Bullet Points: Warrior (S3 Ep8) “You Know When You’re Losing a Fight”
A few weeks back I declared Episode 6 as my favorite episode from Season 3… well, it just got bumped by Episode 8!
- Wedding Day: Last week I asked if the wedding of Mai Ling and Li Yong would be saved for the season finale and I quickly got my answer as “You Know When You’re Losing a Fight?” and it began with a procession through Chinatown as Mai Ling made a grand entrance to her wedding… The reception following the wedding was the backdrop for multiple storyline advancements including Agents Mosley and Lee keeping a watchful eye over the proceedings and Lee wondering out loud what the rival Long Zi and Hop Wei were doing celebrating together and what was Yan Mi, the printer’s daughter doing there as Ah Sahm’s date… Speaking of, the reception also gave Ah Sahm a chance to speak to Young Jun about his decision to have Yan Mi train more printers… More importantly the council of elders led by Kong Pak pull Li Yong off to the side hoping that he would step up in more of a leadership role now that he is married to Mai Ling and help curb some of her ambitions that put them at risk. Li Yong politely turns them down and is told they will fight to gain control of the tong if it comes to that.
- Inauguration Day: Meanwhile Walter Buckley is being sworn in as the Mayor of San Francisco much to the delight of his lady Catherine Archer. Buckley then addresses the enthusiastic crowd with an anti-Chinese speech… among the spectators are Dylan Leary, who wonders if Buckley will do half of the things he has promised, and Douglas Strickland, who wonders if Buckley will do what he is told. Leary then attempts to approach Chief Atwood one more time about the incarcerated Donahue boys, but Strickland talks some sense into him, noting it is not the time or place and suggests he find another way to deal with the problem…. The father of the Donahue boys feels differently later in the episode when he confronts Leary at his bar, an argument ensues and everyone in the bar (including Big Bill who was just coming off another less than stellar day working for his brother-in-law Horace). After Donahue goes home, Leary mentions to Bill the bad timing of him not being on the police force any longer… one thing leads to another and Big Bill goes to see his old co-workers and DEMAND that they release the Donahue boys right then and there. Bill makes a compelling case… but guess who shows up? Chief Atwood… Atwood challenges Bill. If Bill can knock him down, the Donahue boys are free to go… if not, Bill will be locked up right along side them! We then get a brutal fist fight between the two with Big Bill making a Hulk Hogan like comeback on Atwood’s ass… something he expects he will be paying for, but at least for now the Donahue boys are free.
- Wedding Night: In what felt very Godfather-esque, we see Mai Ling and Li Yong consummating their marriage and interspersed with the love scene are shots of each of the elders being taken out one by one by Mai Ling’s assassins!… The next morning we find out that one of the elders survived… Kong Pak! Kong storms into Long Zi headquarters, with the strangulation marks on his neck clearly visible and tells Li Yong, if he doesn’t stop Mai Ling, then he will! This leads to the best martial arts action of the season thus far… which is not surprising when you are talking Joe Taslim vs. Mark Dacascos… what was surprising was the lengths that both men were willing to go to, resulting in Li Yong killing his longtime friend Kong Pak… one of the most impactful deaths in the series. Mai Ling tries to explain why she did what she did and for the first time Li Yong yells at her to leave him the hell alone. Later when Li Yong goes to Chao to make sure Kong Pak gets a proper burial… he admits that Kong Pak was right and how he tried to warn him, but now he and all the other elders are gone… Li Yong leaves Chao’s a broken man walking home in the rain.
Business really picked up in Episode 8… a wedding, an inauguration, two quality fight scenes, a shocking death and conflict building everywhere! This powder keg is liable to blow on next week’s penultimate Season 3 episode.
Before I blow this pop stand, how about I throw some questions out in the Bonus Bullet Points?
- Will She Stay or Will She Go?: Ah Sahm suggesting to Yan Mi that she may want to buy that train ticket she has talked about and get out of town, only adds fuel to that fire. Clearly things are not going to end well for Yan Mi and Young Jun is going to eliminate her sooner or later. The bigger question may be will Yan Mi be able to leave the man she clearly loves even if she knows its the best thing for her own self preservation?
- What Happens to Father Jun?: Father Jun’s mental state is still not good and is seemingly getting worse. While eliminating Yan Mi may be an easy decision for Young Jun to make, how to handle his father’s deteriorating condition is certainly going to be a much tougher decision to make.
- Didn’t They Check Her References?: I assumed the Douglas Strickland character was being built up to be a major player in the event we get another season of Warrior, but with the revelation that Ah Toy’s protégé, Lai, has infiltrated Strickland’s home as one of his maids… I am not sure Strickland will survive Season 3. Lai was loving her new life on Nellie Davenport’s vineyard and it was Strickland who took that away for her and we all know Lai can hold a grudge and has the skills to get her revenge.
- Is Zing Ever Going to Show Up?: I am starting to think Dustin Nguyen’s ZIng will not make a surprise return in Season 3, but I guess I can ask one more time next week.
