Season 2 of Warrior starts off with Ah Sahm in the fighting pit on the Barbary Coast. That’s the first hint of how his loss has affected him. This leads Ah Sahm to discover another target for his crusade with Ah Toy and Lai. Their attack on the anti-Chinese gang leads to Bill and Lee investigating the attack on the gang. This leads to them raiding Chao’s shop. The first episode ends with Leary blowing up a factory.
The second episode “The Chinese Connection” has fallout from the events of the season opener. The business owners try to get assurances from the Mayor, including Penny who has taken over her father’s business. Senator Crestwood holds a rally to gain support for his presidency, much to the Mayor’s chagrin. Lee uses laudanum to try to treat the lingering effects of his coma. Young Jun and Ah Sahm try to work out a deal that would save them money on their drug trade. Bill and Lee get to do some actual police work. Li Yong starts to question Mai Ling’s tactics, especially after the Fung Hai attack during a supposedly peaceful talk. Penny hires the Hop Wei as security and has her warehouse used for drug storage without her knowledge.
This season shows how different the characters are. The season seems to pick up about two months after the end of the first season. Ah Sahm seems to be pushing Young Jun into conflict with Mai Ling, even if Young Jun doesn’t realize what’s going on exactly. Bill is having second, or third, thoughts about working for the Fung Hai. There are new characters who are mostly introduced in these two episodes. The major ones are Rosalita Vega, Sophie Mercer, and Nellie Davenport. Rosalita is the one the runs the fighting pits. Sophie is a younger sister of Penny. Nellie is a wealthy woman that takes down brothels, especially the ones that focus on the Chinese.
“Learn to Endure, or Hire a Bodyguard” and “The Chinese Connection” do a great job or showing how the characters have changed since the end of the previous season. We’re also shown major players in the season to come. We also are shown the points of tension in the relationships, whether they’re new or preestablished. I give the first two episodes of Season 2 of Warrior 9 hatchets out of 10.