Nate:
Sorry I missed your original post a month ago.
I'm usually not a fan of martial arts entertainment but the post apocalyptic feel intrigued me and, like you wrote, the fight sequences are amazing. The cast, largely international, is pretty well under the radar (save the wheelchair bound Stephen Lang who is always rock solid in anything he does) but the standouts are NZ born Marton Csokas as Quinn and Irish Orla Brady as his long suffering wife, Lydia.
I don't think the six episodes that made up Season One drew the numbers AMC wanted. Pity. "The Walking Dead" started out the same way - with six shows - but their viewership grew and "Into the Badlands" didn't.
I'm hopeful because I like the show: you've got desperate people in a desperate situation trying to find safety, salvation and, possibly, redemption. Hell, what's not to like? That's classic drama.
At the same time, shame on the production company for not setting the hook deep enough to capture the audience they needed to survive.
Fnord