Into the Badlands season 3 is about to premiere, and we’ve got five hints from the first episode to get you excited about what’s to come.
At the end of Into the Badlands season 2, everyone felt a great sense of loss in one way or another. Veil died and Sunny became a single father. The Widow lost Tilda and learned M.K. didn’t want his powers back. Bajie was gravely injured, and both Jade and Lydia found themselves utterly alone in the world.
The only good takeaway? Quinn was finally killed, once and for all.
When season 3 picks up, no one is in a particularly good place, though some are better off than others. The first episode, titled “Enter the Phoenix,” basically exists to give you a snapshot of where everyone is at the start of the season, though it does work to set up plenty of problems that will need solved this year.
We can’t give away any major spoilers, but here are five teasers from Into the Badlands 3×01, “Enter the Phoenix,” to tide you over until Sunday, April 22, when the show returns at 10:00 p.m. ET on AMC.
1. The premiere pulls no punches when it comes to its fight scenes
The promotional material for season 3 has highlighted some incredible fight sequences we can look forward to this season, and many of them are in this first episode. I won’t tell you which ones exactly, but just know that they live up to the hype. Into the Badlands is always incredibly creative with their choreography and the premiere episode will not let you down.
2. There are some surprising reunions
There’s a tiny time jump between the end of season 2 and the beginning of season 3, so the premiere has to work to show us where everyone is when we finally meet back up with them. I wasn’t expecting some characters to come face to face so soon, but I’m so glad they have. Season 2 saw many of our favorites separated from each other for a good amount of time, so I’m hoping season 3 will keep them together a bit longer.
3. You’re going to see a different side of M.K.
The M.K. we meet in the premiere is not the M.K. we met in season 1. It’s also not the M.K. we got to know in season 2. This is a completely different version of the character, and it might not be what you’re expecting. When we last saw M.K., he was left behind by all of his friends and was being held prisoner by The Widow, who wished to find a way to return his powers to him against his will. This has definitely taken a toll on his body and his psyche.
4. Veil has not been forgotten
One of the most heartbreaking parts of Into the Badlands season 2 was losing Veil after everything Sunny did to get back to her and Henry. Sunny is now a single father just trying to take care of his son, but even though he’s all on his own, the memory of Veil lives on. It’s bittersweet to hear Sunny talk about Veil, but I’m glad the show decided to honor her instead of forget she ever existed.
5. There’s one person you won’t see in the premiere
Out of all the main players this year (I’m counting those who got character portraits), you’ll see every single person but one. It’s nice to catch up with everyone we’ve loved for the past season or two, and it was exciting to meet some of the newcomers as well. However, one person’s absence makes me wonder what kind of influence they’ll have over the series this season.