'Into The Badlands' Star Emily Beecham On The Widow's Feminism, Trusting Tilda, And Episode 2's Biggest Moments

If the premiere of "Into The Badlands" introduced fans to the men of the Badlands, episode 2 was all about the women. Sure, Sunny (Daniel Wu) had a run-in with the Widow in the premiere, but episode 2, "The Fort," let the first female baron take center stage -- foiling an ambush of Quinn's (Marton Csokas) assassins, interrogating M.K. (Aramis Knight) in her house full of female Clippers, and dispatching her mysterious right hand girl, Tilda (Ally Loannides), to get to the bottom of M.K.'s hidden powers.

Emily Beecham, the English actress behind the Widow, spoke with International Business Times after episode 2 to talk about the Widow's big fight scene, her relationship with Tilda and if she really buys Tilda's attempt to hide M.K.'s abilities.

International Business Times: You had a pretty incredible fight scene in the first scene of this episode. That is the first time fans have gotten to see what the Widow can do in combat. Was that the first major fight scene you filmed for the show?

Emily Beecham: Yes it was. I was pretty much learning on set.

IBT: What was the biggest challenge for you in that scene?

Beecham: Definitely falling into a perfect split!

Watch Emily Beecham pull off a perfect split while slicing up bad guys in the scene from episode 2 below:

IBT: Was that the most intense fight scene you have this season or is there another coming down the road?

Beecham: The most challenging scene was actually in episode 5. We were filming in some old ruins in New Orleans underground in impenetrable heat.

IBT: The Widow tells M.K. that she is not like Quinn, but, while she may be all for gender equality, she seems to be pretty ruthlessly violent herself. Is she really any different?

Beecham: Well, she believes she is not unnecessarily violent. She is driven by different motives. The Badlands is a violent place, though. She uses violence to survive.

IBT: M.K. remarks that the Widow's plantation is staffed almost entirely of women. Is the feminist philosophy she has about her own house something she hopes to spread across the Badlands. Is that why she wants to go after Quinn?

Beecham: Definitely! The Badlands is largely a male-dominated environment, and the Widow has had to fight against that. She's fighting for equality and for women to have an equal say. She's challenging the whole system.

IBT: If the Widow is such a better alternative to the other Barons, why is Tilda protecting M.K. from her?

Beecham: Tilda relates a lot to M.K. and he opened up to her a lot about his mother. She is conflicted a lot about her own mother.

IBT: Does the Widow trust Tilda?

Beecham: She has known Tilda for a very long time. She is her closest confidant. In the Badlands none of the characters trust each other. They can't! The Widow does trust Tilda though.

IBT: So, how will it affect their relationship when and if the Widow finds out that Tilda lied about cutting M.K.?

Beecham: It's going to change their relationship. She is going to be a little more wary. She is seeing Tilda with new eyes. Tilda is becoming a woman with a voice of her own. It is unsettling for the Widow.

IBT: The Widow must trust Tilda a fair extent at this point. She seems pretty convinced by Tilda and M.K.'s little masquerade.

Beecham: That thing about M.K has not left her mind. It doesn't add up. Nothing about him or his story seemed to add up until that moment and she is going to keep thinking about it.

IBT: So, she is going to keep up the search for "the boy."

Beecham: Definitely.

IBT: How does she know that there is a powerful boy out there to find in the first place?

Beecham: That will be explained later on. It will be a very unexpected development. I can't say much more than that or I'll be in trouble with [series creators Al Gough and Miles Millar]!

"Into the Badlands" airs Sundays at 10 p.m. EST on AMC. Watch the promo for episode 3 below: