Into the Badlands: Secrets of the Meridian Chamber Revealed

Into the Badlands season 3 is the show at its best. The acting, the writing, the production — it’s doing that “firing on all cylinders” thing, basically. 

One of my personal favorites touches this year is the extra (and noticeable) attention to detail the production design has put into creating the immersive world of the series. One of the most visually striking sets this year is that of the Meridian Chamber, which plays a huge role in Season 3’s truly epic story arc. So, naturally, we had to ask oone of the show’s creators, Miles Millar, all about it. 

“We spent many, many months in Ireland [where the show is filmed],” Millar said. “I think for us, [Into the Badlands is] a very singular show with the costumes and the sets and the story. It’s not a show we could ever take our hands off, so our fingers are in everything and on everything.”

read more: How The Fights Scenes of Into The Badlands Come Together

That includes the look and feel of the Meridian Chamber, the once and future gateway to Azra.

“The Meridian Chamber was loosely based on the Pantheon in Rome,” Millar said. “The Pantheon is the oldest concrete structure in the world and has this amazing press concrete roof.”

This design reference was updated to fit Badlands‘ post-apocalyptic proclivities by combining elements of technology from our past that would seem high-tech to Barons and Dark Ones alike.

“That’s the idea of ancient civilization and new technology,” Millar said. “The consoles and control panels are based on the soviet power station I think in Soulvakia or something. So we got moulds of those.”

“It’s this idea of the old and new together,” Millar added. “The old tech in this sort of supernatural or spiritual dimension as well with the chi and the dark-eyed ones. So it’s sort of like this almost paganistic as well, stone hengey with the monolith, a combination of all these different elements that hopefully form this original looking set…The idea of the raked sand is obviously from Japanese culture and zen gardens. You have a lot of different elements coming together to make a whole.”

Read the latest Into The Badlands review here

While we had him, we also asked Millar to tease the upcoming series finale of Into the Badlands, which, um, may or may not feature the Meridian Chamber during its runtime. 

“We really wanted to give the story an ending, but also always leave a few side doors open,”  He said. “This world is going to continue in one form or another beyond the show. So I think for us, especially with Sunny and The Widow and all of the characters who’ve literally been on the journey since the first episode, it’s been how do you really give them the best emotional send-off you can give them?”

Will the Meridian Chamber lead Sunny, Bajie, Tilda, and The Widow to their happy endings…or ultimate fates? Find out by watching the final episodes of Into the Badlands airing Mondays at 10PST/9C on AMC.

Keep up with all our Into the Badlands season 3 news, reviews, and more right here.

Stephen Harber is the creator of the Batman/Doctor Who Adventures, a fanmade webcomic tribute. Read more of his work here, and follow him on Instagram @onlywriterever.