Into the Badlands snuck up on me last week. It’s been more than a year since the season finale so it’s a real treat to get my Hong Kong action choreography scratch itched. Love this production and the first two episodes have been great. Plus, a sizable episode bump from six to ten!

Next month Archer, Fargo, and Better Call Saul return! April, as always is shaping up nice.

XXXVII

A percolating episode.

Most of our time is spent chasing after Flint in the jungle of Skeleton Island with Silver. Flint goes with a divide and conquer plan with a bit of slight of hand to keep the cash and it largely works.

While the chase is on, Silver reflects on the man he’s chasing and ultimately, himself. We learn a very important motivation of Silver, why he’s trusted Flint for so long despite all the evidence. Something Hands wonders all the time and says out loud to Flint when he finally gets to confront him. Silver trusts Flint because Flint trusts him. Through all they’ve been through together they’ve become friends. They’ve been working together chasing the same results. They’ve both needed a partner in their quest. Through the years they have each other’s respect and thus, their loyalty to each other. With every step, there have been many disagreements. Flint taking the cash has forced Silver into a confrontation that can’t be ignored with his friend who believes that his side of the plan is the only way for them to succeed. Flint, of course, pleads a good case.

Bones advises Rogers to cover all his bases. With Flint on the run, the odds are against him. Odds never kept Flint down before though. Rogers gives Madi the ultimatum again and once again she isn’t impressed. She more or less tells him to shove it. This pushes Rogers into another rash decision: go after the pirates while he has the upper hand.

Checking in with Jack, he’s on his way to Skeleton Island with his crew. He hits a snag and the question of him making it to the fight looms even larger.

Silver and Flint fight in the jungle after Flint disables Hands. It’s just them as time is quickly running out. Silver’s perspective on Flint proves to be right when Flint saves him from an ambush. Then they hear the commotion in the bay.

Using the fog cover, Rogers’ men sneak onto the pirate ship and torch it. It quickly gets out of hand and when the pirates have to abandon ship, the second wave comes in and they’re shot in the water. Bones is in this second wave and just when it looks like he’s going to go full England, he spares one of the men he knows.

Silver, Flint, and Hands watch in shock as Rogers makes his move. All their supplies, their boat and likely all their men, are gone. What once looked like a rather simple chase-him-until-he’s-dead conclusion as been turned on its head. Now the men at odds are forced to work together again. Even worse for Silver, he has no leverage. Flint is the only one who knows where the treasure chest is buried. No matter what, that cash is necessary for any kind of future. Flint is again in control.

It was clear after the last episode that very few people were going to leave Skeleton Island alive. Half of them are now dead leaving our pirate leaders alone. So now the question is, what are the last remnants of the pirates going to do? Silver and Flint have gotten out of more than one sticky situation and this one is the worst. They’re going to need all of Flint’s odd defying skill to get to Rogers.

It’s a pirates life.