Into the Badlands Review: Requiem For The Fallen (Season 3 Episode 15)
On Into the Badlands Season 3 Episode 15, “Requiem For The Fallen,” Pilgrim continues his consolidation of power as the heroes worry it’s too late.
Pilgrim disposing of Nix in the first three minutes of the episode is rather surprising. Nix has a lot of baggage with Pilgrim over the death of Castor, and so her death so soon into the episode looks to negate that and settle in for a reminder that at the end, no one is safe, even before the main credits.
There’s a sense of hopelessness in the air for Sunny and the others, where, after losses in the battle on Into the Badlands Season 3 Episode 14, “Curse of the Red Rain,” there’s a move to protect rather than strike.
The death of Magnus, the head of the Black Lotus, and Cressida’s looming doubt over Pilgrim’s leadership are both welcome turns, this close to the end. Both turns manage to take the story into interesting directions, where allegiances can be the downturn of the enemy and make for some fun twists ahead.
Cressida’s blind faith in Pilgrim has been a little too powerful up to now, and so the vision and her worry of genocide is a good reminder that despite all the cruelty she has inflicted alongside of Pilgrim, along with killing Lydia, she still has the potential of some good in her.
I like that the battle against the Black Lotus at the end of the episode is a rather simple return to basics, weapon against weapon without much in the way of fanciness. It’s a well-choreographed sequence, Bajie getting the better part of the fight with fists and nunchucks.
Nick Frost is on fire throughout the episode, with great lines and becoming a central driving force. Bajie continues to be a solid and reliable character who manages to bring both humor and pathos to the at-times grim atmosphere these characters all find themselves in.
The episode, for a set-up episode especially, is breezy and fast-moving, its attentiveness to its characters endearing. There’s a lot at stake for them now, and making it clear what each holds dear helps strengthen their resolve.
The show continues to be a fantastic production with its visuals.
The scene at Lydia’s grave, with the fog drifting off the pond, is a breathtaking image. It’s easy to forget how serene locations like this on Into the Badlands can be captivating and really helps enforce sorrowful moments like this one.
Into the Badlands Season 3 Episode 15, “Requiem For The Fallen,” is a great episode of tying up character and story loose ends so that Pilgrim is now the entire focus. There’s an earnestness and a spirited energy, and it’s building toward something exciting, while being exciting itself.
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.