These two episodes of Warrior are interesting. One is almost like a play and has little to do with the overarching story but has character relationships grow while the other plays off of that relationship growth while also kicking off the story going forward. They stand out as a shift in the storytelling for the season.
“The Blood and the Shit” is an interesting episode. It all basically takes place in one location and is a different genre, which is a straight up Western rather than having a little bit of Western flavor to it. It also seems to exist to help solidify the relationship between Ah Sahm and Young Jun and it does a great job of that. They feel like brothers by the end of the episode.
“Chewed Up, Spit Out and Stepped On” starts off with a bang, literally with Father Jun being blown up as part of Mai Ling’s plan. A white woman ends up being killed in the explosion, which plays into Buckley’s plans which are also a Senator’s plans. Yung Jun, Ah Sahm, and Bolo attack the Fung Hai’s casino after lightly interrogating Chao for the information. Long Zii and Father Jun meet to try to find peace but Father Jun will only accept terms if Long Zii is killed. Bill turns to Leary to try to get help for his debt to Damon and Fung Hai, which results in Leary beating Damon almost to death and having Bill finish Damon off. The episode ends with Bill having a breakdown.
Both of the episodes are really good. “The Blood and the Shit” is a fantastic Western and stands out because of just how different it is from everything else this season. “Chewed Up, Spit Out and Stepped On” amps everything up by raising the stakes. It lets you know that everything will get crazy going forward. I give both of these episodes 9 gold lumps out of 10.