Whiskey And Sticky And All The Rest Can Wait – As this episode of Warrior begins, Mai Ling (Dianne Doan) is sprayed in a cell. Young Jun (Jason Tobin) is taken to a place that isn’t the jail. Young Jun is told that they’re being shipped back to China. He tells a guard that he was born in San Francisco, but the guard doesn’t listen and hits him instead. Li Yong (Joe Taslim) complains that the police won’t let them see Mai and won’t even tell them what she has been charged with. They discuss the possibility of approaching the Six Companies. Wu Jin suggests the Tong is best served leaving Mai Ling where she is.

Kong Pak (Mark Dacascos) follows Li when he walks away. Kong would never go against Li, but he sees their side. When Li is asked if he knew she was investing with the ducks, he says he knew she was considering it. Kong reveals that she gave them a third of the Tong’s cash reserves. Everyone assumed she would’ve consulted Li so that makes him complicit. As someone new to the Tong, Kong wonders how things would be with a leader who served the Tong and not the other way around. Walter Buckley (Langley Kirkwood) speaks about the deportation center and how they will no longer tolerate the damage done to their society by the lawless encroachment of the Chinese.

Catherine Archer (Dominique Maher) listens to Buckley’s speech from the audience. Walter says he will work with the Governor to ensure that the Exclusion Act passes. Once Walter finishes speaking, Stewart Gumm (Sean-Marco Vorster) tells him they have bad news because Thayer played it better than they thought he would. Even with the Irish vote behind Walter, Thayer poses a real threat. Buckley tells him to do something about it or he’ll find someone who can. Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji) and Hong (Chen Tang) discuss how they can get into the deportation center to help Young Jun. Ah Sahm doesn’t like the idea of fighting and doubts they can pay them off because they report to the new police chief.

The next boat leaves in two days so they have to do something soon. Young Jun is introduced to Sicheng who knows that he is the leader of the Hop Wei. Sicheng has been there for a couple of weeks. Young Jun believes the Hop Wei will tear this place apart if they have to. He agrees to join Sicheng’s friends because he could use a smoke. Sicheng reminds him that his father was a tailor who owned a shop on Grant Street. He goes on to say the Hop Wei ended up busting up his shop because he couldn’t pay them. Then, Sicheng tells Young Jun what the Tongs did to the others. They try to attack Young Jun. They eventually get the better of him. Young Jun is hit in the face with a weapon.

Li Yong approaches a man to see what he knows about Mai Ling. It is unknown whether Buckley will hold up his end of the bargain and let her go. Li Yong gives him old pictures and tells him to get Mai Ling out. Edmund Moseley (Nick Cordileone) and Richard Lee (Tom Weston-Jones) interrogate the printer. When Yan Mi (Chelsea Muirhead) comes home, Richard apologizes and says they need to ask a few questions. He asks her about the money and whether they’re printing it for the Tongs. Yan tells them that her father is a good man who doesn’t print money. Richard and Edmund agree that they’re barking up the wrong tree here. Catherine tries to get Walter to open up about his troubles.

He admits he is worried about his campaign now that Thayer is gaining traction. Walter goes on to admit that campaigning doesn’t come naturally to him and he has always preferred the back-office work. Catherine encourages him and kisses him. Walter admits he hasn’t been with anyone in a long time. It looks like they’re going to have sex. Ah Sahm catches up with Yan Mi who says the Secret Services raided her dad’s shop. She argues that he needs to move the plates. Ah Sahm promises to speak to Chao and find a place. Yan Mi isn’t sure how much longer she can do this. Ah Sahm promises not to let anything happen to her, but Yan says he can’t promise that. Buckley visits Mai Ling and complains that he doesn’t like being blackmailed.

He questions whether he should still have her deported now that she is of no use to him. Mai Ling suggests she can be a powerful ally in his election campaign. She learns that the head of the Hop Wei was arrested and will be deported before the week is out. Mai Ling says that could lead to a war on the streets, but she can prevent it from happening. It’ll need to serve both of their purposes. Then, she will crush the Hop Wei, take their businesses, and they can share the spoils. Ah Sahm and Hong torture a guard in hopes of getting information from him. Big Bill O’Hara (Kieran Bew) complains to Benjamin Atwood (Neels Clasen) that they’re separating women from their children. Benjamin says the child will go to a Christian orphanage. The woman will go back to China with a clear message that there is nothing for them here.

Bill agrees that he doesn’t belong there anymore so he takes off his badge and throws it to the ground. Young Jun sees his father who says he is still picking fights he can’t win. They discuss what the gang has been doing. Father Jun stayed with some Chinese ranchers until they were approached by a duck mob with guns. He admits they have no power outside their own bowl. Hong and Ah Sahm talk about the delivery wagons and whether they can hide inside them. Ah Sahm tells him how he got arrested after he was skinned in. They didn’t buy him out because they had to put the Tong first. He believes they need to do the same. Ah Sahm says he got out because someone owed him a favor. Hong suggests they might owe him another. Ah Sahm wishes it was that easy.

Once Ah Sahm meets Wang Chao (Hoon Lee), he learns that Mai Ling is already out. Wang believes she could make a move with Young Jun locked up. Chao is worried that Happy Jack will find out they paid him fake money. Li Yong tells Mai Ling that the council will meet tomorrow to discuss her leadership because they’re losing faith. He is the reason she is there considering the elders wanted to leave her inside. Mai Ling confesses to making a mistake and admits the money is all gone. She believes she can make it right. Chao visits Happy Jack and asks about Richard Lee living with his sister-in-law. He gives Happy Jack real money and enough to make up for the problem. They discuss the possibility of Jack killing a cop for them.

Jack shows Chao the reward flyer and says he doesn’t need to kill him to get paid. He’ll take care of the problem, but it can’t happen anywhere in his territory. His sister-in-law can believe that Lee ticked off the wrong Tong. Bill returns home and finds Richard Lee in his house. Lee heard he quit the force so he came to see how he is holding up. Bill admits Richard was right all along about the game being rigged. Father Jun tells his son that they have bigger problems now. They talk about the men crossing the salt looking for a gold mountain only to find a pile of crap. Father Jun admits going back to China will not be good for them, but he always thought they’d send his body back. That’s the only way he is going back.

He shows his son weapons and says they can take out as many guards as they can. Ah Sahm visits his sister. He suspects she has bought herself some serious connections. He wants Mai Ling to help him get Young Jun out of the camp. Ah Sahm gives her money. She burns some and says he can just print more. Mai Ling wants half of everything moving forward to get Young Jun out, but Ah Sahm doubts Jun will go for that. Besides saving Young Jun, the Long Zii will provide a space to continue printing free from police interference. Lucy joins Bill for dinner. Bill admits Lucy and the kids are the only things that matter to him. He wants to come back and promises to never lose sight of her again.

After kissing him, Lucy asks if he quit or was fired. Bill says that is open for debate. She agrees to come back. Nellie Davenport (Miranda Raison) checks on Lai (Jenny Umbhau) who walks out when Ah Toy enters the room. Ah Toy (Olivia Cheng) believes Lai blames her for what happened. Nellie says it wasn’t her fault. Ah Toy argues that she did something worse by giving Lai hope. They talk about what happened in court and how men like Strickland will always put a thumb on the scale. Nellie found another piece of land further up the coast with good soil. Ah Toy doesn’t want to make the same mistake twice so she asks Nellie not to come there anymore. The Chinese are moved out of the deportation center. Before Young Jun and his father can attack the guards, they’re stopped and told about the deal.

Young Jun says his father comes too. Ah Toy tells Lai that it is good to be angry, but she shouldn’t be stupid. They need more time to plan and to heal. She promises that he will pay for what he did. Young Jun is taken back to Hong and Ah Sahm. Before Ah Sahm can tell him how he pulled it off, Father Jun walks over and interrupts. They agree to get whiskey and sticky since everything else can wait. Li Yong tells Mai Ling that she made another deal without telling him, but she insists she didn’t plan this. She will be able to pay back what she lost and possibly make peace with her brother. Mai knows she hasn’t made it easy for him. In that cell, she realized he is the only person she trusts and the only person she ever loved. She thinks it is time to get married.

Young Jun sits down with Ah Sahm and admits it was a close call. He isn’t happy about Ah Sahm’s decision to work with Mai Ling. Young Jun argues that he gave away the store to their worst enemy who happens to be his sister. Ah Sahm ridicules him for getting in a fight with the police chief. He reminds him that he could’ve let them take him on the boat and took over the Hop Wei. Ah Sahm believes Young Jun made the deal with Mai Ling. Edmund and Richard prepare to confront Wang Chao who sent word that he has information. When Wang doesn’t give up any information, Richard says he’ll walk out the door. Edmund could be shot before Richard is confronted by Happy Jack and his man. Richard is knocked out. Jack admits he is still angry about the fake cash.

They point their guns at Wang who tries to talk them out of shooting him. It looks like he is hit by Jack as the episode ends.

 

Warrior Review

The fifth episode of Warrior’s third season was probably the best although the show can be a little slow at times. Warrior has tons of potential with a great cast, an interesting period, and rich history. The story thrives when Ah Sahm and the Hop Wei are pitted against Mai Ling and the Long Zii. If there is one issue with this season, it would have to be the fact that so many stories are crammed into it.

Many of them matter very little and some aren’t even that interesting. For instance, Dylan Leary has been put on the back burner this season when some of his scenes were the best in the first two seasons. It is hard to know what is going on with Ah Toy, Nellie, and Lai. The same can be said for Hong’s new relationship.

The main story makes up for it though. This episode in particular did a good job of bringing Mai Ling and Ah Sahm back together even though the latter and his boss didn’t want it. I’ll be satisfied if the season can ride this to an exciting ending. The episode scores a 7 out of 10.

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