Why You Should Watch Warrior
You're doing the whole TV thing wrong if you're not watching Warrior
The first 3 episodes of Warrior season 3 premiered on Thursday, June 29th, making it a little over 2 and a half years since the second season premiered way back on October 2nd, 2020. Well, that long absence proved to be inconsequential quality-wise as the show hasn’t missed a step since its return. From the high-octane action to the family drama, to the societal and political themes of the time period, it’s all there and it’s firing on all cylinders.
Before I continue, I do want to mention that if you do not know what Warrior is about, I highly recommend reading “Based On the Writings Of Bruce Lee, 'Warrior' Explores a Forgotten Part of Chinese-American History” by Christina Zhao, which was initially published ahead of the season 1 premiere back in 2019. Christina does a great job of explaining what the series is about and how it is inspired by the writings of Bruce Lee. So, open a new tab and read Christina’s article… I’ll wait.
*waiting…*
Oh great you’re done!
Anyway, this season is exploring some really interesting themes and is giving many of the characters some deep arcs that will leave most if not all of them very much changed by the end of the season. The team behind the series has been able to balance so many characters and storylines so well. I mean I’m thoroughly invested in what could be considered the C and D storylines of the season. Doesn’t matter what level of story I’m in. Inject into my veins as the kids say, if they do in fact still say that. They’ve balanced all of these storylines with such ease too. Nothing feels bloated, nothing feels out of place, nothing feels like it’s a waste of time, everything feels purposeful to push the story forward. It’s well balanced and well-paced through the first 6 episodes. Again, zero signs of rust with the third season.
What I love most about this season is that it’s exploring the theme of identity and whether you truly are what people see you as. Whether it’s Ah Sahm (played by Andrew Koji) seeing himself as a protector when he’s viewed as a gangster by many or Dylan Leary (played by Dean Jagger) being viewed as a thug when he’s trying to become a larger figure for the Irish to follow. Young Jun (played by Jason Tobin) being the hot-headed leader of the Hop Wei but a certain event happens in the fifth episode that really makes Young Jun look in the mirror about what he’s done to people that were in and around Hop Wei territory. All are looming character questions that we should see worked out by season’s end.
I should add, the exploration of identity is not new ground for the series either. It’s been something that Warrior has explored over the course of the first 2 seasons but to me they’ve really expanded the scope of that examination. Viewers are going to see so many other characters getting that treatment it’s really amazing to see. I mean Mai Ling, Li Yong, Lee, Ah Toy, Lai, Bill, Pennie, Buckley, and more are all set up on arcs that will seemingly change them all in drastic ways by the end of it. That’s an exciting prospect for me.
I can’t think of very many series that set things in motion in such a way to where so much of the cast of characters could be vastly different by the end. They’ve done it so effortlessly too; nothing has felt forced or thrown in for the sake of things. Everything feels purposeful and meaningful for each character’s arc. Will Ah Sahm become more than a hatchet man? I think so. Will Li Yong become a leader of the Long Zii? I think so. Is Leary going to become more than a thug that uses his fists? I think so. So many areas of change are coming for the characters, setting up new problems and rivalries between characters that will be interesting to explore.
Of course, I can’t talk about Warrior without mentioning the action. I love the way they handle action sequences. You can see the action, you get a sense of the flow of combat, it’s not over edited to where there are so many cuts that you lose a sense of what’s happening, plus you don’t have to worry about a shaky cam that shakes so much that it makes you feel like you’re driving over the most pothole filled street ever. There’s none of that on Warrior. The team behind Warrior really allow viewers to see/experience the brutal beauty of fighting with outstanding fight choreography.
It doesn’t hurt when you have people like Andrew Koji or Joe Taslim in your show either. Both are amazing actors that really excel at on screen fight sequences too. You need actors capable of delivering believable fight sequences nowadays too. We’re in a post John Wick, The Raid Redemption, Extraction world, there’s a higher standard of clearance for fight scenes nowadays. That’s no concern for Warrior though as it captures fights beautifully with great cinematography and choreography. That’s easier said than done because so many movies and series just don’t seem to grasp or nail those aspects. A lot of times it feels like they’re dependent on CGI or over editing to get through. Those are used as crutches to deliver good action sequences but that’s not the way to do it now. Those should only be used as tools to enhance an action sequence not replace become dependent on it. If you don’t understand that then you end up with clunky action scenes where there are 100 jump cuts while shooting with a shaky camera for a 2-minute scene. Please no, don’t do it. I want to be able to see it and not hurl from motion sickness.
Take Warrior’s opening scene in season 3 where we see Ah Sahm take on 7 to 8 members of the Long Zii. It’s so well done because you not only see some cool fighting but also the fight tells a story of where Ah Sahm’s confidence level is at nowadays. Going against the foot soldiers of the Long Zii is no problem nowadays for Ah Sahm. He battles them off with ease and power even when the hatchets come out. All he needs is his fists and it’s over for the members of the Long Zii. However, when Li Yong enters the picture the demeanor of Ah Sahm changes, you see the difference right away because he knows he can’t underestimate Li Yong. Ah Sahm knows Li Yong is the one fighter in Chinatown, heck in San Francisco that he has yet to beat. Random prediction: I think somehow some way we’re getting a Li Yong versus Ah Sahm rematch this season.
There’s so much more that I want to discuss about this show but I’ll save it for a future post. For now, take a chance on Warrior if you haven’t already. The first 6 episodes of season 3 are out now with new episodes premiering on HBO Max every Thursday. If you’re watching already then listen to the special podcast series that I’m doing right now with my friend Andrew Crews of the Crewsin Podcast. We’re doing week to week breakdowns of the latest episodes of Warrior as they premiere. Head over to your preferred podcast platform of choice and just search the Crewsin Podcast, you’ll find our Warrior Cast episodes there. You can also watch them on the Crewsin Podcast YouTube channel, check out the latest episode below.
What have you thought of Warrior season 3? Let me know! Message me or on any of my social media. I’m ProducerMike975 on all socials.