Into The Badlands
Gaspard Xenos
Into the Badlands is an American action drama television series that premiered on November 15, 2015, on AMC.[1] Into the Badlands has been described as "a high-octane sci-fi martial arts series"[2] and as a "post-apocalyptic drama".[citation needed] The series follows a warrior and a young boy who journey through a dangerous feudal land together seeking enlightenment.[3] On February 9, 2019, AMC canceled the show after three seasons.[4] The series finale aired on May 6, 2019.[5]
Approximately five hundred years from now, war has left civilization in ruins. A few elements of technology, such as electricity and ground vehicles, have survived the apocalypse, but society now shuns firearms and relies on melee weaponry and crossbows.
In a territory known as the Badlands, encompassing several states located between the Rocky Mountains and Mississippi River,[6] a feudal society has developed to fill the power vacuum left by the war. Barons control land and monopolies over commodities like opium and fuel, trading amongst themselves to maintain the peace. Each baron is served by slaves called "cogs", as well as a prostitute class called "dolls". A baron maintains power through an army of young men and women called clippers: highly trained and loyal warriors, clippers are forbidden from marrying and having children lest their loyalties be divided. Each clipper force is captained by a regent.
A few groups exist outside the hierarchy imposed by the barons. Nomads are the most common, most of them bandits who steal from trade convoys between the baronies, while others live in organized clans. The River King controls water trade and is considered a neutral party in the barons' power struggles. An ascetic religious movement called the Totemists lives in isolated communities and practices a form of idol worship. The Widow leads a revolutionary group of anti-feudal fighters from her late husband's barony; although recognized as a baron by her peers, they do not respect her, and the contempt is mutual.
Little is known of the world beyond the Badlands, but it is implied that it is far less politically stable yet environmentally sound like the Badlands. The mythical utopian city of Azra is believed to exist outside the Badlands, but most dismiss it as a legend.
Described as a "genre-bending martial arts series", the story is loosely based on the classic Chinese tale Journey to the West. AMC ordered six one-hour-long episodes of the action-drama developed by AMC Studios for a premiere in late 2015.[44] Executive producer Stephen Fung also serves as the series' action director alongside veteran Hong Kong choreographer, Ku Huen-chiu.[45] AMC renewed the show for a 10-episode second season, which premiered on March 19, 2017.[46] On April 25, 2017, AMC renewed the series for a 16-episode third season which premiered nearly a year later on April 22, 2018.[47]
Internationally, the series premiered in Australia on November 17, 2015, on Showcase.[52] In Germany, Austria, Italy, and the UK, the series is available through Amazon Prime Instant Video with each episode accessible the day after the U.S. air date.[53] BBC America began airing double episodes on August 20, 2016, at 10pm ET.[54][failed verification] [55]
The first season received mixed reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 54% approval rating with an average rating of 4.72/10 based on 39 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Into the Badlands is loaded with off-kilter potential that's left largely unfulfilled -- although its well-choreographed action sequences should satisfy martial arts fans."[59] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 54 out of 100 based on 29 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[60]
Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter gave a generally positive review and wrote, "AMC finds a bloody, fun and entertaining non-zombie counterpart to The Walking Dead and turns Sundays into an escapist red zone."[63] Maureen Ryan of Variety wrote,
The action scenes scattered throughout Into the Badlands are not just stirringly presented, they represent a test passed with flying, and bloody, colors. This efficient AMC series is an homage to classic Samurai films and kinetic action fare churned out by Hong Kong maestros of furious fists, and if the TV drama had failed to meet the standards set by the sturdiest examples of those genres, it would have seemed superfluous at best. Fortunately, star Daniel Wu is more than up to the task of occupying the center of this streamlined story of vengeance, tyranny and roundhouse kicks.[64]
These days though, the term Badlands has more of a geologic description. Wikipedia describes Badlands as a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded by wind and water. They are characterized by steep slopes, minimal vegetation, lack of a substantial regolith, and high drainage density.
The graphic below is from their website. It does a great job of showing which airlines fly into Rapid City, from where, and during what time of year. More information on the seasonal flights shown below can be found here.
Next, after the Visitor Center, I would head on over to the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail. This short loop hike is an excellent introduction to the park. This hike gets you elevated a bit and gives you a lookout over the park.
If you were to ask my father, I am notoriously bad at planning times to eat into my trip plans. I find planning lunch and dinner as one of the most challenging things to organize for a group because everyone has their own eating habits they are accustomed to.
One amazing thing about it, especially for families, is that a lot of what it offers can be seen directly from the beautiful 31-mile two-lane Badlands Loop Road. (About 28 miles of it being within the park boundaries). And there are so many spots along the way that you can stop for a closer look and a leg stretch.
Welcome to Cinders Travels! Here you'll find travel and adventure tips collected throughout my journeys as a day hiker, RV lifer, AT thru-hiker, and overall explorer. I have trekked both solo and with my loving hubby and our furry cat and dog friends! Shoot me an email or say "Hello" on Instagram @CindersTravels.
Before I knew what was happening, I had been graciously lent a bike helmet and riding gloves by one of his employees, Mindy, an accomplished mountaineer and cyclist who looked as if she had just climbed out of one of the pages of a Black Diamond or Patagonia catalogue. After finishing some spinach-and-tofu scramble from the Bistro, we were in the car and heading passed the cornfields towards the Shawangunk Ridge.
Unlike the steady gaze one gets with walking or running, cycling has a way of blurring the landscape like an Impressionist painting, with harsh edges of trees and trails and cliffs suddenly softening and leaning into one another like tipsy lovers in a slow dance. This was a point he had been trying to make: that the bike-to-hike combination has an enormous future, as it allows outdoor revelers to enjoy more of the park by moving through the less glamorous parts of a trail in a speedier fashion, thus granting them more energy and time to disembark from their bikes and experience the more dramatic park features and views.
The path began to plunge more steeply, and as it did the sound of water could be heard. At first, it was a gentle spraying, but soon it turned into an avalanche of sound that burst open as the trail veered towards a 300-foot waterfall careening off a cliff formed like a canyon and cascading into a shallow pool below. It was exhilarating. The mist coated my forehead, and the cliffs glistened with the wet surface of sunlight fracturing over rocks and falling water.
We turned inwards from the cliff edge to the forest, and a few miles later we were tapping various tin bowls and buckets used by the berry-pickers at the turn of the 20th century to harvest their mountain crop. They hung on branches like living testaments to the generations of immigrant blueberry pickers who had dwelt among the pines each summer.
Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) is the closest major airport, located just 55 miles from Badlands National Park and a convenient drive to numerous park overlooks. Allegiant, American Airlines, Delta, United and Boutique Air all fly into and out of the airport in Rapid City.
With so much natural beauty to explore and wildlife to spot over its 244,000 acres, Badlands National Park has visitors all year long, though it is busiest in summer. The park is open 24 hours a day, with a higher volume of people visiting at midday. Yet with so much open space for hiking, cycling and scenic drives, it is easy to avoid crowds, if there ever are any.
Explore trails and otherworldly formations that are millions of years in the making. Get up close to the painted landscape on hikes ranging from flat stretches across the prairie to uphill climbs through the Badlands terrain.
America's Shrine of Democracy, Mount Rushmore National Memorial features the 60-foot faces of four great American presidents who represent the birth, growth, development and preservation of this country.
Walk in the footsteps of historic Old West legends like Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane and Seth Bullock. This 1870s gold rush town became a National Historic Landmark in 1961. Today, it teems with Black Hills entertainment and things to do including concerts, casinos, museums, historic sites, spas and parades.
The first cave to be designated a national park, Wind Cave National Park features the world's largest concentration of rare boxwork formations along with 33,851 acres of forest and prairie on the surface, creating a sanctuary for wildlife.
Korczak Ziolkowski began work on Crazy Horse Memorial in 1948. Once complete, this tribute to the Lakota leader will be the largest mountain carving in South Dakota, and the world. The on-site Indian Museum of North America and the Native American Educational & Cultural Center also provide opportunities to learn and explore.
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