Into the Badlands Review: Seven Strike As One (Season 3 Episode 16)
On Into the Badlands Season 3 Episode 16, “Seven Strike As One,” the final battle comes with each character doing their part to take down the ultimate threat in Pilgrim.
It’s an action-packed, payoff-heavy episode, where taking down Pilgrim and starting new threads to follow becomes a satisfying end, but with some caveats.
The body count is quite high on “Seven Strike As One,” M.K., Pilgrim, and (kind of) Sunny being the major casualties. Their deaths on the show come as needed, as Pilgrim reached his apex and started to become blindly evil toward anyone mildly disagreeing with him.
M.K.’s end comes at a diminishing of his character. His potential earlier on the series relegated him to more of a troubled henchman during the third season.
At the same time, his character reached a conclusion of sorts, and while his final showdown with Sunny never happened, it’s more emotionally tinged for Tilda to be involved. His arc feels long completed, and so he did not have a ton left to do except exact Pilgrim’s orders.
The reintroduction of the hooks earlier on the episode is a good foreshadowing of their return against Pilgrim. His death is a powerful moment on the show, Sunny’s leap of faith to cement his end beautifully shot and leaving a lasting image.
The major disappointment of the episode comes through the knowledge the show has been cancelled. The set-up for a fourth season when there will not be one hurts, with the introduction of a gun and The Master warning Sunny, in another realm, of a worse threat.
The return of the old ways, of firepower, is an intriguing thread for the show to go down, and so it’s a shame that it’s a tease rather than a promise.
It does, however, prove a smart reminder that in the Badlands, there’s always going to be a threat, one way or another. In this way, it’s a smart final ending point. There’s always another enemy, because the Badlands can’t help but descend into destruction.
Cressida escaping before Nathaniel can exact revenge is another piece likely to be resolved in a new season, leaving the result a little anticlimactic. Her character became more interesting with her turn from Pilgrim, but Nathaniel’s rage and lack of resolution leaves me wanting more.
Into the Badlands Season 3 Episode 16, “Seven Strike As One,” manages to juggle its large cast in satisfying ways. Despite the cut-off ending, the season, and the series, wraps up in a way where most of its characters find closure in their own way.
The show makes its impact known through impressive photography and action choreography, and keeping its storytelling fresh with new twists and turns. Into the Badlands ends with the seven striking as one, and brings itself to a fun conclusion.
Some stray thoughts on the episode:
- Bajie continues his love of nunchucks from Into the Badlands Season 3 Episode 15, “Requiem For The Fallen.” It’s always nice when someone finds something they love!
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.