Spoilers are ahead for Warrior season 3.
Summary
- Warrior season 4 has the opportunity to explore and deepen the relationship between Ah Sahm and Mai Ling, setting up a long-awaited sibling alliance.
- Mai Ling, free from the influence of the Long Zii, can forge a new identity and discover her true self in Warrior season 4.
- The fourth installment of Warrior could dig into the conflict between Li Yong and Mai Ling since their lovers-to-enemies plot adds a lot of tension.
Given Warrior season 3's cliffhanger ending, the fourth installment of the martial arts crime drama still needs to happen. Based on an original concept by the late Bruce Lee, the show has faced renewal challenges in the past. Warrior actually began as a Cinemax series, but when the show's home network axed its original content arm, Warrior landed at Max, a seemingly better home. However, just a few months after Warrior's highly anticipated third season aired, Max dropped the series too. This turn of events prompted Netflix to jump on the show's non-exclusive streaming rights.
Netflix's recent strategy of breathing new life into older series has worked wonders for other Max- and HBO-produced projects such as Ballers. With its comparatively larger subscriber base, Netflix has also boosted the popularity of more contemporary shows that failed to find their footing on their home networks, including the supernatural YA mystery School Spirits. That said, the now-canceled Warrior is about to become bigger than ever before thanks to its February 2024 debut on Netflix. With a probable popularity surge looming, Warrior season 4 deserves its own fighting chance.
7 Warrior Needs To Explore Ah Sahm & Mai Ling’s Relationship
The Reunited Siblings Could Take On Chinatown In Warrior Season 4
Warrior begins with Chinese martial arts prodigy Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji) traveling to San Francisco, California in order to find his estranged older sister, Xiaojing. Going by the name Mai Ling (Dianne Doan), Ah Sahm's sister becomes the de facto leader of the Long Zii tong. To put it lightly, the sibling duo has their ups and downs as they navigate turf wars and uneasy alliances. While season 3 sees the brother and sister moving closer together, the finale forces Ah Sahm to make a choice: save his sister or remain devoted to his brothers-in-arms.
Ultimately, Ah Sahm chooses Mai Ling over any tong alliance. This culminates in expertly choreographed fights between Ah Sahm and one of his first San Francisco allies, Young Jun (Jason Tobin) of the Hop Wei tong. Bloodied and bruised, Ah Sahm finds his sister, who has also gone through the ringer. The broken siblings hold each other and, for the first time in a while, Ah Sahm calls Mai Ling by her given name. It's an incredibly powerful moment that not only deepens their relationship, but sets up a long-awaited sibling alliance for Warrior season 4.
6 Mai Ling Forges A New Identity
Mai Ling Is Finally Free From The Long Zii's Influence
Mai Ling first immigrated to the United States in order to escape an abusive marriage. In order to protect Ah Sahm, she'd been forced to marry a Chinese warlord. Of course, her time with the Long Zii tong also led to deeply traumatic experiences. Swearing to never be stripped of her agency again, Mai Ling starts out in control — but is eventually betrayed by her men. Separate from the Long Zii's influence and power structure, Mai Ling finally has the chance to discover her identity and sense of self in Warrior season 4.
Warrior Star Urges Netflix To Renew Show For Season 4
Warrior star Jason Tobin is hopeful that Netflix will renew the show for season 4, as he believes it can bring attention and ratings in droves.
Warrior is executive-produced by Bruce Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee.
5 Li Yong Comes Into Power In Warrior Season 4
The New Leader Of Long Zii Poses A Huge Threat
Li Yong (Joe Taslim), the Long Zii tong's chief enforcer, has become one of Ah Sahm's greatest rivals. At the end of Warrior season 3, the men of the Long Zii tong look to him as their next leader, so it seems only fitting that Li Yong would take up Mai Ling's former mantle in the fourth installment. With the siblings united against their many enemies in Chinatown, Warrior season 4 would surely culminate with a conclusive conflict between Li Yong and Mai Ling. As former lovers, the pair's deep-seated sense of resentment towards each other is almost palpable.
4 Chao's Fate Is Still Up In The Air
Hoon Lee’s Character Might Be Dead In Warrior Season 4
In Warrior season 3, episode 10, "A Window of F***ing Opportunity," the fate of Wang Chao (Hoon Lee) remains up in the air. The black market seller made plenty of friends by acquiring contraband for both the Tongs and San Francisco's law enforcement, but, despite his role as mediator, Chao has also made just as many enemies. Zing, a former associate of Mai Ling, exacts revenge on Chao for his season-two missteps. Although Chao is last shown bleeding out, he might just survive to see Warrior season 4.
Why Warrior Season 3 Should Use Bruce Lee's Game of Death Concept
Warrior was renewed by HBO Max; season 3 should feature the story from Bruce Lee's unfinished film, Game of Death, and honor the martial arts master.
While the word "tong" roughly translates to "gathering place," the sworn brotherhoods were often aligned with criminal activities.
3 Mayor Buckley's Political Ambition Grows
The Tongs Aren't The Siblings' Only Adversaries
Previously, Walter Buckley (Langley Kirkwood), the city's deputy mayor, conspired with Mai Ling to churn up conflict between the Hop Wei and Long Zii tongs. Although Buckley becomes mayor, his political ambitions will clearly continue to grow. Although Mai Ling had a secret "in" with Buckley, Warrior season 4 could shake up that dynamic, especially in light of the siblings' reunion. Plus, Buckley slighted Bill O'Hara (Kieran Bew) by making a newcomer the police chief. Given his relationships with Chinatown's tongs, the now-mayor, and the Irish mob, the troubled cop has a lot to grapple with in season 4.
2 Warrior Season 4 Can Continue Its Period Piece Success
The Series Showcases 1870s San Francisco
Set in late 1870s San Francisco, Warrior takes a nuanced, thoughtful look at a period in history and a group of people that haven't really been represented on TV before. It's rare to find a big-budget period piece that doesn't center on almost exclusively white characters. Moreover, while Warrior certainly has the hallmarks of a noir-Western, it keeps the action sequences fresh and thrilling by focusing on martial artists instead of gun-wielding mobsters. While Warrior's massive production budget probably didn't help its renewal odds at Max, Warrior's characters and unique setting are well worth the investment.
Warrior has received a Creative Arts Emmy Award nomination for its outstanding stunt coordination.
1 Warrior Season 3 Doesn't Satisfyingly Conclude The Show
Netflix Needs To Wrap Up Loose Threads By Renewing Warrior Season 4
From Ah Toy's (Olivia Cheng) brutal-but-deserved revenge against railroad baron Douglas Strickland III (Adam Rayner) to socialite Eliza Pendleton's (Jazzara Jaslyn) now-broken relationship with Mai Ling, Warrior season 3 didn't tie a neat bow around its characters and stories in the finale episode. If Warrior season 3, episode 10, is the last-ever entry in the series, it certainly ends at a gut-punch of a moment. Although Ah Sahm and Mai Ling are reunited, and although past seasons' threads have paid off, Netflix has the opportunity to give Warrior a proper sendoff.
