Warrior – The Best Show You Probably Haven’t Heard Of
If talk of Itchy Onions getting sticky or dicing Ducks leaves you scratching your head then I’m going to assume you haven’t watched Warrior – the best show you probably haven’t heard of. Set in San Francisco at the height of the Tong Wars in the late 1800s, Warrior was developed from the writings of one Bruce Lee. Yes. That Bruce Lee. Originally written in the 70s as an 8 page treatment for a potential show or movie, Lee thought no-one in Hollywood would want a show with an Asian lead and so it was forgotten. Fast forward to a few years ago and the idea was picked up by Lee’s daughter Shannon who helped bring the show to life.
Sadly, due to the ending of dramatic programming on Cinemax, which had been the home of Warrior, the show was cut off in its prime after just two short seasons. If you have watched the show you’ll know that the final episode of season 2 tied up a few loose ends, but at the same time kicked off several new incendiary storylines which cannot just be allowed to end like that!
That’s why I’m here, to try and raise awareness of this phenomenal show, in the hopes that an increased audience on streaming services might nudge HBO to do the right thing.
What is Warrior About?
Warrior begins when a martial arts prodigy named Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji) arrives in San Francisco looking for someone. He’s singled out by the immigration officials and gets into a pretty impressive fight. This brings him to the attention of one of the many Tongs (gangs) active in the city, specifically the heir to the Hop Wei, Young Jun (Jason Tobin). As Ah Sahm journeys through San Francisco looking for his sister he runs across beautiful brothel madam Ah Toy (Olivia Cheng) and alluring American woman Penelope Blake (Joanna Vanderham) in between fights with the other Tongs. Not to mention falling foul of the SFPD Chinatown Division, headed by Big Bill O’Hara (Kieran Bew).
Season 1 weaves one hell of a tale of brewing tensions between the Irish American laborers (headed by Dean Jagger’s Dylan Leary) and the Chinese immigrants who are used as cheap labor by the industrialists of the city. Not to mention the rivalries between the Hop Wei, Fung Hai and Long Zii Tongs as they battle for control of the opium trade and to eliminate their rivals.
Season 2
The show returned for a second season and delved deeper into the city of San Francisco, opening up parts of the city we hadn’t seen before, as well as venturing further afield. They also added a bunch of new cast members to expand the story.
We met Rosalita Vega (Maria-Elena Laas) who runs the Barbary Coast fighting pits where Ah Sahm ends up after his disgraced exit at the end of S1. Through her we touch on the tensions between the settlers in California and the Mexicans from whom they took land. Another new character making waves in S2 was Nellie Davenport (Miranda Raison). A wealthy widow who had taken it upon herself to free Chinese women from exploitation, especially from brothels. This brings her into Ah Toy’s world, and while they clash at first, things take a surprising turn.
Things escalate all over the city. From the battles between the Tongs, to the tensions between the Irish American and Chinese inhabitants. Things come to a stunning conclusion just before the end of Season 2. As I said before, while some things are put to rest, other plot lines are put into motion that simply MUST be expanded upon in a third season.
Not Just Action
As you might expect from a show so intimately connected with martial arts master Bruce Lee, Warrior is crammed with jaw-dropping action. Andrew Koji is absolutely mesmerising when he fights, so it’s a really good job he does it A LOT. The frenetic fight scenes when the hatchet men of the Tongs go at each other are incredible. There is just so much going on you’ll probably end up rewatching scenes to make sure you catch it all. I know I did!
It’s not just the Tongs who get the action though. There are a couple of bare knuckle boxing matches in season 2 that will leave you punch drunk (or that could be the crush I’ve developed on Dean Jagger talking…). But it’s not all fighting. It’s a visual feast too. I defy any woman watching this show not to want the entirety of Ah Toy’s wardrobe.
And there are the political machinations to get caught up in, not to mention the stories of racial tensions that are just as relevant now as they were then. Warrior is so much more than the sum of its parts.
The entire show is currently streaming on HBOMax in the US, and Sky On Demand in the UK. With enough of an audience on streaming, perhaps The Powers That Be at HBOMax will do the right thing and save Warrior!
UPDATE
Thanks to Jason Tobin (aka Young Jun) we now have a link to HBO’s show request page. If you are in the US you can visit https://help.hbomax.com/feedback and request more Warrior. Let’s make it happen!
