Force of Eagle's Claw

"**Force of Eagle's Claw**" is the second episode of the second season of *Into the Badlands*. It aired on March 26, 2017.

## Synopsis

While Sunny and Bajie struggle to stay alive, The Widow faces challenges as she consolidates her power, and M.K. discovers secrets about his past.

## Plot

After Sunny’s Clipper identity is revealed, the Engineer sets a battle between Sunny and Mouse at the Bordo Mines. He shackles Sunny and Bajie together as way to "even out the odds" and as punishment for Bajie ratting him out. "You’re going to live or die together,” the Engineer taunts.

The Pickers yell "mouse trap!" as Mouse enters the pit. Sunny and Bajie take hits while chained to one another, but Sunny manages to block most of them and prevent Mouse from breaking Bajie's leg. In one swift move, Sunny flips Bajie over so he lands on top of Mouse. Bajie gets a couple of punches in before he and Sunny run out of the pit.

Mouse catches up with Sunny and Bajie and pushes Sunny dangerously close to a giant spinning exhaust fan. Bajie lodges Mouse's machete in the fan before it decapitates Sunny, then crawls out in-between the giant blades. Mouse grabs Sunny’s legs before he can follow Bajie to the other side. Bajie pulls hard and both Sunny and Mouse fall through. The machete drops out of the fan and Sunny fly-kicks Mouse, sending him into the spinning blades. His guts splatter over the Engineer's face as Sunny and Bajie escape.

At The Widow's Sanctuary, Waldo – who betrayed Quinn and changed alliances – admonishes Tilda for slaughtering a group of Clippers in Odessa’s honor. He declares they're at war and suggests doing away with emotions, like Sunny did. Tilda asks about word from the River King, but Waldo guesses Sunny is dead. Tilda assumes the same is true of M.K.

At the Totemist compound – where Quinn's wife, Lydia, went after being banned from the Fort – the community celebrates a wedding. Lydia expresses gratitude for being welcomed back to the group. "You saved me," she says. Suddenly, a spear impales the groom to a tree. Two Nomads kill another Totemist and drag a woman away as the congregation sinks to their knees in silent prayer. One of the Nomads raises his knife over Lydia’s father Penrith, who doesn't react, before Lydia swoops in and stabs the Nomad in the stomach. A fight ensues between Lydia and the second Nomad. He squeezes her throat and she manages to grab a knife and slice his neck open. Afterwards, Penrith reprimands Lydia for her violent actions on their land.

At the Monastery, M.K. wakes up from a nightmare. The Master stands over him with an origami blossom and beckons him to follow her. Tate notices.

The Master takes M.K. to a room made up of mirrors. As M.K. stares at his reflections, the Master explains the mirrors hold memories. She crushes the paper blossom in her hand, turning it to smoke. M.K. inhales and is sent to his past.

M.K. stands in a cargo hold of an ancient ship, bloody bodies surrounding him. A hooded figure grabs him and reveals himself as M.K. in his dark state. M.K. screams and lands back in the mirrored room.

In the Master's personal chamber, M.K. wakes up and realizes he killed the people on the ship, but The Master faults "the one who takes control." She urges him to claim his gift from his dark self before he can ever leave the Monastery.

In an abandoned subway tunnel, Quinn promises redemption to a group of men who stayed loyal after the Fort was compromised. He praises a young boy, Gabriel, for making his first kill – a deer – and announces a celebration planned for that night.

At Ryder's mansion – which used to belong to Jacobee – Lydia tells Ryder about the Nomad raid and thinks his help will make a good impression on his own worker Cogs, who are religious. She knows his Cogs have been abandoning his poppy fields to fight for The Widow and offers to help Ryder "think like a Baron." Ryder, defensive, grabs her and reminds her of her lack of faith in him. He threatens to let the Totemists go without his protection.

Sunny and Bajie wander across a barren landscape, still chained together.

At the Monastery the next day, Ava tells M.K. that Tate ran away. She asks about M.K.’s training and says she's never seen the Master take on a novice. M.K. tells her to think about the worst thing she's ever done “reflecting back at you a thousand times over." Ava admits they’ve all killed people.

M.K. returns to the Master to face his dark self again. In a mirror vision, he's sent to the woods, where he hears his mother screaming from afar. He runs, but is stopped by his dark self, who warns him to "go back." The pair leaps toward each other and face off until M.K.'s dark self pins him to a tree and gut punches him while M.K.'s mouth fills with blood. In the present, M.K. convulses. The Master strikes him with chi to bring him back.

At Quinn’s hideout, one of Quinn's Loyalists watches Veil lustfully. Quinn catches him and dismisses him. Veil begs Quinn for fresh air, but Quinn says Sunny left behind too many enemies who might discover the child. He insists Sunny abandoned her or "must be dead." He thanks her for saving his life the night he was wounded and insists he just wants to "return the favor." Veil chooses to name the baby Henry, after her father, who died at the hands of Quinn.

Bajie confronts Sunny for almost leaving him at the mines to rot and guesses the rumors about Clippers having no conscience are true. Sunny plans to head to the Badlands alone to find Veil, and Bajie says he has "unfinished business" there himself. Bajie uses a bone from a rat he caught to unshackle them both and advises against navigating the Outlying Territories alone.

That night, at Quinn's hideout, the deer that Gabriel caught sits decapitated and mounted on a pole. Quinn shares the history of baptisms in the Badlands. He admits he neglected the ritual with Ryder, but fate has offered a "second chance" to baptize the Badlands' newest heir. Before the baptism continues, Quinn confronts the Loyalist he caught eyeing Veil and stabs him in the eye with a deer antler as a warning to the men. Veil watches as Quinn drinks deer blood and brushes some across Henry's forehead. The Loyalists shout Henry's name in unison.

At The Widow's Sanctuary, Waldo brings The Widow news of Ryder’s invitation for all Barons to meet at a conclave. If Ryder convinces the other Barons that The Widow's attack on the oil fields violated the Foundation Treaty, Waldo warns they can expect an attack. The Widow suggests gaining the upper hand by killing them all first. Waldo shoots down the reckless idea and suggests a diplomatic approach, though he stands by the use of violence if the Barons initiate.

The next day, Quinn shows Veil to a tiny room where sunlight pours in through the ceiling. She smiles.

Sunny and Bajie continue their journey. Sunny stops when they reach the top of a hill and looks down at a huge wall that runs the entire length of the Badlands. Bajie says they can get through "if you know the right people." He walks off and Sunny begrudgingly follows.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 *Force of Eagle's Claw* - AMC