S01.E01: The Fort

[formerlyfreedom]

I hope some posters realize this show is based off of a book...

 

Very loosely, from the sound of it? But great idea for a topic!

[Whimsy]

I liked this. I thought it looked pretty and the fighting was awesome. I have no issue with the no guns thing. I actually find the story kind of interesting. It doesn't hurt that Sonny is incredibly hot. I'm in for the long haul.

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

Should You Let Into The Badlands Cut The Line On Your DVR?
AMC's hoping its fight-filled new drama will be as addictive as...well, poppy-based narcotics, probably. Your editors consider whether to move into The Fort.

[Yolapukka]

I enjoyed the show overall, great fight sequences and a whole lot of pretty. A lot of the world it's set in seems to be unlikely, but that's what the premise is and it works for me overall. As others have mentioned, I'm not so taken out by the lack of guns as the lack of archery.  Also the young regent needs to die sooner than later, his outstandingly bad acting was the worst part of the show and he seems like an important douchebag whose important douchey loyalties are going to be important to the plot, so we're probably going to have to put up with an awful lot of whatever it is that he's doing . Someone needs to whup him upside the head in the hopes that his setting will no longer be stuck on scowl.

 

 

Does anyone know where the show is filmed? It looked like Louisiana to me.

 

 

I think you're right, I'm sure I remember that mansion  and slave quarters from a documentary series I saw about the Mississippi, IIRC it's called the Evergreen Plantation and it was in the part that featured Louisiana.

Edited November 18, 2015 by yuggapukka

[Ronin Jackson]

You are right yuggapukka: http://www.theneworleansadvocate.com/features/movies/13930949-171/into-the-badlands

 

Louisiana is a hot state for film and television production because of their tax incentives... as is Georgia. That's why so many shows take place or are shot there. 

[Sunnydayman]

Thanks Yugga. I toured a nearby plantation last summer (Oak Alley) that maybe be shown in an upcoming episode. I think I saw Sonny riding his motorcycle down a road lined with oak trees on both sides.

I guess I will have to stick with show since it's filmed in my home state.

[thuganomics85]

Finally got around to this.  It was pretty much what I expected.  Great to look at and the fight scenes were fantastic, but the dialogue and writing left a lot to be desired. Of course, knowing that these are the guys that gave us Smallville and that god-awful Charlie's Angels reboot (and that Shannara series later on), I kind of have to accept that probably ain't going to change.  So, as long as the fight scenes are cool and the characters are interesting to watch, I'll stick around.  If not, I'm out.

 

Acting was a mixed bag, which tends to happen with a lot of pilots.  Daniel Wu was solid enough as the stoic hero, but the kid playing his protege was pretty bad.  And I usually like Martin Csokas, but I thought he was pretty damn hammy, and I'm not sure if it was a good kind of hammy.  It was great seeing a bunch of actresses I like (Orla Brady, Sarah Bolger and especially Madeleine Mantock), but they didn't much since their characters were mainly regulated to love interest, put-upon wife, and new wife who is also sleeping with Baron's creepy son.  Between this and Quantico, sleeping with both the father and the son seems to be getting real popular lately. I did like The Widow though.

 

The no guns thing is pretty ridiculous, but eh, I'll hand-wave it for now.

 

Of course, I just checked out IMDB and saw that 

Stephen Lang and Ellen Hollman (Saxa!!)

are both showing up, so fuck it.  I know I'll be watching all of the episodes now.  I just hope for AMC's sake that their non-stop push for this show pays off, and it doesn't backfire on them like Low Winter Sun did years ago.

Edited November 18, 2015 by thuganomics85

[Kierstyn]

There was a lot of commentary on EHG this week about the lack of humor on this show. I finally got around to watching it last night, and I thought there was a quite a bit of humor, but it was all in the fight scenes. Bits (like the guy ending with his feet by his ears; or the caught bit of glass flung back into Ajax's eye) were so silly that it caused out-loud laughter, which released tension and made the rest of the grimness easier to handle.

[RedheadZombie]

I was thinking Russell Crowe, m'self.

 

I said the same upthread.

 

About the guns thing... if everyone had guns it'd be a show about guns. They are setting up a fictional universe where people don't have guns... it's simple. And the results are... the action scenes are a lot cooler. Fiction needs to be able to establish it's own set of internal logic. It's just as well to complain about The Walking Dead: "OMG! Dead people are getting up and walking and eating people! That's so dumb and unrealistic! OMG!" 

 

When the show can't follow it's own internal logic, as happens on TWD all the time, then it's something to complain about. I would anticipate this show may have issues on that end when all is said and done... but I never even got the impression that this show is meant to be taking place in the same universe as our real one, so whatever rules they establish are fair game. 

 

I'm intrigued enough to watch the first six episodes and see if it's going anywhere. I can tell you this much... if it were a show about guns and shooting people I'd be out already.

 

I'm always surprised by what bothers people about this type of show.  The most frequent complaints I hear about TWD, are the lawns are always mowed, there's not enough kudzu, and it never rains.  Not one of those things bothers me.  There are certain rules in most fantasies, and world building is crucial.  Part of The Walking Dead's premise is the word and concept "zombie" never existed. 

 

A lack of guns bothers me not at all on this show. Tell me that the punishment for having a gun is death, and that's enough for me.  It also lends a steampunk feel to the show.

[Bruinsfan]

I don't feel fiction needs to be "realistic"... that's one of the biggest criticisms casual viewers have about fiction... sometimes it's valid when a work of fiction establishes a framework where upon it is taking place in our world, the real world. That happens far less often than the criticisms are made.

The problem for me is that this particular unrealistic premise is predicated on society as a whole not responding like people actually would when faced with such an ultimatum. If basic logic is absent from how people behave, it throws the whole narrative out of whack. I'm fine with unrealistic elements like Daniel Wu and others engaging in physically improbable martial arts feats (hell, that's WHY I'm watching!), and I'm even willing to accept overtly mystical elements like the Chosen Teen going all Matrix-y when cut. But everyone meekly signing up for poppy-farming Fight Club culture when all it would take is about three people with assault rifles to overthrow the people in charge just doesn't work for me. I'd have a much easier time buying the lack of guns if they had a physical explanation—like something about the Apocalypse destroyed all the potassium nitrate on earth and made gunpowder production too difficult—rather than one that requires people desperate for survival to not scramble for any advantage.

Edited November 18, 2015 by Bruinsfan

[paigow]

And apparently they don't have electricity either -- because there were candles EVERYWHERE

Nanda Parbat and the Badlands are the same place! BTW, Soylent Green is people.....

[Ronin Jackson]

The problem for me is that this particular unrealistic premise is predicated on society as a whole not responding like people actually would when faced with such an ultimatum. If basic logic is absent from how people behave, it throws the whole narrative out of whack. I'm fine with unrealistic elements like Daniel Wu and others engaging in physically improbable martial arts feats (hell, that's WHY I'm watching!), and I'm even willing to accept overtly mystical elements like the Chosen Teen going all Matrix-y when cut. But everyone meekly signing up for poppy-farming Fight Club culture when all it would take is about three people with assault rifles to overthrow the people in charge just doesn't work for me. I'd have a much easier time buying the lack of guns if they had a physical explanation—like something about the Apocalypse destroyed all the potassium nitrate on earth and made gunpowder production too difficult—rather than one that requires people desperate for survival to not scramble for any advantage.

 

Well, they could have spent a lot of time developing the "why's" behind the premise... coming up with a better reasoning why guns are no longer used (perhaps the infrastructure for manufacturing guns went away... it's far easier to make swords and knives...) but I don't really think they are interested in connecting this fictional world with our real one. They are basically updating a old Chinese story with modern elements (including an international cast) but they want to keep the old martial arts and swordplay elements.

 

I mean, most modern martial arts movies are unrealistic by virtue of the fact that no one really fights with anything but guns and bombs when the stakes get to a certain level in the real world. They are either period pieces or they have a bunch of fight scenes where it makes no sense that someone there doesn't have a gun they would be using. I get why they want to take guns out of the equation and don't really need an elaborate explanation. This show has a swordsmen on a fast motorcycle. It's there because it's cool. It's something that would never make sense in our world, and that should never be a reason we shouldn't see it in entertainment.

 

Hell there could be a show about a bunch of people sitting on a couch eating potato chips criticizing a television show for being unrealistic. Would that be realistic? Yep. Something that happens in real life? Absolutley! Entertaining? Well I guess everyone can decide for themselves...

[RedheadZombie]

The problem for me is that this particular unrealistic premise is predicated on society as a whole not responding like people actually would when faced with such an ultimatum. If basic logic is absent from how people behave, it throws the whole narrative out of whack. I'm fine with unrealistic elements like Daniel Wu and others engaging in physically improbable martial arts feats (hell, that's WHY I'm watching!), and I'm even willing to accept overtly mystical elements like the Chosen Teen going all Matrix-y when cut. But everyone meekly signing up for poppy-farming Fight Club culture when all it would take is about three people with assault rifles to overthrow the people in charge just doesn't work for me. I'd have a much easier time buying the lack of guns if they had a physical explanation—like something about the Apocalypse destroyed all the potassium nitrate on earth and made gunpowder production too difficult—rather than one that requires people desperate for survival to not scramble for any advantage.

History has shown the minority ruling and controlling the majority throughout history. Apartheid is one example in recent modern times. Indians vastly outnumbered the British, as did slaves to slave owners. The opening speech talked of people seeking safety from the barons, and it turning into servitude. Kind of like the classic - a person who chooses safety over freedom deserve neither.

As an amusing aside, my phone substituted "spew hate" for speech.

[Netfoot]

This show has a swordsmen on a fast motorcycle.

 

Which in itself tells us something about the state of technology with regards to guns.

 

If the motorcycle is legacy hardware from before, it tells us that a short enough time has passed that recovered hardware like motorcycles and guns, can be refurbished and put into use again.  On the other hand, if the motorcycle is a recent manufacture, then production of firearms is easily possible, because motorcycles are far more complex beasts than guns.  (The Three Musketeers didn't ride Harleys, after all.)  If they can build bikes they can build firearms.  

 

So, either way, the lack of firearms use must be a deliberate choice, rather than as a result of unavailability.  

[Ronin Jackson]

Which in itself tells us something about the state of technology with regards to guns.

 

If the motorcycle is legacy hardware from before, it tells us that a short enough time has passed that recovered hardware like motorcycles and guns, can be refurbished and put into use again.  On the other hand, if the motorcycle is a recent manufacture, then production of firearms is easily possible, because motorcycles are far more complex beasts than guns.  (The Three Musketeers didn't ride Harleys, after all.)  If they can build bikes they can build firearms.  

 

So, either way, the lack of firearms use must be a deliberate choice, rather than as a result of unavailability.  

 

Well right... as I said a swordsmen on a motorcycle doesn't make sense. In Star Wars it doesn't really make sense that there are people who use essentially swords, even if they are made out of lasers, when there's weaponry advanced enough to destroy a planet does it? And if all fiction is obliged to exist within the framework of real world logic, then the lightsaber simply cannot be. Like the lightsaber, the lack of guns in this show is more an aesthetic choice and a logical or plot driven one... and to me that's perfectly fine.

[Last Time Lord]

^

You just gave me the greatest idea ever. A sword duel that takes place while riding on motorcycles.

Like, jousting, but with Samurai Swords.

[SharonH58]

I liked the show and don't understand why many of my WD folks were so determined to hate it.  Beautifully photographed.  I usually don't like 'flying fighting' but i enjoyed this.  Sunny is very yummy!

[Raja]

"Xena" was a show without guns. They didn't exist, nobody missed them, and there was no need to explain.

"Into the Badwriting" is a show in which guns do exist, but there is a halfassed explanation about why not even the bad guys want to use them.

The closest historical equivalent would be feudal Japan, which did do something similar, but they did not, as is frequently claimed "go back to the sword." Swords in many countries were a common sidearm alongside guns right up until World War 1.

What the samurais did was go back to the bow. Bushido didn't mean "the art of using a katana." It meant "The way of horse and bow." The primary weapon of the ruling class of Japan was a longbow, which required more training than a gun, and so they didn't want competition from another long range weapon. But in the absence of guns, they still continued to shoot people with arrows, quite often.

Also, the samurai class had a very long head start before guns came along, so convincing enemies not to piss off a whole bunch of archers by using a primitive musket was more realistic than convincing them not to piss off a whole bunch of guys armed only with swords and fists by using, say, a machine gun which could kill them all in thirty seconds.

 

 

I don't feel fiction needs to be "realistic"... that's one of the biggest criticisms casual viewers have about fiction... sometimes it's valid when a work of fiction establishes a framework where upon it is taking place in our world, the real world. That happens far less often than the criticisms are made. 

 

This show is clearly not taking place in the real world... it wants to be a post modern fantasy in which the action revolves around martial arts and swordplay. I mean, that's what the show is. That's in the premise.... Not everyone needs to be into the concept, but if you can't get that far without it falling apart, clearly this isn't a show you should be watching. What's funny is that if they did decide to incorporate guns in the premise... and it was a bunch of shootouts instead of martial arts and swordplay... the shootouts would be unrealistic... like 99% of all shootouts in television and movies... where the hero magically dodges bullets and kills scores of people with ease. And that might not have been criticized by the same folks who can't accept a post-modern fantasy premise involving action without guns.

And part of the fantasy includes the redshirts be they Darryl of Walking Dead or Hunger Games Katniss not being able to take out the knightly class Clippers with an arrow or crossbow bolt. Given the super human skills shown, even before the telekinetic kid emerged, during the hand to hand and sword fights even if a full company fired a wave of arrows in the future expect our clippers to dodge them or snatch them out of mid air. 

 

What was improbable to me was the highly manicured gardens when it seemed the only work being done on the estates was training potential clippers for the barons. At least on the first year of Revolution you saw extras sweeping the streets of Philadelphia.

[candall]

I liked the show and don't understand why many of my WD folks were so determined to hate it.  

I'm a WD person, and I wasn't determined to hate it--I was looking forward to it--but I was in a full snit the first time I watched this episode. 

 

I was already planning to check out Badlands because I like magic-y, adjusted universe shows and the commercials were cool and intriguing, but luring viewers by using a completely unrelated show as bait was a backfire, at least for me.  I resented "Before you can see the WD followup/adjunct show, watch Badlands" and "Want to see previews for next week's WD?  They're embedded in Badlands."

 

And it turns out, my initial lack of enthusiasm for Badlands must have been due to the fact I was still preoccupied with WD and getting to the WD post-show, TD.  I just gave the premiere another go and Hey!  I liked it!

 

I think the most interesting parts are the "new world" design--the clippers, the colts (heh), the barons.  The hand-to-hand combat/ballet is a very nice change from everyone just blamming away with sub-machine guns.  The soapy parts aren't as interesting to me, but I'll give that a pass because someone's eyes turned black and we went supernatural.  (I endure all the rape and pillage in Game of Thrones because they toss me a direwolf or a dragon cookie now and then.)

 

Tiny sidenote:  if anyone anticipated Sunny was going to be racking up 400+ kills, they might have spaced those back tattoos more efficiently, but I applaud the decision to leave all the frontal real estate smooth and shiny.  Nice.

[paigow]

Tiny sidenote:  if anyone anticipated Sunny was going to be racking up 400+ kills, they might have spaced those back tattoos more efficiently,

Did Roman Numerals and paper survive the apocalypse? Sunny could log kills on paper and get tattooed when X reached.

[candall]

Did Roman Numerals and paper survive the apocalypse? Sunny could log kills on paper and get tattooed when X reached.

This made me laugh.  I now imagine Sunny surrounded by a dozen adversaries and sighing, "Ow."

[Stardancer Supreme]

I don't think Sunny has logged every kill he made.  Remember that not too long ago he was illiterate.  I think he just went to the tattoo artist and said, "I think I killed about 50 men today." and the dude probably did 2 or 3 stripes in the last spot he remembered. Based on the amount of men he killed in the last 3 episodes, he shouldn't have any room left on his back!

[Bec]

if anyone anticipated Sunny was going to be racking up 400+ kills, they might have spaced those back tattoos more efficiently

Hee! That’s what I thought when I was watching. “He’s gonna run out of room soon.” Whoever started his tattoos probably expected him to get killed before getting this far.

 

I totally agree about loving the visuals, but not enthused about the plot. They’re going to the pregnancy well already? Isn’t that the go-to storyline for when writers run out of ideas? And didn’t the Baron say the clippers can have all the wealth, blah, blah, blah, and women they want? So they’re allowed to have sex, but getting women pregnant is a no-no? Oooookay. Do they at least get free condoms? Do contraceptives exist in this world?

 

Are they going to explain why clippers aren’t allowed to breed, or do we just come up with our own explanations? My guess is the Barons don’t want their clippers’ loyalties to be diverted to anybody else.