So much for the Max revival of Warrior. The action-crime-drama series, which was picked up by the streamer in 2021 after it was cancelled by its original home Cinemax, has been cancelled again. Warner Bros. Disovery's streaming service has decided not to renew the show after the current season, which is its first on Max and its third overall.
That's the bad news. The good news is that the show might still find its audience on another streamer. That's because Netflix has the rights to stream all three seasons of the show from February 2024 in a non-exclusive deal. Max will continue to stream the existing seasons too. So this particular Warrior may not be defeated just yet.
Should you still watch Warrior?
Yes. The future may be uncertain, but there are still three strong seasons for you to view. The show was created by Jonathan Tropper, who also made Cinemax's Banshee and Apple TV Plus' forthcoming Your Friends and Neighbors, and it stars Andrew Koki as the titular warrior. He's a fearsome Chinese martial arts expert in 19th Century San Francisco who becomes conscripted into the city's brutal Tong Wars.
The show is currently sitting at a very respectable 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, with seasons two and three getting the full 100%. Reviewing the most recent season The Ringer says: "Exploring systemic racism and the Chinese immigrant experience with some of the most exhilarating action sequences on television, Warrior continues to pack a punch." Meanwhile, Decider says it "offers political and interpersonal dramas set in an interesting historical time period, and writing that crackles with the energy of a contemporary action movie".
Despite the 100% reviews Jonathon Wilson of Ready Steady Cut says "it’s criminally underrated, and the third season proves it still has knockout power in its politics and balletic grace in its brawls and set pieces".
It's a shame that the viewing numbers don't appear to be as positive as the critical reviews. Hopefully the show will find its audience on Netflix and deliver enough views to make a fourth season happen on the best streaming service.
