The Shannara Chronicles
Season 1 Episode 1: “Chosen: Part 2″
Directed by Jonathan Leibesman
Written by Terry Brooks (novel), Alfred Gough, and Miles Millar
Starring Poppy Drayton, Austin Butler, Ivana Baquero, Manu Bennett, John Rhys-Davies, Aaron Jakubenko, Emilia Burns, Mattias Inwood, Daniel MacPherson, Marcus Vanco, and Brooke Williams
MTV
Air Date: Tuesday, January 5, 2016, 10pm

Wow. The Shannara Chronicles is not messing around. The new MTV series definitely needed the two-hour series premiere, with the second part taking it from curiosity-invoking teen fantasy to fast-paced, unpredictable, exciting, full-scale magical journey.

Read more below for a spoiler-lite review of The Shannara Chronicles episode 1.2, “Chosen” Part 2, and be sure to also check out my review of Part 1.

The Shannara Chronicles
Season 1 Episode 1: “Chosen: Part 1″
Directed by Jonathan Leibesman
Written by Terry Brooks (novel), Alfred Gough, and Miles Millar
Starring Poppy Drayton, Austin Butler, Ivana Baquero, Manu Bennett, John Rhys-Davies, Aaron Jakubenko, Emilia Burns, Mattias Inwood, Daniel MacPherson, Ella Rouhier, Marcus Vanco, and Brooke Williams
MTV
Air Date: Tuesday, January 5, 2016, 10pm

There has been a fair amount of buzz surrounding MTV’s The Shannara Chronicles, particularly since the show’s panel and trailer release at New York Comic-Con this past October. The premiere is finally here and I have a spoiler-lite look at Part 1 of the first episode, Chosen, for you here.

Starting with the very first scene, we are shown the grand scale of a magical, post-human world. Helicopters, towers, and buildings are in ruins, but have been in this state for quite some time, with layers of moss and green vines covering them.

Into The Badlands
Episode 1.4 “Two Tigers Subdue Dragons”
Directed by David Dobkin
Written by Michael Jones-Morales, Alfred Gough, Miles Millar
Starring Gabe Begneaud, Nazeema Bartek, Daniel Wu, Ruby Lou Smith, Aramis Knight, Ally Ioannides, Stephen Lang, Emily Beecham, Morgan Benoit, Marton Csokas, Sarah Bolger, Madeleine Mantock, Oliver Stark
AMC
Air date: Sunday, December 6, 2015, 10pm

War is brewing between the barons of Into the Badlands. Quinn (Martin Csokas) is looking for allies against The Widow (Emmy Beecham). Sunny (Daniel Wu) is stuck in the middle. He is the loyal head clipper for Quinn; but he yearns for freedom, and wants to escape with his pregnant girlfriend Veil (Madeleine Mantock). His interest has been piqued by a strange newcomer, M.K. (Aramis Knight) who shares a similar past as him, leading back to Asra (the land beyond the Badlands). So far through three episodes, Into the Badlands has been an assault on the senses in all the best ways. The show is colorful, sharp, and beautiful to behold… even when you’re watching bloody kung-fu action and violence.

Spoilers below.

Into The Badlands
Episode 1.3 “White Stork Spreads Wings”
Directed by David Dobkin
Written by Justine Juel Gillmer, Alfred Gough, Miles Millar
Starring Gabe Begneaud, Nazeema Bartek, Daniel Wu, Ruby Lou Smith, Aramis Knight, Ally Ioannides, Stephen Lang, Emily Beecham, Morgan Benoit, Marton Csokas, Sarah Bolger, Madeleine Mantock, Oliver Stark
AMC
Air date: Sunday, November 29, 2015, 10pm

On Into The Badlands, Sunny (Daniel Wu) is a man in conflict. He is a clipper, a modern-day samurai/knight for the Baron, Quinn (Marton Csokas). Sunny has an unknown past: a medallion links him to Asra, a land beyond the Badlands. After years of violent service to Quinn, Sunny now has to protect his pregnant girlfriend Veil (Madeleine Mantock) and look after his new protege, the mysterious M.K. (Aramis Knight), who gets a little crazy (and possessed) when attacked. Quinn meanwhile has his own issues to deal with as the most powerful Baron. He is slowly dying of brain tumors, and he was happy to kill to protect that secret. He is also dealing with a possible alliance of the other Barons led by The Widow (Emily Beecham).

So far in the first two episodes of this new AMC series, the formula has been epic fight… character fueled plot… epic fight scene. Let’s see if we continue the trend in week 3 with Episode 1.3 “White Stork Spreads Wings.”

Into The Badlands
Episode 1.2 “Fist Like a Bullet”
Directed by David Dobkin
Written by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar
Starring Gabe Begneaud, Nazeema Bartek, Daniel Wu, Ruby Lou Smith, Aramis Knight, Ally Ioannides, Stephen Lang, Emily Beecham, Morgan Benoit, Marton Csokas, Sarah Bolger, Madeleine Mantock, Oliver Stark
AMC
Air date: Sunday, November 22, 2015, 10pm

In our first introduction to AMC’s new show Into the Badlands, we meet Sunny (Daniel Wu) as he stumbles upon some nomads in the woods. After one of the most intense, bone-crunching fights you’ll ever watch, Sunny lays waste to all 10, including 9 at once. Sunny is a Clipper, a warrior trained like the knights/samurai of old to protect the land and resources of the Baron (Martin Csokas). It’s all very 10th grade global history, with a ultra cool modern twist. After the initial crazy fight, Sunny brings back a young boy, M.K. (Aramis Knight) to the Fort. M.K. has a pendant that is similar one Sunny possesses, one that echoes back to a land and time before the Barons, and beyond the Badlands. Baron Quinn trusts Sunny like a son, but that relationship may become complicated as Sunny is considering leaving with his pregnant girlfriend Veil (Madeleine Mantock).

Spoilers below!!!