Into The Badlands is a beautifully shot show that weaves martial arts into its storytelling in a way that we haven't seen recently on television. I would love to keep living in this world a little longer. The first season is almost over on AMC, so will Into The Badlands be renewed for Season 2?
There has been no official word from the network. However, earlier this month ScreenCrush picked up a Facebook post from star Daniel Wu that seemed to confirm Into The Badlands Season 2. However, the actor is not an official source, and the Facebook post has since been removed. Was he mistaken, or letting slip some important news?
Personally, I'm not too worried about the fate of the series. AMC is typically pretty willing to give multiple seasons to their original programming. The only shows I recall being canceled after one season recently are Rubicon and Low Winter Sun. So it's possible, but not probable that the show will be canceled. While they are both spinoffs, both of AMC's other 2015 debuts Better Call Saul and Fear The Walking Dead have been renewed for a Season 2. As for next year, I'm not sure whether or not the premiere of Preacher, another genre series, will harm or help its chances. The network might try to retain its audience, or worry about becoming defined by a particular style of show.
All that said, the show seems to be doing well, especially for a largely original story and a cast of mostly unknown actors. It's beautifully shot, and there's clearly so much of this world to explore. They have been falling the bit in the ratings since the first episode, but that is to be expected from any show that has a strong premiere — and other Sunday programming like football games and The Leftovers could distract at this time of year.
For that reason, if the show does come back, I would hope that AMC pairs it with a certifiable hit like The Walking Dead, or even Fear The Walking Dead during the summer, so that the audience is already on board. The only bummer there is that it pushes Talking Dead back another hour, but I bet that's actually helpful for the DVR crowd. Into The Badlands definitely deserves more chances, so fingers crossed that we get a Season 2 announcement from AMC soon!
Image: James Minchin III/AMC
