Andrew Koji and Joe Taslim basically put on fight clinic for all to see. Haven't seen martial artists like this in a long time! Bruce Lee would be proud!
8 Reviews
Best episode so far
rkraposa12 June 2019
Best episode so far
baqirtalpur2 June 2019
I would have given this episode a solid 9 but since the guy who claims never give negative reviews has rated this 5, i am going with 10. What an amazing episode. Ah-sahm and Li yong's fight was the best fight on the show so far and that nose break scene, man i felt like someone broke my nose. I absolutely love this show. The whole thing, acting, bigger plot, smaller ones, fight choreography, brutal action, dialogue.
What a Duel, best action in this episode
josephjankin8 June 2019
Chinese Boxing is a duel between Ah Sahm and Li Yong, the best fighters in both gangs. It was so violence yet it was so good. Joe Taslim should been credited as Li Yong in this episode (I didn't see his name in this page), because his performance is really outstanding. I didn't expect the outcome of the battle. Quite surprising for me. This episode 9 is the climax for this season 1. Two thumbs up.
A very well executed fight scene
Abdulxoxo23 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
"Damn!" that's what I kept saying watching that excellent fight scene involving Ah Sahm and Li Yong.
It is superbly intense and gripping, it keeps me at the edge of my seat, well technically it's a bed but.....yeah. The choreography is of top calibre. The camera-work is spot-on and captures the intensity and struggle of the combat with the close up shots, whilst letting us see the incredible display of martial arts fighting with the longer shots. The gore and sound effects are used to full effect. Hats off to the actors and team behind it.
Story-wise this episode doesn't offer much, but it does features some flashbacks scenes when Ah Sahm and his sister were young. It's okay, it just felt low-budgeted and kinda slow down the pace, it would've been more effective in the early episodes. Mai ling consolidate her position in the Long Zii with a bit use of force. Deputy Mayor Buckley, ahh I haven't discussed this guy much, wow, I think he's low-key the big baddie in this show. He's smart, soft-spoken, a visionary and abuse his power effectively. He successfully turned the Mayor into a scapegoat and use his influence to his advantage. Lee is attacked at the end but why he stays and fight is beyond me. It's obvious that he can't beat them so why not run and live to fight another day huh Officer Lee?
All in all, A very exhilarating episode with strong performances and top-notch production value and fight sequences.
Story-wise this episode doesn't offer much, but it does features some flashbacks scenes when Ah Sahm and his sister were young. It's okay, it just felt low-budgeted and kinda slow down the pace, it would've been more effective in the early episodes. Mai ling consolidate her position in the Long Zii with a bit use of force. Deputy Mayor Buckley, ahh I haven't discussed this guy much, wow, I think he's low-key the big baddie in this show. He's smart, soft-spoken, a visionary and abuse his power effectively. He successfully turned the Mayor into a scapegoat and use his influence to his advantage. Lee is attacked at the end but why he stays and fight is beyond me. It's obvious that he can't beat them so why not run and live to fight another day huh Officer Lee?
All in all, A very exhilarating episode with strong performances and top-notch production value and fight sequences.
What a fun episode
RussHog8 February 2021
I am a cynical critical person and I love this crazy show. The cast is all so good in their roles. The writing is a little flawed but the production value is top notch. The fights are excellent. This episode in particular pitted two great actors against one another in a masterful combat scene with a lot at stake. I have a feeling there is more of these to come. Can't wait for what comes next!
best episode thus far.
theinfinityzero1 June 2019
Considering one of the reviews is from "dncorp" who says he makes rarely negative reviews (which is not true, he does make negative reviews... a lot.)
Warrior has been slow since it started but it finally gets better at episode 6 + but this episode 9 has been the best so far, the fight scene between Al-Sahm and Li Yong had nice choreography, and edits, best fight so far in the show, the nose break was brutal as it gets for this show.
Warrior has been slow since it started but it finally gets better at episode 6 + but this episode 9 has been the best so far, the fight scene between Al-Sahm and Li Yong had nice choreography, and edits, best fight so far in the show, the nose break was brutal as it gets for this show.
[9.6] The two beasts
cjonesas7 July 2021
Dark, gripping, guttural; two beasts fighting, with me in between, taking full blows of them both. So well-done, so cartilage-breaking and so intense that it felt real.
Listen, that's fight for one's life and as such, never lower your guard... You would say, that couldn't have that outcome; even if I agree, I'd say that's entertainment and if he would have won then one matter would be soundly resolved and expectations would reach the sky, basically reversing the role, who should make a great comeback; so, it was fitting and worth every second of it. Get well and stronger soon!
As The Sher. Said something like __If every one of them fights like that, we are in deep sh**__ Well, already in deep __ As one deputy pays stiffly the price, bitten by the "morsure" of the dragon.
Listen, that's fight for one's life and as such, never lower your guard... You would say, that couldn't have that outcome; even if I agree, I'd say that's entertainment and if he would have won then one matter would be soundly resolved and expectations would reach the sky, basically reversing the role, who should make a great comeback; so, it was fitting and worth every second of it. Get well and stronger soon!
As The Sher. Said something like __If every one of them fights like that, we are in deep sh**__ Well, already in deep __ As one deputy pays stiffly the price, bitten by the "morsure" of the dragon.
More entertaining and enjoyable than the previous episode.
LegendaryFang564 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The first sixteen minutes after the title sequence was great. That fight between Ah Sahm and Li Yong lasted a lot longer than I was expecting. I really liked it, and while I don't have a definite opinion on the choreography and whether or not it was the best we've seen, I do think the fight sequence itself was the best fight sequence that we've seen. I like the little detail that implied why Li Yong is accustomed to getting hit, with the way he had two Long Zii hatchetmen continuously hit him with wooden sticks. And given the way Ah Sahm fights and trains, he's definitely not used to it, and his hits probably don't pack as much power as Li Yong's hits do, either. I also liked the correlation of Ah Sahm's master's words about how you can't fight if you can't breathe to when after Li Yong broke Ah Sahm's nose, that was when the fight was over; when, if that hadn't happened, Ah Sahm would've likely kept getting back up and may have ended up beating Li Yong. But I do think that the writing was a little too obvious, and not to mention, cliché: in that, it was written to tell you that both of them won't survive, one of them will be killed, and then a third party intervening and preventing that from happening. I think the writing of that was a little too in-your-face and on-the-nose. I'd say that the beginning of the episode and the ending of the episode were the highlights of this episode.
One thing that I noticed was Zing in the background, and that he didn't look impressed with what he was seeing. He looked very unimpressed and nonchalant while his Fung Hai hatchetmen were into it and cheering a little. That, and the ending of the episode, which showcased Zing's capabilities a little further beyond what we saw when he was introduced, gave me the impression that he may be more skilled than Ah Sahm and even Li Yong. If so, Li Yong made the right choice to get Mai Ling to agree to the dual instead of going to war some more against the Hop Wei with the Fung Hai as allies. If they would've ended up betraying the Long Zii, Zing would've been able to beat Li Yong.
The cinematography in this episode was great. I'm not well-versed or knowledgeable enough when it comes to cinematography; so, I have no idea whether the general cinematography in this episode was great. But I think there were examples of specific shots that really caught my eye that I really liked. The above-head shot with Chao in the middle of the square ring, looking up as the camera view rose above the circular ring of fire right before the title sequence began, was one of those shots. The other shots were the ones with young Ah Sahm and his master, and that one shot with young Mai Ling leading him down the dirt path towards their farm. Those shots, especially, were fantastic. Whatever location that was, it was a great choice.
I thought that the references to minor details that were "brought up" earlier in the season were nice. The jade and the mechanical thing with the gun. I had a feeling that the scene a few episodes ago where Mai Ling went to Chao to set up a meeting with the Fung Hai for her and the fact that he tried to get her to buy the mechanical contraption that goes on your arm where you can hide it and then shoots out the gun into your hand was foreshadowing that it'll be significant at some point later on in the season - and it was finally used in this episode. And the jade was expanded on in this episode. It was revealed that it's actually Ah Sahm's jade, given to him by his master; the one who's responsible for Ah Sahm's fighting skills; Ah Sahm gave it to Mai Ling when they were younger.
The further development of the real-estate tycoon's murder, done by Ah Toy, in that Bill and Lee went to Chao and tried to follow up on that was surprising. I guess I thought there wouldn't be any effort exerted in that regard. But Ah Toy and her reputation as a Chinese swordsman killer was brought back into relevance at the end of the previous episode, so the fact that Bill and Lee are still focused on that and went to Chao for what they were hoping for; information, is not something out of nowhere. And he may know that Bill killed Jack Damon. The last thing he said to Bill during that scene seemed a little telling. He would likely know about that considering that he's associated with everyone; the police, the Long Zii, the Hop Wei, and even the Fung Hai - and Jack worked for the Fung Hai. Who knows how deep Chao's connections go.
But I do think the last thing he said to Bill was slightly telling in another regard, too. I'm guessing that Chao knows that it's Ah Toy and that it'll be a plot thread that's resolved in the next episode; it's the finale, after all. My theory is that Chao is aware of Ah Toy's revolution plan and is on her side with it. They've had scenes together, and I got the impression that they're close, beyond her being the owner of a brothel and him being a frequent customer. And they're both mysterious characters, so it's likely for two mysterious characters to be connected, right? I think that the Chinese swordsman plotline will be (seemingly) resolved in the finale because Chao will throw someone else under the bus, offering up a scapegoat that isn't Ah Toy or Lai, and that'll be enough for the police, and that'll be that.
"A guilty fox hunts his own hole." I wonder what Lee's Southern wisdom means. From a writing perspective, it's obvious what he said must be significant; that it has an important meaning. But I don't know how to interpret what the meaning of it is. I don't know how it could relate to Ah Toy, especially. You'd think that it's a metaphor that relates to her. The reason he said it was because the topic of discussion with him and Bill was the Chinese swordsman, after all. I have no idea what it could be, though. It's possible that it doesn't have anything to do with Ah Toy and that it had to do with Mai Ling. She did tell a story that had to do with a fox two episodes ago. It was my impression that she was THE fox in the story but that in this particular instance, more than one fox was surrounding the tiger - Long Zii, and that's why her speech went the direction it did. The guilty fox that hunts his own hole could be referring to her being the fox borrowing terror from (Long Zii) the tiger, and that she's a guilty fox because she killed him and because he was on the same side as her.
The previous episode was slow, and I think this episode was likewise slow. The difference between the two is that I found this episode to be more entertaining and enjoyable. This episode's biggest focus was on showing and depicting the aftermath of Ah Sahm's bloody and physically damaging loss to Li Yong. It used that as a way to show us a smidgen of his past through a flashback; how he met his master, the promise he made to his sister by giving her the jade that we saw her take out of a drawer a few episodes ago, and most importantly, to showcase that he's probably thinking back on that memory through the lens of the way she used to be because earlier in the episode, she gave Li Yong the go-ahead to kill him when they fought.
This episode did two other things to note. The plotline with the cable car track was progressed, and the development of it is now underway. And because of Buckley, it seems like Mercer will "betray" Leary and the Irish by hiring Chinese workers, perhaps replacing all of the Irish workers or only a few. The other thing of significance that was done in this episode was the ending. It seems like the Fung Hai is finally starting to close in on Bill. Needless to say, those two things will be focused on the most in the finale. I seem to remember that the cable car track plotline was concluded in the finale, but I'm not sure about the plotline with Bill's debt to the Fung Hai. That may be left open-ended and then explored and developed further in the second season.
One thing that I noticed was Zing in the background, and that he didn't look impressed with what he was seeing. He looked very unimpressed and nonchalant while his Fung Hai hatchetmen were into it and cheering a little. That, and the ending of the episode, which showcased Zing's capabilities a little further beyond what we saw when he was introduced, gave me the impression that he may be more skilled than Ah Sahm and even Li Yong. If so, Li Yong made the right choice to get Mai Ling to agree to the dual instead of going to war some more against the Hop Wei with the Fung Hai as allies. If they would've ended up betraying the Long Zii, Zing would've been able to beat Li Yong.
The cinematography in this episode was great. I'm not well-versed or knowledgeable enough when it comes to cinematography; so, I have no idea whether the general cinematography in this episode was great. But I think there were examples of specific shots that really caught my eye that I really liked. The above-head shot with Chao in the middle of the square ring, looking up as the camera view rose above the circular ring of fire right before the title sequence began, was one of those shots. The other shots were the ones with young Ah Sahm and his master, and that one shot with young Mai Ling leading him down the dirt path towards their farm. Those shots, especially, were fantastic. Whatever location that was, it was a great choice.
I thought that the references to minor details that were "brought up" earlier in the season were nice. The jade and the mechanical thing with the gun. I had a feeling that the scene a few episodes ago where Mai Ling went to Chao to set up a meeting with the Fung Hai for her and the fact that he tried to get her to buy the mechanical contraption that goes on your arm where you can hide it and then shoots out the gun into your hand was foreshadowing that it'll be significant at some point later on in the season - and it was finally used in this episode. And the jade was expanded on in this episode. It was revealed that it's actually Ah Sahm's jade, given to him by his master; the one who's responsible for Ah Sahm's fighting skills; Ah Sahm gave it to Mai Ling when they were younger.
The further development of the real-estate tycoon's murder, done by Ah Toy, in that Bill and Lee went to Chao and tried to follow up on that was surprising. I guess I thought there wouldn't be any effort exerted in that regard. But Ah Toy and her reputation as a Chinese swordsman killer was brought back into relevance at the end of the previous episode, so the fact that Bill and Lee are still focused on that and went to Chao for what they were hoping for; information, is not something out of nowhere. And he may know that Bill killed Jack Damon. The last thing he said to Bill during that scene seemed a little telling. He would likely know about that considering that he's associated with everyone; the police, the Long Zii, the Hop Wei, and even the Fung Hai - and Jack worked for the Fung Hai. Who knows how deep Chao's connections go.
But I do think the last thing he said to Bill was slightly telling in another regard, too. I'm guessing that Chao knows that it's Ah Toy and that it'll be a plot thread that's resolved in the next episode; it's the finale, after all. My theory is that Chao is aware of Ah Toy's revolution plan and is on her side with it. They've had scenes together, and I got the impression that they're close, beyond her being the owner of a brothel and him being a frequent customer. And they're both mysterious characters, so it's likely for two mysterious characters to be connected, right? I think that the Chinese swordsman plotline will be (seemingly) resolved in the finale because Chao will throw someone else under the bus, offering up a scapegoat that isn't Ah Toy or Lai, and that'll be enough for the police, and that'll be that.
"A guilty fox hunts his own hole." I wonder what Lee's Southern wisdom means. From a writing perspective, it's obvious what he said must be significant; that it has an important meaning. But I don't know how to interpret what the meaning of it is. I don't know how it could relate to Ah Toy, especially. You'd think that it's a metaphor that relates to her. The reason he said it was because the topic of discussion with him and Bill was the Chinese swordsman, after all. I have no idea what it could be, though. It's possible that it doesn't have anything to do with Ah Toy and that it had to do with Mai Ling. She did tell a story that had to do with a fox two episodes ago. It was my impression that she was THE fox in the story but that in this particular instance, more than one fox was surrounding the tiger - Long Zii, and that's why her speech went the direction it did. The guilty fox that hunts his own hole could be referring to her being the fox borrowing terror from (Long Zii) the tiger, and that she's a guilty fox because she killed him and because he was on the same side as her.
The previous episode was slow, and I think this episode was likewise slow. The difference between the two is that I found this episode to be more entertaining and enjoyable. This episode's biggest focus was on showing and depicting the aftermath of Ah Sahm's bloody and physically damaging loss to Li Yong. It used that as a way to show us a smidgen of his past through a flashback; how he met his master, the promise he made to his sister by giving her the jade that we saw her take out of a drawer a few episodes ago, and most importantly, to showcase that he's probably thinking back on that memory through the lens of the way she used to be because earlier in the episode, she gave Li Yong the go-ahead to kill him when they fought.
This episode did two other things to note. The plotline with the cable car track was progressed, and the development of it is now underway. And because of Buckley, it seems like Mercer will "betray" Leary and the Irish by hiring Chinese workers, perhaps replacing all of the Irish workers or only a few. The other thing of significance that was done in this episode was the ending. It seems like the Fung Hai is finally starting to close in on Bill. Needless to say, those two things will be focused on the most in the finale. I seem to remember that the cable car track plotline was concluded in the finale, but I'm not sure about the plotline with Bill's debt to the Fung Hai. That may be left open-ended and then explored and developed further in the second season.
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