Warrior Review: Not How We Do Business (Season 2 Episode 3)

Protection is paramount on Warrior Season 2 Episode 3, “Not How We Do Business,” as Zing grows his influence and sets his sights on those who are not on his payroll.

The Hop Wei have mostly stayed out of his sights, though they may be too big of a target for now. But Zing is becoming the most dangerous threat on the show as Mai Ling effectively lets him loose.

It’s curious that the cold war between the Hop Wei and the Long Zii may be the larger, looming issue, but Zing and his Fung Hai are making a play for the biggest threat for balance on the show.

Zing is inserting himself into every issue and gaining a hold on people, from Bill to Chao to Mai Ling, slowly but surely (though it’s unclear if she’s allowing this or sees him as a useful, boastful idiot of sorts). He’s overconfident, but given how damaging he can be, it may be somewhat justified.

His attack on Bill’s home is one of the most intense fights Warrior has pulled off, and it does so by becoming sloppy and unpredictable. We’re used to incredibly gorgeous choreographed fights with experienced fighters, and so when things get messy, they could easily turn horrifying.

Bill, Lee, and Lucy may come out on top, but the terror of nearly losing will certainly change their lives. The question is whether or not Lucy will allow Bill’s extracurricular activities to affect their home in such a way, or if this may be the final straw for her.

Bill and Lucy are incredibly close, potentially the most stable of connections on the show, and she has accepted a lot of his faults before. But now that their children have been threatened, that may be the final straw, unfortunately. Plus she’s killed a man, which is certain to change her.

Besides, Bill and Lee won’t let this one slide. He does promise Zing to come down on him with the full extent of the police force, after all, before this attack even, and so that will likely be the next move. But the question becomes: what if that isn’t enough?

So why is Mai Ling allowing Zing to operate in this way? She’s been hiding in plain sight for so long, and so maybe this is another ploy to allow Zing to overplay his hand, erupt everything to violence, and to pick up the spoils. But with her aligned with him, this would likely hurt her, too.

There must be a strategy, but it hasn’t become clear yet, something that is frustrating Li Yong. If she can’t even tell him, after trusting him with everything during the first season, maybe she’s going down a dark path only Ah Sahm can pull her away from.

At least Ah Sahm and Young Jun’s enterprise is growing. Though Blake and Buckley may have something to say about that, trying to push Penelope to change her staff and protection at the factory.

This side of the story is a little slight, as it’s more focused on Father Jun’s faltering trust and the new recruits. The new recruits do have Hong, though, so that’s a massive positive.

Hong is a fantastic addition, his excitable personality and fun disposition a one-eighty compared to the rest of the cast. But there’s also his fighting style, which is unbelievably fast and kinetic. Chen Tang makes a great first impression here, and hopefully keeps with Ah Sahm and Young Jun and becomes a larger piece of the show going forward.

The women of Warrior all have business troubles on the episode, and it’s great that they are all standing their ground. Penelope won’t be pushed around by her husband, Ah Toy is noticing her business partner may be a loose end, and Mai Ling is standing her ground.

Along with Sophie growing closer to Leary, they are entering proposals that likely don’t have the best of outcomes, as violence may follow each one, but for now, they are rising to the occasion. The show is really allowing its sizable cast to breathe and have their moments, and the women of the show are no exception.

Penelope’s growing more open with her rebellion against Blake, and it’s a great source of comedy for the show. With the way he speaks to her in her office, though, that lightness certainly won’t last. She is nearly shaking with anger, something we have not seen in her before.

But the most curious development is Chao. He lets Ah Sahm know he’s catching on to everything, and he has a frank conversation with Zi Long at the end of the episode, presumably telling him everything he knows, or at least enough to set up a bigger game.

Is he making a larger play, taking advantage of his loyalty to no one, as Zing says, or is this an attempt to even the odds and allow for more peace? He sees things a few plays ahead, and so he must see Li Yong as a trusted ally to put things right.

The screws are tightening on each storyline, and Warrior is handling the increasing tension with a growing feeling of unease. Some of these characters are entering battles they likely can’t walk away from, and they just don’t know it yet.

Some stray thoughts on the episode:

• Mai Ling parrots one of Zing’s lines to Chao, which may show the influence he is growing over her.
• Vega mentions a higher scale fighting ring to Ah Sahm, which hopefully pops up later on. Some massive competition could be fun for Ah Sahm to face, especially if he drags along Hong.
• Buckley has some Jack the Ripper vibes with his carriage and picking up women, but it turns into a rather tame hair-washing scene. Is the newspaper outside for later, or does he just have some peculiar tastes? He’s the biggest enigma even still, thirteen episodes deep.

 

What did you think of this episode of Warrior? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Warrior airs Fridays at 10/9c on Cinemax.

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