What Comes Next for HBO's Canceled Drama Series 'Warrior' with its Fate All but Decided
'Warrior' was canceled by Max in December 2023, but as the show thrives on Netflix, its fate rests not in the hands of the unforgiving streamer but in the hearts and minds of uncompromising fans
The acclaimed martial arts series Warrior suddenly finds its fate lies in the hands of Netflix users. For all the previous success the drama series enjoyed as the best show on Cinemax, Warrior has been ushered into the slaughterhouse and canceled twice in four years.
The TV show, inspired by the writings of Bruce Lee, was set in 1870s San Francisco during the Tong Wars. The show starred Andrew Koji as Chinese martial arts prodigy Ah Sahm, who crossed the Salt to find his estranged sister Mai Ling (Dianne Doan). However, as tempers flared with Chinatown descending into chaos, Ah Sahm finds himself embroiled in a deadly power struggle and must choose between his loyalty to the Hop Wei Tong or his commitment to his ruthless, conniving sister Mai Ling. Warrior is based on a brutal, untold era of American history and has drawn comparisons to the BBC's global phenomenon Peaky Blinders.
Warrior began as a Cinemax original series in 2019, but despite premiering to much critical acclaim, the show was canceled after two seasons due to Cinemax wounding down its original business. To the delight of fans, HBO Max adopted the series for a third season in April 2021. Casey Bloys, chief content officer for HBO, said:
"Warrior introduced viewers to a distinct world from the past, executed with dynamic action and relevant storytelling, with a brilliant cast led by Andrew Koji." The series was an all-time great and one of the best shows of its kind, gingerly wedged between Peaky Blinders and HBO's Boardwalk Empire. Created by Banshee's Jonathan Trooper, Ah Sahm's swagger as the face of the show captured the imagination, a feature of what made Warrior so exciting to watch.
Its revival ultimately turned out to be short-lived as Max canceled the show after its first season on the streaming network - a move that set Warrior on a familiar path in search of its third home in as many years. In an exclusive statement to DEADLINE, the show's producers Jonathan Trooper and Shannon Lee - daughter of Bruce Lee - confirmed that a co-exclusive deal had been agreed with Netflix. The deal would see the series' existing three seasons streamed on the platform with the caveat that Warrior had to kick some a__ on the world's largest streamer if, indeed, it deserved a fourth season.
In its first week on Netflix, between February 12 to February 18, 2024, Warrior has demonstrated exactly what Max has been missing and that "it simply refuses to die." The series stormed to #8 on Netflix's Global Top 10 chart, amassing 14.1 million hours viewed worldwide in its first three days. For context, this was nearly twice the viewership hours of Netflix original Lucifer season 3 in its debut week on the Global Top 10. Warrior season 1 was also viewed by 1.7 million Netflix users and made the Top 10 TV shows in 13 different countries.
The mania of watching Warrior is a genuine thrill for Netflix users. Its high-stakes plot, violent combat scenes, and flawless acting are nothing short of epic drama. Shades of Breaking Bad. The last of its kind.
It is rare, almost odd, to see an out-and-out Asian action ensemble at the top of Netflix's charts. The unfairly-canceled martial arts series has suited Netflix down to the tee and is already becoming a fan favorite.
Warrior is not exactly Squid Game but the breathtaking series has done a fine impression of one of Netflix's greatest shows. In its second week on the streamer (February 19 to February 25), the show rallied to the sixth spot on Netflix's Global Top 10 - dethroning The Tourist starring Fifty Shades' Jamie Dornan - and nearly doubled its viewership hours from the first week. Warrior was clocked at 25.3 million hours viewed worldwide, an impressive 44.26 percent rise from its debut week. It made the Top 10 TV shows in 38 countries and was viewed by 3.1 million Netflix users worldwide.
There is no doubt that Warrior dwells in the echelon of the most compelling martial arts shows viewers have ever been treated to, a sentiment embodied in its 96 percent Audience Score on the review website Rotten Tomatoes. It currently sits at a 93 percent rating on the aggregate site, an honor not even bestowed on Netflix's blockbuster Stranger Things.
For now, the spirit of Bruce Lee ebbs through Warrior, and it appears the show will hold up its end of the bargain. As the mania of watching Bruce Lee's writings continues, the greatest compliment one can pay is that Warrior is yet to be available in several key countries, including the UK.
In void times like this, where price hikes have become a new way of life, value for money cannot be overemphasized. Netflix users have found that value in Warrior, the question remains what Netflix's value will be.
