Bubbling Tensions
Episode 3 of Warrior Season 2 begins with Ah Sahm continuing to fight, but the winnings are pittance compared to what he could be earning. There’s a place he could fight against the best of the country. While contemplating this, Chao shows up and mentions Mai Ling. Given his feud with her, Chao is curious to know what relation they have that’s worth risking blood on the street. Much like Bill, Mai Ling arrives to collect debts but this time to the tattooed Chinese, Zing. She promises to take him out of the opium business if he continues to defy her. Meanwhile, Samuel arrives to see Penny, unhappy about what’s happening at the factory. He demands she get rid of “those thugs”. Those thugs, of course, mean Ah Sahm and his boys. Given the volatile racism plaguing the streets, Samuel worries this could affect his campaign. Bill hits another debtor’s house, this time a man named Edgar. Although his wife tries to repay in a different way, Bill keeps his head and tells her to make sure they pay back what they owe soon. It’s one step too far though, and Bill confronts Zing again, warning he could get the police involved. Not long after, Zing approaches Chao and the pair make a deal. Following the opium stored away in Penny’s warehouse, Ah Sahm and Young Jun start to make good money. Excited, the latter mentions how they should be able to pay off their deficit within 3 months. That happiness is unfortunately short-lived when new recruits show up. Given they’re Chinese, Young Jun is not happy and confronts Father Jun about his decision. He’s not happy, especially given it makes Young Jun look like an idiot (his words) and the Long Zii peace could be threatened. Ah Sahm is approached by one of the new recruits, Hong. He’s excited and clearly wants to tag along with him and Young Jun. Eventually they agree to entertain the notion. As they arrive at the brothel, Ah Sahm notices Hong with another man. “Are you gunna say anything?” He asks. “You’re a Chinese in America, you’ve got bigger problems,” Ah Sahm replies, highlighting just how volatile this situation is. While Father Jun negotiates with Mai Ling to keep Zing away, the Fung Haii wind up in a world of problems. Ah Sahm and Young Jun bring Hong there to see what he’s capable of. It turns out he’s a formidable fighter and pretty crazy, easily dispatching the soldiers. After a fruitless meeting with Mai Ling, Chao and Li Yong meet up and discuss the futility of this fighting. Chao pitches another idea – one away from a war – and as the two begin talking the camera pans out and away from them. At the same time, Leary and Sophie start to get intimate. Afterward, they walk together down the streets talking. Given the class difference between them, Leary takes offence to Sophie “knowing” what it’s like. A harrowing story about famine is enough to set her straight though. Back at the station, Lee does a little hands-on investigation with a dead body and spatters of blood across the floor. With various different weapons, he attempts to figure out the exact blade used for the Chinese massacres. After this, Bill invites Lee over for dinner. He thanks them for their hospitality but feels like he’s imposing, eventually leaving them be. After he’s gone, Bill heads outside and looks through Lee’s notepad. Only, as the camera pans across, Zing’s men are back and hold his son Ethan up at knife-point. Thankfully Lee returns and a skirmish ensues inside. Blood and blades rain down, eventually ending with Bill barely surviving. As he locks eyes with Lee, he quickly looks away as he prepares for the inevitable questioning to come.
The Episode Review
There’s lots of political scheming going on right now across both gangs. The various players all teaming up is intriguing, and it’ll be interesting to see exactly what Chao and Li Yong were discussing there. That’s to say nothing of Father Jun’s new recruits, with Hong in particular looking to be a volatile wildcard going forward. So far the second season has been building things up nicely, with a really intense fight at the end of this episode giving a taste of things to come. The whole tense dinner scene followed by the fighting inside perfectly captures the mood, delivering the strongest episode of the season so far.
