The ups and downs this show has faced, and still does, makes me wonder just who the real warriors are. Season 3 continued to deliver high-octane action, brilliant martial-arts choreo, and some of the most unpredictable twists from this genre.
The plot picked up with the forging of new alliances and the coming of new official terrors courtesy the SFPD. All the core characters whose lives fans (like myself) have been part of faced fresh challenges to their lives and livelihoods.
This season of "Warrior" also amplified the romance angles, which lent the story a glaze of heart-warmed affection worth appreciating.
What Andrew Koji (as Ah Sahm) brought to this story has to go down in TV history as one of the finest and balanced martial arts performances in recent years. He grazed the likes of Bruce Lee in more than a few scenes, and that's saying something.
Hoon Lee (as Wang Chao), Jason Tobin (as Young Jun), Joe Taslim (as Li Yong), and Dean Jagger (as Dylan Leary) continued to captivate. They each had such extraordinary screen presence.
Olivia Cheng (as Ah Toy) and Dianne Doan (as Mai Ling) delivered superb performances that made a solid case for season 3 of "Warrior" progressing into a fourth innings.
Speaking of which, the show and its players certainly held the fort. What exactly might have happened BTS, fans remain unsure. But it looks like there won't be a "Warrior" season 4 anytime soon; all the sadder for it.
Netflix seems to have taken over from HBO Max, so there's a small chance the new party may greenlight round four, but things remains doubtful.
Be that as it may, "Warrior" went out with a bang in season 3. I loved every moment of this show and am both surprised and saddened to watch it go (probably, at least).
Special shout-out to Kieran Bew (as Bill O'Hara), Langley Kirkwood (as Walter Buckley), Chen Tang (as Hong), Tom Weston-Jones (as Richard Lee), Miranda Raison (as Nellie Davenport), Nick Cordileone (as Agent Moseley), Chelsea Muirhead (as Yan Mi), Jazzara Jaslyn (as Eliza Pendleton), Dominique Maher (as Catherine Archer). This season wouldn't have been the same without them in it.
Late 1800s San Francisco came alive once more, with tongs and territories being the name of the game. Corruption, greed, and a good bit of racism and casteism added to the stunning blend of inhumanity the show capably balanced.
Counterfeiting rackets, railroad sabotages, fresh-blooming romances, surprising deaths, and even more surprising survivals enriched this final (potentially) season of "Warrior".
On the other side of the coin, empathy, family, choices, challenges, fate, and destiny all danced in captivating quick-step, rendering the "Warrior" TV series charming to a fault.
There are still so many angles and arcs left for them to explore. But if this is the end, then they made it seem like such an end as to be remembered and emulated. The show has certainly set a gilded benchmark for long-form Chinese martial arts storytelling for the small screen.
Let me close this review with quotes from the series creator and a key partner.
Jonathan Tropper (series creator): "Warrior is a show that simply refuses to die. Through platform and regime changes, the writers, producers, cast, crew, and our stunt team continued to make something powerful, relevant, and wildly unique. And now, thanks to Netflix, we've been given yet another lease on life, and I'm thrilled for everyone involved that millions more viewers around the world will discover it."
Shannon Lee (series executive producer and daughter of Bruce Lee): "If anything can be said about Warrior, with Bruce Lee in our corner, our indomitable spirit is REAL! And so, my wish is that the huge global Netflix audience LOVES Warrior and from that Love more goodness flows - in the form of greater recognition for our talented cast and crew who deserve all the things, in the form of passionate fandom for this relevant kick ass show and, if I dare to dream, in the form of an opportunity to continue our story for our amazing fans who, thanks to Netflix, will have grown in number and enthusiasm!"
The plot picked up with the forging of new alliances and the coming of new official terrors courtesy the SFPD. All the core characters whose lives fans (like myself) have been part of faced fresh challenges to their lives and livelihoods.
This season of "Warrior" also amplified the romance angles, which lent the story a glaze of heart-warmed affection worth appreciating.
What Andrew Koji (as Ah Sahm) brought to this story has to go down in TV history as one of the finest and balanced martial arts performances in recent years. He grazed the likes of Bruce Lee in more than a few scenes, and that's saying something.
Hoon Lee (as Wang Chao), Jason Tobin (as Young Jun), Joe Taslim (as Li Yong), and Dean Jagger (as Dylan Leary) continued to captivate. They each had such extraordinary screen presence.
Olivia Cheng (as Ah Toy) and Dianne Doan (as Mai Ling) delivered superb performances that made a solid case for season 3 of "Warrior" progressing into a fourth innings.
Speaking of which, the show and its players certainly held the fort. What exactly might have happened BTS, fans remain unsure. But it looks like there won't be a "Warrior" season 4 anytime soon; all the sadder for it.
Netflix seems to have taken over from HBO Max, so there's a small chance the new party may greenlight round four, but things remains doubtful.
Be that as it may, "Warrior" went out with a bang in season 3. I loved every moment of this show and am both surprised and saddened to watch it go (probably, at least).
Special shout-out to Kieran Bew (as Bill O'Hara), Langley Kirkwood (as Walter Buckley), Chen Tang (as Hong), Tom Weston-Jones (as Richard Lee), Miranda Raison (as Nellie Davenport), Nick Cordileone (as Agent Moseley), Chelsea Muirhead (as Yan Mi), Jazzara Jaslyn (as Eliza Pendleton), Dominique Maher (as Catherine Archer). This season wouldn't have been the same without them in it.
Late 1800s San Francisco came alive once more, with tongs and territories being the name of the game. Corruption, greed, and a good bit of racism and casteism added to the stunning blend of inhumanity the show capably balanced.
Counterfeiting rackets, railroad sabotages, fresh-blooming romances, surprising deaths, and even more surprising survivals enriched this final (potentially) season of "Warrior".
On the other side of the coin, empathy, family, choices, challenges, fate, and destiny all danced in captivating quick-step, rendering the "Warrior" TV series charming to a fault.
There are still so many angles and arcs left for them to explore. But if this is the end, then they made it seem like such an end as to be remembered and emulated. The show has certainly set a gilded benchmark for long-form Chinese martial arts storytelling for the small screen.
Let me close this review with quotes from the series creator and a key partner.
Jonathan Tropper (series creator): "Warrior is a show that simply refuses to die. Through platform and regime changes, the writers, producers, cast, crew, and our stunt team continued to make something powerful, relevant, and wildly unique. And now, thanks to Netflix, we've been given yet another lease on life, and I'm thrilled for everyone involved that millions more viewers around the world will discover it."
Shannon Lee (series executive producer and daughter of Bruce Lee): "If anything can be said about Warrior, with Bruce Lee in our corner, our indomitable spirit is REAL! And so, my wish is that the huge global Netflix audience LOVES Warrior and from that Love more goodness flows - in the form of greater recognition for our talented cast and crew who deserve all the things, in the form of passionate fandom for this relevant kick ass show and, if I dare to dream, in the form of an opportunity to continue our story for our amazing fans who, thanks to Netflix, will have grown in number and enthusiasm!"