Into the Badlands Review: Cobra Fang, Panther Claw (Season 3 Episode 12)
Everyone has a master on Into the Badlands Season 3 Episode 12, “Cobra Fang, Panther Claw.”
There is an air of permanence to the proceedings, as scores are settled and the events of the episode appear to be heading toward something rather final. There’s the worry that the cancellation came at the cost of some finality, but this does not appear to be an issue from where the story is heading.
There are a lot of deaths on the episode, with one ending a long-running story strand, and two others that come as a shock.
The way Bajie is taken down by the Black Lotus is a little disheartening, since it’s so sudden and doesn’t feel like it should be the end of his character. There’s the feeling of a lot of untapped ground for Bajie still ahead, and so it both leaves his end feeling either temporary, or, if permanent, slightly anticlimactic, and thus robbing some impact.
Nick Frost has been a wonderful beacon of excitement on the show, the quips and heart he brings to Bajie entertaining and always bringing levity to a dark world. To lose all of that with four episodes left would be disappointing.
The idea of belief becomes a major factor in both character and story.
The way Pilgrim and the Master speak is filled with irony, two powerful entities who see themselves as freeing those that follow them, when really they both are simply ensnaring them to new masters. Both believe so deeply in their causes that both become blind to the other’s intentions.
It’s the kind of storytelling I deeply enjoy, because both are wrong in their own way, but both believe themselves as the only way forward.
M.K. has been largely sidelined as Pilgrim’s Darth Vader of sorts, and so his conversation with the Master is a welcome addition. There’s a deep and personal humanity in wanting to release everyone from their own internal prisons, and M.K.’s hope in doing so is the kind of conflict his character will do very well with, if given more time.
The carnival set is a pretty fun locale for the show to visit. We don’t get to see a whole lot of it, but at least it gets used well during action. It’s not an Into the Badlands fight unless the set is incorporated in, and the use of the carousel and the swings is a great use of both, keeping the fight constantly moving.
One endlessly commendable quality of the series is continuing to make each fight unique in its own way. Destruction is a key factor in most fights, but the carnival fight between Chau and Minerva is clever and inventive, even including a bullseye crash point.
The dispatching of Chau ends the civil war in the Badlands, and just in time, as the Black Lotus and Pilgrim become the massive threats for the final run of the season.
Into the Badlands Season 3 Episode 12, “Cobra Fang, Panther Claw,” moves the chess pieces considerably, but it’s hard to look past the death of Bajie as a bit of a missed opportunity. Things don’t always go right on Into the Badlands for its main characters, but this one in particular feels too soon.
The episode gives off the aura of place setting for what remains, and so it’s a little lengthy in stretching things to get to that point. But it’s still rewarding, and delivers an episode of absolute change to the way the Badlands will continue on from now on.
What did you think of this episode of Into the Badlands? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Into the Badlands airs Mondays at 10/9c on AMC.
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Kevin Lever
Kevin Lever has been following television closely for most of his life, but in starting to cover it, he has grown a further appreciation. He strives to give the blockbusters their due, and give the lesser known shows a spotlight to find more fans.