Denis Kimathi
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When the show teased alliances, it was not supposed to go like this.
Most of the conflicts boiling throughout Warrior Season 3 were resolved in Warrior Season 3 Episode 10, making for a satisfying ending to several of them.
The cold open saw Mai Ling visit Eliza to unburden about what Eliza’s accusation had done to Mai Ling’s life and mental well-being.
The scene was tense as the expectations were that Mai Ling would take her revenge in some form, and when she drew the knife, it was supposed to be over for Eliza.
Instead, Mai Ling gave a monologue highlighting Eliza’s insecurities and how she lashed out at the nearest person she considered weak.
When I came to this country, I made myself a promise that I would never be bought or sold again. That I would never be subservient to another man. And that I would die rather than be anyone’s whore. And then, with one careless spiteful word, you took that from me. Everything I fought and bled for. You turned me into a whore.
Mai Ling
And then Mai Ling let Eliza go. It was tense over nothing. They should have followed through with it on some level because if it was true that Eliza was in an abusive marriage, then the man might have deserved whatever he had coming.
We should have seen Eliza use the knife. Even if it was to stab him just a bit until he bled a little, no?
But if it was blood the viewer wanted, it came when Ah Toy finally gave Douglas a taste of his medicine.
It is no secret that I was the biggest fan of Douglas defeating Lai, as stated in the Warrior Season 3 Episode 9 review, but maybe that was a great decision in retrospect.
When he realized he wouldn’t win against Ah Toy, the look on his face was worth it. He was used to drawing his sword and pacing around to instill fear in his opponent, but that trick had run its course.
Ah Toy made sure to give a slow death by making minor cuts in crucial places on Douglas’ body that would render him powerless, but he would be conscious enough to feel the pain. And to ensure that he never made it out alive, she stabbed him in the chest.
You could almost see the satisfaction and glee on her face as she did it, and it was satisfying for us, too.
It was as much for Leary when he lost the opportunity to work on Douglas using his bare fists.
I wondered who would have emerged victorious in that fight because both have very different fighting techniques, but we’ll never know. What was important was the man had met his end just like how he lived.
Douglas’ death saw Bill and Leary be bound even more by the secret they shared.
It is without a doubt that a powerful man like Douglas will be missed when he fails to show up for the million and one things he is usually working on. But sometimes, you must blame the victim, especially when their actions put them in their position.
Douglas was dead, but the effects of his actions will ripple for years. For example, Leary had wizened up.
Leary: Your competitor, Strickland, has fallen on hard times.
Piers: Yes. I read about the accident with his bridge in the paper.
Leary: Everybody’s luck runs out sometime.
Piers: For a man with his resources, one fallen bridge is a nuisance, not a calamity.
Leary: Turns out his investors feel otherwise.
Piers: I’m listening.
Leary: That contract will be in place soon. A lot of other city contracts are up for grabs. I’ve got the mayor’s ear. Under the right conditions, I can make sure those contracts go to you.
Piers: And I assume those conditions mean hiring Irish labor.
Leary: That’s part of it.
Piers: And the rest?
Leary: With your business expanding? You need a partner.
Piers: Partner? I really hadn’t considered…
Leary: Good man. We ought to celebrate.
He’d learned that some situations must be handled using physical force while others require mental fortitude. He’d learned well enough to strong-arm a developer into cutting him in on the railway project.
He was about to become a menace to the community, and it wouldn’t be surprising if, a few years down the line, he was the new Douglas. Everyone starts somewhere.
Helping cover up a murder was not the most interesting thing to happen to Big Bill recently because apart from being made police chief, the hunt was on for the money plates that began on Warrior Season 3 Episode 3.
Agent Mosley would die before he left without those plates, especially now that he knew where they were.
The plates had caused a lot of trouble in Chinatown and Ah Sahm’s life.
He betrayed his brothers to save Yan Mi, and that decision affected multiple people, from Happy Jack’s people to Wang Chao.
The mission to recover the plates saw the cops and the gangs face each other.
One gun makes a bad situation worse. Dozens of guns make a bad situation a thousand times worse, and that standoff between the three groups was bound to go south. There’s always a trigger-happy idiot.
Numerous scraping scenes marked the hour. However, the episode’s highlight was Ah Sahm vs the Hop Wei.
This, too, had been a long time coming.
Young Jun: Look. I’m not going to make you come. No one should have to kill their own family. But if there’s any part of you that’s thinking about trying to save her, I’m gonna stop you right now.
Ah Sahm: She’s my sister.
Young Jun: And we’re your brothers. It’s time to make a choice, Ah Sahm.
Ah Sahm: OK.
Ah Sahm was not a follower, and it was something many people knew. Even deep inside, Ah Sahm knew this day would come when he would have to choose between pledging allegiance to something bigger than himself or following his instincts.
He was prepared to do that for Yan Mi, but life has a way of surprising you.
Throughout Warrior Season 3, Ah Sahm and Mai Ling’s strained relationship had been improving, finding the philia that’d been lost in the years they’d been on opposing sides.
After losing his father, Young Jun was itching to start a war, and without doing a little investigation (which would have outed Ah Sahm as the traitor), he blamed Mai Ling for the showdown at the ice factory.
The day arrived when Ah Sahm had to choose, and he chose to stand with his sister.
The fight between Ah Sahm, Young Jun, and Hong was entertaining despite it being clear no one was out for the kill. All they wanted was to win, and Ah Sahm won, even with a great bodily cost.
His first instinct was to check on Mai Ling, who had also had quite the night. Brother and sister embraced each other. The first alliance was formed.
The Long Zii had been defecting for a while, but Li Yong leaving was the final straw. They all dumped Mai Ling for Li Yong. Another alliance was formed.
Elsewhere, Chao’s past found him.
Zing was back, and based on what Wang Chao had done to him in Warrior Season 2, he was full of vengeance.
His return teased the resurrection of the Fung Hai.
Suddenly, the resurgence of more threatened Chinatown, where tongs were reduced.
Lee agreed to return to the police force, noting that he won’t spend his days beating up the Chinese, but was that a promise he could keep when the Tongs started their murderous antics?
The season had been teasing alliances, and they sure did develop, just not how I pictured them. It was disappointing on some level.
Stewart: It’s quite a rock.
Donna: It’s too traditional for my taste.
Stewart: Still must cost a fortune.
Donna: Drop in the bucket for the Blake estate.
Stewart: You got him to propose quicker than I imagined.
Donna: You underestimated my charm.
Stewart: Hardly.
That withstanding, “A Window of F*cking Opportunity” was a great way to end a season, even if it had some cliffhangers.
Cliffhangers aren’t too bad when another season is guaranteed, but something tells me this might be it for Warrior.
I’ll be pretty aggravated if Max cancels the show because it is a gem.
If this is it, goodbye Chinatown. Otherwise, see you in Warrior Season 4.
What did you think of the season finale? Let us know in the comments section.
Denis Kimathi is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He has watched more dramas and comedies than he cares to remember. Catch him on social media obsessing over [excellent] past, current, and upcoming shows or going off about the politics of representation on TV. Follow him on Twitter.