After a long wait, a third season of Warrior (2019) was finally available this year. The storylines look a bit shaky here and there, but otherwise you are presented with a range of excellently choreographed action scenes. It took a while before a third season was available. The wait is largely rewarded, although there are a number of caveats. Compared to the previous seasons, I found the third season a bit disappointing story-wise. On the other hand, the numerous violent action scenes are again present. In that respect, the makers of Warrior (2019) are presenting their fans with exactly what they expect.
At the start of the third season, peace has returned to San Francisco. The rival tongs, the Hop Wei and the Long Zii, had briefly united to drive the police out of the city. Now that the agents have disappeared from their territories, the fragile peace appears to be short-lived. They start fighting each other again, because opium has to be sold. It becomes immediately clear in the opening scene of the third season that they are going to compete with each other. Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji, The Innocents) is surrounded in a dark alley by a group of Long Zii warriors. What follows is a lengthy and fabulously choreographed action sequence that Warrior (2019) is known for.
This season is taking a little too long to get going. Only in the last episodes do you get the feeling that the series is back to the level of what you are used to as a viewer.
The series is based on the concept of martial arts legend Bruce Lee. As a viewer, you know that the events and storylines in this series serve to herald the next battle. Despite this, I have found the storylines to date acceptably entertaining for an action series. In my opinion, the third season has a little more difficulty keeping up the story-technical quality. This season is taking a little too long to get going. Only in the last episodes do you get the feeling that the series is back to the level of what you are used to as a viewer.
As far as I'm concerned, the cause lies with the path the makers have taken regarding the migrant issue. This is a recurring theme in the series, but in my opinion, it goes a little too much in a political direction. The Irish still have a hard time finding work because the Chinese can be hired much cheaper. In their view, the Chinese should leave the field, while the capitalists would rather hire Chinese workers. The spokesman for the rebellious Irish is Dylan Leary (Dean Jagger, See). In previous seasons he mainly let his fists do the talking, but now he has been transformed into someone who has to play political games. In addition, the changes in power in the police take a little too much time. Perhaps the makers want Warrior (2019) to be more than just an action series, but it is not all equally conducive to what the series is actually about.
Despite the above criticism, it does not alter the fact that it remains a fantastic series to watch. For example, Ah Toy (Olivia Cheng, See) seeks revenge after the events of last season. Once again, a number of unexpected alliances are forming, which will lead to new conflicts. I think the best part of this season is Ah Sahm's quest. He struggles with obeying the Hop Wei's ideas, which are not entirely in line with his own feelings. As the season progresses, Ah Sahm begins to have doubts about whether he can no longer mean more to the people if he follows his own path. This causes friction between Ah Sahm and Young Jun (Jason Tobin, The King of Queens). I won't reveal how this will unfold here, of course, but it will provide plenty of spectacle.
The conclusion is that the third season is slightly inferior to the previous seasons, but that it remains a fantastic series to watch. We recently read on MySeries that Warrior (2019) will once again find a new home. This time the series will move from HBO Max to Netflix. Initially, it will only concern the existing seasons. If this is looked at carefully, there is a possibility of a new season. I hope this becomes a reality in the future, because I don't think Ah Sahm is ready to hang up his nunchucks just yet.
I completely agree with your review and I thought it was a shame that the third season was a bit disappointing. The first and second seasons had a good and fascinating story that alternated with beautiful action scenes. In the third season it seemed to only be about the action scenes. I also hope there will be a sequel.
