the newest episode, but I'm enjoying it for the most part. Some things are kinda questionable, but this isn't the kind of show that I take too seriously so it doesn't bother me too much when some dumb shit happens.

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Gave up after the first episode. While I thought the fight choreography and cinematography was beautifully done it just didn't hold my interest enough and there are too many other shows I'm more interested in to bother.

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Watched the first three eps over the weekend. Loved it. It's certainly not, and is never going to be, of huge cultural significance - it's not aiming to be anything but entertainment, so far as I can see. And yeah, some things could be better: the characters are a little flat so far, with one or two notable exceptions (I'm digging Marton Csokas' performance, even if there's a degree of scenery-chewing going on.) But with at least three well-shot fight scenes per 45 minute episode, some moderately interesting plot hooks, a diverse cast, and decent production values, yeah, I'm a fan.

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I love this show; it's like Bruce Lee meets "Escape from New York."  I also like the whooshing and the gymnastics.  Plus, the leather outfits are wicked cool.  :D

Seriously, I think it's great.  There doesn't seem to be much plot, but the visuals are just fantastic.

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This show is exactly what its supposed to be .... Just fun-as-shit choreographed fight scenes given context with a not-too-serious plot... and its not pretending to be anything else...  it was never intended to be Breaking Bad...

.... and as a side note...If the Widow asked me to commit a major felony, I would.

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...I think it's both dumb and interesting.

This is the exact what I'd describe it.  It's mindless and yet I'm still entertained by it.  I like that it doesn't act pretentious.  It doesn't try to be serious or anything.  Just swoosh swish kick slam swizzle joy.  

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I agree with what seems to be the consensus.  As long as you can turn your brain down a bit the show is very entertaining.  The visuals alone are amazing, the story itself is interesting enough that I'm not bored during non-fight scenes, and the fights themselves are choreographed brilliantly.  I also really like that the show knows what it is, i.e. it knows that people are watching it for the fights, and so therefore the episodes are explicitly structured so that there are a couple really good fights in each one, all of which come organically out of the plot and don't feel forced. This was made abundantly clear the last few weeks when new episodes of this aired right after The Walking Dead, which has been struggling more than ever this season with trying to figure out exactly what kind of show it is.  Seeing a genre show done mostly right immediately following the confused mess that is the current Walking Dead only made me appreciate the approach they're taking with Badlands more.  And Marton Csokas is amazing.  It's one of the most over-the-top performances I've seen in a while, but it just works in the context of the show.  I suspect it's going to be a one-season role, but I'm enjoying the hell out of it while it lasts.

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Watched the first three eps over the weekend. Loved it. It's certainly not, and is never going to be, of huge cultural significance - it's not aiming to be anything but entertainment, so far as I can see. And yeah, some things could be better: the characters are a little flat so far, with one or two notable exceptions (I'm digging Marton Csokas' performance, even if there's a degree of scenery-chewing going on.) But with at least three well-shot fight scenes per 45 minute episode, some moderately interesting plot hooks, a diverse cast, and decent production values, yeah, I'm a fan.

This is what I tend to think too. Love the lush,  southern gothic backdrop and choreography, as well as the hint of magic.

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The metacritic score for this is 54 which is really not very good for a big-budget AMC show.  Yet I find the critical response to this to be baffling.  This show is fucking great if the viewer follows the instructions obviously laid out by the many savvy commentators in this thread.  So why did it get reviewed so harshly? 
 

See it for what it is, and it's great (or at least very good).

ETA:  I guess that part of my point is that I expect professional TV critics to price in stuff like what i just said, so when I see a metacritic score of 54 I'm like "Shit, this must be a bomb" rather than "Fools were expecting Mad Men with throwing stars instead of whiskey" but feeling like the score reflects the latter opinion.  This is not a bomb.  It's really good at what it's going for. 

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I'm rather enjoying it, it's certainly nothing ground breaking, but I'll be damned if it isn't just plain fun. I love the Southern vibe, and I'm interested to see how the rest of the world shapes up. I think my favorite part so far is the different styles that the Barons and their people wear, and how each baron seems to have a theme.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm rather enjoying it, it's certainly nothing ground breaking, but I'll be damned if it isn't just plain fun. I love the Southern vibe, and I'm interested to see how the rest of the world shapes up. I think my favorite part so far is the different styles that the Barons and their people wear, and how each baron seems to have a theme.

And for all the reasons you mentioned, its fun. Southern gothic Chinese culture. :D I do question the Southern accent thought, because when I was in Savannah ten years ago, I was hard-put to hear any accent.

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Your Kung Fu is strong, wanna learn!

And for all the reasons you mentioned, its fun. Southern gothic Chinese culture. :D I do question the Southern accent thought, because when I was in Savannah ten years ago, I was hard-put to hear any accent.

It's just like food hon, Southern Asian fusion, the accents are all on the tongue, the Atlanta accent is not West Virginia proper, it is an understated accent with the r-deletion following a vowel.  Whatever = What-eh-vah you will find it more on the coast and in South Carolina, it's an older accent with British inflections, Father becomes Fah-thiz. It's a lightly dancing whisper on your tongue the vowel in then should sound more like they rather than pen, and you get something like they-en. 'Th' might also be dropped for "f" but with a population from all over the country, TV, peer groups, you name it, the old accents have faded a lot. But you can still get deep rich accents from older generations that are bit removed from the main stream. Tennessee has still got some thick accents still floating around.

So think of it as a nod to the past, like Gone with the winds Vivien Leigh, the accents are getting you to think more about an Era or a history rather than a proper modern dialect. Were you expecting  Kyra Sedgwick in the closer? She messed everyone up, I blame her for your let down.

You can also get the same generic accents at every trailer park in the country, it's the Martini and Rossi of accents but still associated with it's own subculture, often viewed and heard on Jerry Springer.

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I've mostly enjoyed the show, and hope it will return.  (if only to see Quinn's rotten son get what he deserves)

I don't think Sonny is interested in participating in the politics and strategy and one-upmanship and cruelty that Barony seems to entail; he's just been (so far) a fighter who has pledged loyalty to one master and done what he's been told most of the time.  Then of course there was the season finale...But right now, I'd put greater odds on Jade becoming the next Baron (after Quinn) than Sonny; and I don't think she's a martial arts fighter.

I have enjoyed watching Baron Quinn; Martin Csokas has played the role with gusto and a certain flair... 

 

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