Preview — Warrior Season 2 Episode 1: Learn To Endure, Or Hire A Bodyguard

Set against the backdrop of the Tong Wars in the 18th century, Warrior follows a Chinese immigrant, Ah Sahm, who has sailed all the way across “The Salt” to come to San Francisco in search of his missing sister. He barely steps off the boat before he’s into trouble, captured and sold to the Hop Wei, one of the major Tongs (Chinese organized crime family) in Chinatown where his prodigious martial artistry is put to use.

Warrior is back for its sophomore season and ready for the fight of its life, and we’re not just referring to the intense and amazingly choreographed fight scenes, but also for the continuation of the show itself as Cinemax has decided to cut all original programming from their network.

The show is executive produced by Justin Lin (True Detective), Jonathan Tropper (Banshee) and Shannon Lee, daughter to the late Bruce Lee, whose original concept the show is based on.

Starring Andrew Koji as Ah Sahm, Olivia Cheng as Ah Toy, Diane Doane as Mai Ling and Jason Tobin as Young Jun, amongst others.

The last time we see Ah Sahm, he has briefly taken up a life of nonviolence and honest work as a laborer. However, when his fellow workers on a construction site are attacked by Leary and his Irish workmen, Ah Sahm decides to take matters into his own hands. It has been a long wait to see the fallout from that confrontation between Leary’s men and Ah Sahm — 16 months to be exact — but it’s finally here. 

Warrior Season 2 Episode 1, “Learn to Endure, or Hire a Bodyguard,” will, by all indications, mark the beginning of the end of the Tongs. Inevitably, Ah Sahm will find a way to be right in the middle of it. 

Ah Sahm has a tendency to use his fists more often than his words, but after being beaten to within an inch of his life on the penultimate episode of Season 1, his time spent recovering from his injuries forced him to take a beat, reflect on his actions and decide what trajectory he wants his life to travel in. But old habits die hard, and it doesn’t take long before we find Ah Sahm back in familiar surroundings laying the hurt on his opponents.

On the opposing side of the war is his sister Mai Ling (Doane), whose desire to rise to the top of the food chain in Chinatown hasn’t abated, and after she strikes a powder keg of an agreement with the Fung Hai Tong, we’re itching to see how that’s working out for her.

Ah Toy has always played her cards close to her chest and is probably the smartest player of the deadly tug-of-war in Chinatown because barely any one of them even knows she exists. At least not as anything more than the Madame of the local Hop Wei brothel.

Check out the photos and promo video below for a preview!

Episode description: Back with the Hop Wei, Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji) spends his nights at the Barbary Coast fight pit, confronting a new anti-Chinese group, Teddy’s Boys. While Ah Toy (Olivia Cheng) accuses him of just looking for another fight, an empowered Mai Ling (Dianne Doan) worries about her brother’s next steps. Meanwhile, Bill (Kieran Bew) finds it hard to break out of his role as enforcer for Zing; Penny (Joanna Vanderham) is determined to continue running Mercer Steel, much to Blake’s (Christian McKay) dismay; and Chao (Hoon Lee) offers Ah Sahm some advice for his future with Young Jun (Jason Tobin).

Written and directed by Jonathan Tropper.

Photos from Warrior Season 2 Episode 1:

Promo video:

 

What are your hopes for this episode of Warrior? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below, and be sure to catch up with our review of Warrior Season 2 Episode 1 right here.

Warrior airs Friday at 10/9c on Cinemax.

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