Posted in: Max, Netflix, TV | Tagged: Andrew Koji, bruce lee, Jonathan Tropper, max, netflix, Olivia Cheng, shannon lee, warrior

Warrior Star Olivia Cheng Has Season 4 Hopes After Netflix Move

Warrior star Olivia Cheng on the struggles of returning to film the third season for Max and hopes for a new season on Netflix.

Warrior, the developed historical Bruce Lee series by daughter Shannon Lee (who also appeared in season three) and creator Jonathan Tropper has been down before, but not out with facing an uncertain future again as its fate lies in the hands of Netflix following its cancelation on Max. While the series is still available on Max, it has cracked the top 10 viewed shows on Netflix since its debut this month, which is a reason for optimism for star Olivia Cheng, who plays Ah Toy, the madam and deadly assassin who works with the Hop Wei. In season two, she falls in love with Nellie Davenport (Miranda Raison), who runs a winery and vineyard that employs Chinese labor with a promise of a better life for her prostitutes. Cheng spoke about the numerous obstacles promoting season three with its premiere on June 29th, but the SAG-AFTRA strikes starting on July 13th, filming during the pandemic, difficulties geopolitically, and hopes for season four.

Warrior: Uphill Battle of Season 3

When the SAG-AFTRA strike happened, and actors walked away from filming and promoting their projects to the picket line, "It's one of those things that you kind of have to laugh about it – otherwise, you're going to cry," Cheng told IGN. "We've gone through two corporate mergers, two losses of contracts, a global pandemic, a historic strike." Observing the reactions, "We could see people being really excited, but we couldn't participate in that conversation, and we'll never know what could have happened for us if not for that strike." The layoff between seasons two and three has been significant as Warrior was originally a Cinemax Original series before Warner Bros Discovery decided to make it a Max original for season three. Season two finale premiered on December 4th, 2020, and season three, three and a half years later. "No one's ever really been in that position," Cheng explains, "to come back to a character that you laid to rest, that you did your best to say goodbye to" while also admitting bitterness and racism concerning the politics behind the pandemic left her feeling "numb."

Season four ended at least well for Ah Toy and Nellie, with the two finally taking revenge on Douglas Strickland III (Adam Rayner) after he burned down Nellie's vineyard and killed Lai (Jenny Umbhau). With Strickland dead, Bill O'Hara (Kieran Bew) and Dylan Leary (Dean Jagger) get rid of the body since Dylan would be a prime suspect with their previous ties. Season four leaves the fate of the Tong Wars uncertain with a Hop Wei attack combined with Mai Ling's (Dianne Doan) rule splintered among the Long Zii ends her rule before newly-branded Hop Wei traitor Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji) fights his way to reach his rival sister. Cheng says the cast wants more than what season three offered, "There's a part of all of us artistically that [wants] a second go because we don't feel satisfied with what we experienced in Season 3…If we're going to say goodbye, we really want to say goodbye on our terms." For more, including a potential future with Jagger's character and a season one loose end she hopes gets tied, you can check out the interview here. You can stream on Max and Netflix.

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