#then mai ling proposing to li yong???

[monstress]

i feel like im taking hallucinogens why did i like warrior s03e05 so much?

[aion-rsa]

Warrior Season 2 Episode 10 Review: Man on the Wall

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This Warrior review contains spoilers.

Warrior Season 2 Episode 10

After the brutal depiction of San Francisco’s Riot of 1877 in the previous episode, the Warrior Season 2 finale feels more like an epilogue. There’s lots of ruminating over drinks, a few cliffhangers to tease Season 3, and one long awaited fight. Since Cinemax abandoned its original programming, this may be the final episode of Warrior unless some other network picks it up. Hopefully, Warrior finds new life somewhere else because Season 2 leaves us hanging and wanting more. 

This episode begins with the morning after the Riot. As Chinatown residents recover bodies and tend to their wounded, Mai Ling (Dianne Doan) surveys the damage and discovers that a two-story mural of Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji) has appeared. Clad in a wife-beater shirt with a nunchuck tucked in his armpit, it’s a nod to Bruce Lee’s look in The Way of the Dragon.

It’s a key plot point teasing Ah Sahm’s rise in power, but it’s totally absurd. How the heck did anyone paint that huge mural before the bodies were even picked up? Nonetheless, the mural positions Ah Sahm’s rise for next season. When he crosses paths with Ah Toy (Olivia Cheng) in front of the mural, she tells him “You’re a symbol to your people.”

Again, it’s a nod to Bruce Lee and what he means as a global icon and the first international Asian superstar. “We need a hero,” continues Ah Toy, “someone to remind us who we are, and who we could be.” 

As the SFPD copes with their injured, Lee (Tom Weston-Jones) turns in his badge and gun. O’Hara (Kieran Bew) tries to talk him into staying with the force, but it’s to no avail. After that, there’s a dueling bar scene for the former police partners. At the Banshee, O’Hara drops in to find Leary (Dean Jagger) beating up the bar piano. They have a drink. Meanwhile, Lee returns to the bar that drugged him for another drink from the bartender, Abigail (Gaosi Raditholo). The bar scenes interlace but the results are completely opposite: Leary calls out O’Hara for collecting for the Chinese and threatens an inevitable reckoning while Lee and Abigail have sex. Later, Lucy (Emily Child) shows up at O’Hara’s home to check on him after the riot but says she isn’t coming back. O’Hara confesses his shortcomings to her and asks forgiveness.

Back in Chinatown, Father Jun (Perry Yung) and Young Jun (Jason Tobin) survey the riot damage too. Father offers his son some wisdom and Young Jun apologizes for how the transition of power went down. It’s a solid scene – Yung and Tobin deliver a poignant father and son scene, offering some insight to the intricacies of their crime family dysfunction. “It’s your show now,” says Father Jun.

Buckley (Langley Kirkwood) talks about expelling Chinese to some businessmen at a gentlemen’s club. Penny (Joanna Vanderham) barges in to confront Buckley about Jacob’s (Kenneth Fok) lynching but Buckley blows her off. Penny is furious and leaves. Later, she goes to the newspaper reporter Raice (Martin Munro) with the story of Buckley covering up how Jacob defended her against her husband’s attack in hopes of besmirching Buckley. But after that, Raice goes to Buckley’s office and shows him the story. Buckley pays him off to kill it. Apparently, manipulating the press is something Buckley has been doing all along. After that, Penny confronts Buckley once more in his office about killing the story. Buckley stabs himself to frame Penny. In a later scene, Buckley shows up in the mayoral mansion and tells Sophie (Celine Buckens) that Penny stabbed him. Penny wakes up restrained and screaming in an insane asylum, which is where she is left at the end of Season 2.

Ah Sahm and Young Jun reflect on the riot at Ah Toy’s bordello. Then Ah Sahm goes to Ah Toy’s boudoir to tend to her wounds. Nellie (Miranda Raison) arrives and takes over, surprising Ah Sahm when sees the intimacy of their relationship. Later, Father Jun packs his bags and leaves Chinatown. He sees Chao (Hoon Lee) as he’s leaving and tells him to tell Young Jun. They bow a respectful goodbye.

Young Jun takes an audience with Mai Ling and Li Yong (Joe Taslim). Mai Ling reveals that Ah Sahm is her brother, which infuriates Young Jun. Angry at being deceived for two seasons, Jun punches Ah Sahm in the face. Hong (Chen Tang) tries to placate things between his two Hop Wei brothers, but Young Jun remains uneasy. Later, Young Jun continues to question Ah Sahm’s loyalty but realizes they’ve been through too much together already. Jun says, “The battles you choose not to fight are every bit as important as the ones you do.” Nevertheless, their trust is broken. He asks for advice from Hong. He tells him that there might not have been a right path. 

Ah Sahm ponders his Bruce Lee mural some more then goes to visits Leary in the Banshee. The scene cuts Ah Sahm sitting at a table surrounded by some Irishmen that he knocked out off camera. Leary joins him and they drink together. Then it’s Leary versus Ah Sahm in the Banshee back alley in an old-fashioned fight. There are a few kicks but lots more haymakers to the face until Ah Sahm drops Leary with a Fist of Fury like punch. Ah Sahm tells the Irish that he’ll come back with an army if they mess with Chinatown again, and then walks back to Chinatown all bloody in the San Francisco rain. 

Mai Ling finds Buckley while he’s trolling the streets for prostitutes. She shows him the photo she acquired of him posing with fellow soldiers in front of a confederate flag. She threatens to use it as blackmail, demanding his support, and tells him, ‘I want blood in the streets.’ Later at a governmental meeting, Buckley proposes shutting down Chinatown reviewing laundromats, maximum occupancy of homes and regulation of brothels, all of which were genuine historical acts deployed to oppress the Chinese. For Buckley, it’s about battling the Hop Wei. Leary shows up and says, “I’m Dylan Leary and I’m here on behalf of the Workingmen’s Party of California.”

This is a major tell. The Workingmen’s Party of California was a real organization that was pivotal in the oppression of American Chinese. The founder was a racist demagogue, an Irishman named Denis Kearney who is the inspiration for Leary’s character.  

Young Jun sees the Ah Sahm mural. Their relationship has been key to the entire show so placing that in jeopardy is a harsh season finale cliffhanger. In the final scene, Zing (Dustin Nguyen) is in prison, starting to loosen the bars.

Whether that cliffhanger will ever be resolved or not is another matter. Warrior Season 3 seems unlikely to happen at the moment, but perhaps one day we’ll get closure for this story. To the cast and crew of Warrior, thank you for reminding us who we are, and who we could be. Thank you for keeping Bruce Lee alive. Bruce Lee Forever!

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The post Warrior Season 2 Episode 10 Review: Man on the Wall appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[fuyonggu]

Book of Jin 89: Biography of Wang Bao

I was a bit surprised to see that Creative Assembly picked Wang Bao as Sima Jiong’s sole initial starting minister. Though I admit I’m not certain who I would have gone with, the below biography might cast some doubt on the good relationship between the two of them.

While I appreciate the “Sima Ai did nothing wrong” meme as much as the next person, he does come off very badly here, especially considering that he himself would soon be floating the same “divide the realm at Shan” proposal to Sima Ying. Although Sima Ying probably wouldn’t have gone along with the idea in either case, I don’t think it’s a certainty, and it’s interesting to consider what might have happened if Sima Jiong and Sima Ying had agreed to such an arrangement.

(Original text is at the end for this one.)

Wang Bao was a native of Shunyang commandary. Even as a youth, he was forthright and blunt. He originally served as Attendant Officer With Separate Carriage of Yuzhou. When the Prince of Qi, Sima Jiong, was appointed as Grand Marshal (in 301), he appointed Wang Bao as his Registrar.

Sima Jiong was arrogant and unrestrained, and he lost the hearts of the people of the realm. Wang Bao thus wrote him a letter, stating:

"I have heard that when there is discord between ruler and minister, a change in conduct is required in order to restore harmony to their relationship, settle the age, and secure the protection of the fortunes of state. For when a minister cheats his sovereign, even execution is not sufficient punishment for him, while when a ruler goes against his minister's remonstrations, even such posthumous titles as Ling ('the Aloof') or Li ('the Harsh') are not enough to describe his infamy.

"Now you, Sir, possess a humble heart and have shown consideration to those beneath you; you open your bosom to accept the good and you are sincere and earnest in your displays. Yet still, you turn a deaf ear to words you do not wish to hear. Of late, I have been considering how the government of the Jin dynasty has begun to decline, and that ever since the beginning of the Yuankang reign era (291), no one who has held sway as the chief minister of state has ever been able to save himself in the end. Now the reason that these things came about was because these people acted improperly. You yourself have overcome and pacified disaster and turmoil, and brought peace to the state and stability to the royal family. Thus you have been able to restore the laws that had recently been toppled and lost. Yet you are still continuing to follow the same path that overturned the carts before you. You still intend to go on living a long time, but I dare not admit to having heard of anyone who was able to achieve such a thing.

“Now the Prince of Hejian (Sima Yong) is firmly settled in Guanyou, the Prince of Chengdu (Sima Ying) has a secure base in the old capital of Wei at Ye, and the Prince of Xinye (Sima Xin) is secure between the Yangzi and the Han River. These three honored Princes each possess sturdy positions and strong and numerous armies, and each of them is well-stocked with arms and horses and occupies places where they may inflict great harm. As for you, Sir, it is true that you led the uprising against the traitor (Sima Lun) and your achievements surpass all the realm; your wisdom and virtue are glorious and profound, and your reputation and power stand above the age. Yet you have been stingy with giving out rewards for achievements, and though you have the power to compel your sovereign, you only occupy the capital region itself. Even so, you continue to press for more power and greater authority. To go any further will mean 'the dragon exceeding the proper limits, and occasion for repentance', while to retreat will mean 'laying hold of thorns', and though you hope for aid and peace, you shall never see good fortune. Thus I have dared to send you this letter, in order to express to you my humble thoughts and feelings.

"In ancient times, after King Wu of Zhou conquered King Zhou of Shang and founded the Zhou dynasty, he organized the various feudal lords under the auspices of the Two Lords: those nobles to the east of Shan (near Luoyang) were under the supervision of the Duke of Zhou, while those to the west of Shan were overseen by the Duke of Shao. And this led to a good foundation for the new dynasty. For even as the power of the dynasty declined and the hegemons rose among the feudal lords, the royal domain was no greater than a handful of provinces while the land within the Four Seas was filled with powerful armies. Yet the feudal lords never dared to go so far as to 'ask after the Nine Tripods (infringe upon the royal sovereignty)'. And this was the natural result of the early practices having established themselves as tradition across the realm.

"We in our own time may likewise honor and emulate the old laws of Zhou. Let the Prince of Chengdu act as Lord of the Northern Provinces and organize the various princes and nobles north of the Yellow River under his command. You yourself may serve as Lord of the Southern Provinces and bring the officials and leaders of the south under your authority. Both of you, while keeping your original offices, will also go out and reside in your own regions. Thus you will both establish your virtue out in the realm while acting with full loyalty to the court within, and every winter you may both lead your subordinates to bring tribute to the court. You may receive good and talented people and wield command over worthy and capable fellows, all of whom shall submit as the officials of the Son of Heaven. By doing such things, all the lands within the Four Seas will enjoy a lasting peace, and the countless states shall know boundless fortune, while you yourself will enjoy the same glorious reputation for virtue as the Dukes of Zhou and Shao. Then even if danger and defeat should threaten and the road ahead be closed, the altars of state will still endure.

"Sir, consider well how Gaozu (Liu Bang) accepted the strategies of Lou Jing and realized the wisdom of Zhang Liang's advice; he pondered deeply the threat of distant dangers, and thus he was able to grant his dynasty the enduring security of Mount Tai. May you show the same consideration. You might make Wan or Xuchang your base."

When, having sent this letter, Wang Bao received no response, he wrote another one, stating:

"It has been about twelve days now since I sent you my letter. I understand that, concerned as you are with the lofty and distant concerns of the state, you may not have had the time to direct your attentions to examine my thoughts or write a single character in response stating whether you agreed with my proposals or not. Yet I am like one of the old treasures of the hegemon-kings of old, those diviners of safety or danger, and I am not someone who can stand by and say nothing.

"Sir, you possess four great aspects which make it difficult for the realm to put up with you. You have performed great achievements, you enjoy a great reputation, you cherish great virtue, and you wield great authority. Ancient worthies and sages who found themselves in the same position as you pondered their circumstances with fear and trembling; they would not eat anything until after noon, and even when in bed they could not sleep.

"Consider the Duke of Zhou: he was the elder brother of King Wu of Zhou, and during the time that King Wu's son King Cheng was his sovereign, the Duke of Zhou had achieved great things during the campaign against King Zhou of Shang, he acted as regent over the dynasty because of his close kinship to the king, he possessed a deep and abiding virtue, and he exercised a broad and far-seeing wisdom. He was fully loyal, and fully benevolent; fully filial, and fully respectful. Yet during the time that he wielded power over the state, there were constant rumors against him from every side, and in the end he was alienated from King Cheng and so compelled to leave the court and dwell in the east for three years. Only when there were signs of great winds and rains did King Cheng realize the Duke of Zhou's true worth and ask him to return. I fear that if the Duke had not honored the wishes of august Heaven and stood blameless before the examination of the spirits and the people, he would have fallen victim to some sudden disaster with no means to guard against it. Yet even after he returned and once again wielded power, even so he still split his authority with the Duke of Shao at Shan, and thus they became the Two Lords.

"As for you, Sir, you can see for yourself that your achievements and your virtue are like those of the Duke of Zhou. Furthermore, ever since the start of the Yuankang reign era (291), the position of chief minister has been a poison, a source of great danger; no one has been able to put up with the holders of this office, and secret plots and hidden disasters have risen up to engulf them all. How then can you consider that you will be able to enjoy security and survival? Nor do I need to reach into the distant past to give you examples, for you have seen the fate of your predecessors with your own eyes.

"If a fellow does not concern himself with distant threats, he must at least think about dangers that are close at hand. For by the time that the danger actually arrives, it will be too late for regrets.

"Therefore, if you wish to follow my advice, then I propose that you send all the princes and nobles away to their fiefs and divide the realm at the Yellow River, with yourself and the Prince of Chengdu acting as the new Two Lords; the Prince of Chengdu shall be at Ye, while you make your base at Wan. You will both thus have a thousand li of the realm under your respective control, and each of you shall supervise the various marquises, earls, barons, viscounts, and all other leaders and commanders great and small. You shall form good ties with one another and act as allies, together serving the royal family. You will follow the old laws of tribute and control, just the same as the canons of Zhou. And if you indeed find these proposals to be wise and proper, then may you be the first to reach out to the Prince of Chengdu and discuss them with him.

"I myself am a fellow of meager talents, yet still I presume to help put this plan into effect. After all, Si Yang was just some insignificant fellow in the states of Yan and Zhao and Baili Xi was a mere merchant in the states of Qin and Chu, yet in both their cases, the two states that heeded their advice enjoyed peace. Likewise, though I am no one special, I would see the great provinces acting in accord, and I hope that you will overlook my obscurity in order to rise to the occasion and master the difficulties of these times. Though I am of little account, I hope that will not mean you will dismiss my advice out of hand."

Sima Jiong initially wrote back to Wang Bao stating, "I have received both of your letters; they are worth consideration, and I will dwell on your ideas."

But about this time, the Prince of Changsha, Sima Ai, arrived. When Sima Ai saw Sima Jiong studying Wang Bao's letter, he said to Sima Jiong, "This miscreant wishes to split the realm asunder like slicing the flesh from the bone. Why do you not beat him to death beneath the Copper Camels?"

Sima Jiong thus felt that he would not be able to honor Wang Bao's plan, so he heeded Sima Ai's advice. He even submitted a petition about Wang Bao to the court, stating, "Moved to indignation against the wicked treason of the presumptuous usurper and seeking to restore the fallen fortunes of the imperial throne, I joined with the Princes of Chengdu, Changsha, and Xinye to lead an uprising together and bring peace back to the altars of state. In doing so, my sole wish was to devote all my energy to supporting the royal family and exercising my full devotion to stand alongside the fellow members of the royal clan. This I swore, day and night, and the spirits cannot censure me otherwise.

"Yet the Registrar, Wang Bao, has recently dared counsel me to follow a different path. Claiming that I, in my unworthy role as chief minister, am surely in imminent danger and should be concerned with some sudden disaster that requires me to act at once rather than wait to receive misfortune, he would have the Prince of Chengdu and myself divide the realm at Shan and act as Lords, and send away all the princes to their fiefs. Above, he slanders the perception and power of the heavenly court's authority; below, he seeks to beguile and mislead, sowing suspicion and discord among the hearts of the people. He wishes to turn us against one another, ingeniously selling his scheme to split us into two. He would mock those above and slander those below, defame those within and alienate those without. He would steer us towards evil and guide us towards villainy, and leave us stewing in suspicion and doubt.

"In ancient times, when Confucius sought to rectify the state of Lu, he executed the Lesser Regulator; before Zichan served as Chancellor of the state of Zheng, he first put Deng Xi to death. This is because these two miscreants sought to confuse and muddle what was supposed and what was true; they were of the same deceitful ilk as the Qin minister Zhao Gao. Wang Bao is no different, for he is neither loyal nor obedient nor righteous. Thus I ask that he be turned over to the capital guards for examination, so that we may clearly expunge this injustice."

When Wang Bao was about to die, he said, "Hang my head above the Grand Marshal's gate. I want to see when the soldiers come to attack him.”

Everyone felt that Wang Bao was innocent. And indeed, Sima Jiong was soon defeated.

王豹，順陽人也。少而抗直。初為豫州別駕，齊王冏為大司馬，以豹為主簿。冏驕縱，失天下心，豹致箋於冏日：  豹聞王臣蹇蹇，匪躬之故，將以安主定時，保存社稷者也。是以為人臣而欺其君者，刑罰不足以為誅；為人主而逆其諫者，靈厲不足以為諡。伏惟明公虛心下士，開懷納善，款誠以著，而逆耳之言未入於聽。豹伏思晉政漸缺，始自元康以來，宰相在位，未有一人獲終，乃事勢使然，未為輒有不善也。今公克平禍亂，安國定家，故復因前傾敗之法，尋中間覆車之軌，欲冀長存，非所敢聞。今河間樹根于關右，成都盤桓于舊魏，新野大封于江漢，三面貴王，各以方剛強盛，並典戎馬，處險害之地。且明公興義討逆，功蓋天下，聖德光茂，名震當世。今以難賞之功，挾震主之威，獨據京都，專執大權，進則亢龍有悔，退則蒺藜生庭，冀此求安，未知其福。敢以淺見，陳寫愚情。昔武王伐紂，封建諸侯為二伯，自陝以東，周公主之，自陝以西，召公主之。及至其末，霸國之世，不過數州之地，四海強兵不敢入窺九鼎，所以然者，天下習於所奉故也。今誠能尊用周法，以成都為北州伯，統河北之王侯，明公為南州伯，以攝南土之官長，各因本職，出居其方，樹德於外，盡忠於內，歲終率所領而貢于朝，簡良才，命賢俊，以為天子百官，則四海長寧，萬國幸甚，明公之德當與周召同其至美，危敗路塞，社稷可保。顧明公思高祖納婁敬之策，悟張良履足之謀，遠臨深之危，保泰山之安。若合聖思，宛許可都也。書入，無報，豹重箋曰：豹書御已來，十有二日，而聖旨高遠，未垂采察，不賜一字之令，不敕可否之宜。蓋霸王之神寶，安危之秘術，不可須臾而忽者也。伏思明公挾大功，抱大名，懷大德，執大權，此四大者，域中所不能容，賢聖所以戰戰兢兢，日昃不暇食，雖休勿休者也。昔周公以武王為兄，成王為君，伐紂有功，以親輔政，執德弘深，聖思博遠，至忠至仁，至孝至敬。而攝事之日，四國流言，離主出奔，居東三年，賴風雨之變，成王感悟。若不遭皇天之應，神人之察，恐公旦之禍未知所限也。至於執政，猶與召公分陝為伯。今明公自視功德孰如周公。且元康以來，宰相之患，危機竊發，不及容思，密禍潛起，輒在呼噏，豈復晏然得全生計！前鑒不遠，公所親見也。君子不有遠慮，必有近憂，憂至乃悟，悔無所及也。今若從豹此策，皆遣王侯之國，北與成都分河為伯，成都在鄴，明公都宛，寬方千里，以與圻內侯伯子男小大相率，結好要盟，同獎皇家；貢御之法，一如周典。若合聖規，可先旨與成都共論。雖以小才，願備行人。昔廝養，燕趙之微者耳，百里奚，秦楚之商人也，一開其說，兩國以寧。況豹雖陋，大州之綱紀，加明公起事險難之主簿也。故身雖輕，其言未必否也。冏令曰：「得前後白事，具意，輒別思量也。」會長沙王乂至，於冏案上見豹箋，謂冏曰：「小子離間骨肉，何不銅駝下打殺！」冏既不能嘉豹之策，遂納乂言，乃奏豹曰：「臣忿奸凶肆逆，皇祚顛墜，與成都、長沙、新野共興義兵，安復社稷，唯欲戮力皇家，與親親宗室腹心從事，此臣夙夜自誓，無負神明。而主簿王豹比有白事，敢造異端，謂臣忝備宰相，必遘危害，慮在一旦，不祥之聲可蹻足而待，欲臣與成都分陝為伯，盡出籓王。上誣聖朝鑒御之威，下長妖惑，疑阻眾心，噂遝背憎，巧賣兩端，訕上謗下，讒內間外，遘惡導奸，坐生猜嫌。昔孔丘匡魯，乃��少正；子產相鄭，先戮鄧析，誠以交亂名實，若趙高詭怪之類也。豹為臣不忠不順不義，輒敕都街考竟，以明邪正。」豹將死，曰：「懸吾頭大司馬門，見兵之攻齊也。」眾庶冤之。俄而冏敗。

[wirbelwindria]

alright, I could see your version of events, here's what I would've hoped for:

I would've started with her in Chinatown as well, but I would have interwoven more of how she came to be there throughout the first episodes in the show.

Show us how she managed to escape, was she just lucky, did she trick her war lord husband, did she have help?(could it be that she met Li Yong back in China? Do we even know anything about his past, or how long he's been with the Long Zii?)

She's been in Chinatown for about two years when the show starts, so that's not a ton of time to get to where she is now.

Did she just make the best out of a bad situation, or did she come to Chinatown with an already established plan to follow to gain the power of a tong?(that dichotomy could be very interesting, since she's very calculated let's go with the latter: she managed to leave China and already planned on gaining power within the criminal underbelly of Chinatown.)

I would put in a scene that establishes how and why Ah Toy at least suspected her true identity, did Mai Ling end up with her in the beginning?

Was Ah Toy true to her word, and did not stop her from leaving?(we know that that is a possibility in this show's reality)

I don't think she ended up as a prostituted woman in Chinatown, otherwise her story would've already been over. No leader of a tong would think twice about one of these women, they're not naive enough, or interested enough in them to free them from sexual slavery.

I think Mai Ling consciously decided to leverage her wit, before leveraging her sex.

Show us how she got close to Long Zii, maybe she tried Father Jun before, but he wasn't interested(since you already pointed out, that we never see Father Jun with a woman, bought or otherwise), or he was just too hands on for her purposes.

There's no reason she couldn't have entered Long Zii's house as a regular servant, and chose the right moment to speak up about strategy, only later on starting to ensure more influence as his lover.

He seems easier to handle, and more patient than Father Jun. And I think this could be one of the reasons he's open to council from a woman in the first place, he's not even hiding that she has his ear, and that she wields tangible power through him.

Show us how she realizes that she needs to get a certain own foothold, if she ever wants to take over the tong in her own right.

This is where she zeros in on Li Yong in my proposed version.

I don't think she actually has genuine or unconditional love for Long Zii, and I don't think she does when it comes to Li Yong; however, both of them are genuinely fond(Long Zii) or in love(Li Yong) with her.

Her skillful manipulation is also what allows her to get rid of people looking for her, and I agree that it would've been her then living Husband's people(Ah Sahm shows up, to tell her he's dead now, and that she will be able to return with him).

Using everyone and everything that comes across her path is a deliberate choice on her part, another reason why she doesn't recoil at the thought of working with Buckley to crush the other tongs, and why she gives the order to kill Ah Sahm.

The "blood in the streets" she's talking about, is the blood of her enemies, and a chance for her to gain more territory to secure her position. The choice of words is the same, but it's not the same "blood in the streets" Buckley wants.

She's hardened her heart to gain safety, to never allow another situation that is out of her control ever again. This leads to a lot of unscrupulous decisions on her part(for example her alliance with the Fung Hai).

And Ah Sahms arrival reminds her unwillingly of who she used to be, throwing her of balance(hence her insistence he leave, and her decision to let him be killed - an attempt to get back to her new persona), even though she regrets it later on.

I still like the revelation of her relationship to Ah Sahm in the way it happened on the show, dropping a bomb like that is just a perfect jumping off point for a variety of conflicts.

About Mai Ling:

She's a very intriguing character, but we never get anything more than the barest hints at who she is and why she's doing what she's doing.

How did she manage to leave China in the first place?

How did she come across the Long Zii, and how'd she manage to gain so much influence?

Who was the guy looking for her, before Ah Sahm showed up? The one that vanished?

How on earth did she get Li Yong's allegiance? He's loyal and principled from all we see, how'd she manage to turn him against his actual superior?

What is her actual goal? She is the leader of the Long Zii by now, why is she still after "blood in the streets"?

How did she meet Buckley? And why is she prepared to help him reach his goals? She's not naive enough not to know what he's about...

How does buying out a vegetable vendor, to make sure his wife gets to a doctor in time, fit with her willingness to exploit and manipulate Chinatown and it's people?

[irasnotes-blog]

Research Papers: A Short Introduction and Its Significance

An Iterative Algorithm for Minimum Cross Entropy Thresholding

C.H. Li and P.K.S. Tam, March 1998

     A fast iterative method is derived for minimum cross entropy thresholding using a one-point iteration scheme. Simulations performed using synthetic generated histograms and a real image show the speed advantage and the accuracy of the iterated version.

“Image thresholding based on the gray level histogram is an efficient and important tool for image segmentation (Haralick and Shapiro, 1992). Various algorithms have been proposed to solve this problem. Among them, Li and Lee 1993 introduced the minimum cross entropy thresholding algorithm for thresholding by selecting the threshold which minimizes the cross entropy between the segmented image and the original image. In this paper, a fast iterative method is derived for the minimum cross entropy method.”

This paper showed an iterative algorithm that can significantly reduce computation times for faster and more efficient operations. This is done by minimizing the cross entropy between the segmented image and original image, leading to less noise and a more detailed accuracy.

Activated Sludge Monitoring Of a Wastewater Treatment Plant Using Image Analysis and Partial Least Squares Regression

A.L. Amaral, E.C. Ferreira, January 2005

The biomass present in a wastewater treatment plant was surveyed and their morphological properties related with operating parameters such as the total suspended solids (TSS) and sludge volume index (SVI) and image analysis was used to provide the morphological data. The results denoted the existence of a severe bulking problem of non-zoogleal nature and the PLS analysis revealed a strong relationship between the TSS and the total aggregates area as well as a close correlation between the filamentous bacteria per suspended solids ratio and the SVI.

“The activated sludge is a complex ecosystem mainly of bacteria and protozoa. In fact, a good balance between the bacteria and protozoa and among the different species of each group is crucial for efficient pollution removal, good settleability properties and low suspended solids effluent levels. Bacteria agglomerate as aggregates, mainly due to exopolymers excretion and a filamentous bacteria backbone towards an ideal floc with reasonable size and well balanced floc-forming and filamentous bacteria composition. Furthermore, they should be also quite robust and have good settling capabilities, hence leading to a low organic matter and low turbidity final effluent.”

This paragraph helped established the definition of activated sludge in the research paper. This laid down the foundation of how the bacteria in activated sludge behaves, which is a significant factor in the digital image processing and analysis. Without knowing the test subject’s components, the results would be inconsistent and useless.

Application of Image Analysis Techniques in Activated Sludge Wastewater Treatment Processes

Ewa Liwarska-Bizukojc, July 2005

     Image analytical techniques have been developed to evaluate microbial aggregates like sludge flocculations. The paper also discussed the latest innovations concerning image the image analysis in sludge wastewater systems with respect to the most frequently used morphological parameters and relations between them and traditional wastewater treatment parameters.

     “Additionally, image analysis programmes are elaborated by groups of scientists and available as a public domain. Here, an example is ImageJ 1.33 (http://rsb.info.- nih.gov/ij/) elaborated by the Research Services Branch of National Institutes of Health (USA) and DAIME (Digital Image Analysis in Microbial Ecology), created in the Department of Microbial Ecology of Vienna Ecology Centre (University of Vienna). DAIME is a novel computer programme that integrates digital image analysis and 3-D visualisation functions. It can analyse the digital images from epifluorescence microscopes and confocal image stacks (CLSM).”

     There are several examples of commercial image analysis software packets which are usually offered by the companies that deliver microscopes and imaging systems. This paragraph provided the research with examples of different software that can be utilized to digitally process and analyze the sludge wastewater samples.

Activated Sludge Morphology Characterization through an Image Analysis Procedure

Y. G. Perez, S. G .F. Leite and M. A. Z. Coelho, April 2006

This study deals with the development of a digital image analysis procedure to characterize microbial flocs obtained in three different wastewater treatment plants. The developed procedure permits to obtain its morphological parameters like equivalent diameter, compactness, roundness and porosity properties as well as the fractal dimension. This procedure was validated and lead to identify the major relationships between the analyzed morphological parameters.

“The first step of the procedure consisted on the conversion of RGB images into grey-level images and the subsequent background correction to reduce the uneven background intensities caused by uneven lighting from image acquisition system. The greylevel images were then enhanced by means of the image processing tools (histogram equalization and median filtering).”

This excerpt is from the digital imaging process which guides the researcher on how the procedure should be conducted. It emphasizes how the image samples should be evened out into greyscale images with background correction to produce useful results.

Simultaneously Monitoring the Particle Size Distribution, Morphology and Suspended Solids Concentration in Wastewater Applying Digital Image Analysis (DIA)

Ruey-Fang Yu, Ho-Wen Chen, Wen-Po Cheng and Mei-Ling Chu, January 2008

Sedimentation is one of the most commonly used processes for particle separation in water and wastewater treatments. In this paper, the proponents observed the particle size distribution, morphology, and suspended solids concentration in wastewater through digital image analysis wherein they utilized a laser particle size analyzer to analyze the particle distribution.

“The efficiency of particle sedimentation in wastewater treatment is seriously affected by particle size distribution and morphology.”

This is an essential piece of information since it puts the factor of morphology into perspective and consideration in assessing the digitally processed and analyzed image results.

Dilution and Magnification Effects on Image Analysis Applications in Activated Sludge Characterization

D.P. Mesquita, O. Dias, R.A.V. Elias, A.L. Amaral, and E.C. Ferreira, June 2010

     In activated sludge wastewater systems, accurate sludge characterization requires the samples to be diluted, especially when working with high biomass content. Subsequently, the said characterizations are to be done through image analysis procedures. In this paper, the proponents studied the effects of dilution and magnification in assessing aggregated filamentous content in image analyses. Assessments of biomass content and structure were affected by dilutions. Therefore, the correct operating dilution requires careful consideration.

     “This study demonstrated the vulnerability of image analysis to dilutions. We show that it is impossible to predict and quantify the dilution effect for the aggregated and filamentous biomass as a whole, on the basis of a single correction factor.”

     This paragraph emphasized that it is not sufficient enough to test on a single determining factor. Therefore, the optimal operating dilution must be carefully established, and the determination of the aggregates recognition percentage could be a valuable methodology for identifying this dilution factor.

Quantitative Image Analysis for the Characterization of Microbial Aggregates in Biological Wastewater Treatment: A Review

J. C. Costa, D. P. Mesquita, A. L. Amaral, M. M. Alves, and E. C. Ferreira, May 2013

The paper discussed different quantitative image analysis techniques in the field of research over the last decade, which includes the objective prediction of filamentous bulking. It also demonstrated its usefulness in classifying protozoa and metazoan populations. In high rate anaerobic processes, aggregation times and fragmentation phenomena could be detected during critical events. This work also details the major efforts being undertaken to develop more advanced quantitative image analysis techniques.

“The overall process can be summarized in three main steps: 1. Sample preparation and image acquisition: The object to be analyzed should be carefully sampled and prepared according to the study objective…2. Image processing: The set of operations performed to transform a raw input image into a final output image…3. Image analysis: Finally, the morphological parameters are analyzed.”

This paragraph outlined the basic steps of the digital imaging process and analysis so as to help the researcher, and even the readers, fully comprehend the process behind the procedure. These steps will then help gauge the correctness of the steps followed in the research.

Digital Image Processing and Analysis for Activated Sludge Wastewater Treatment

Muhammad B. Khan, Xue Yong Lee, Humaira Nisar, Choon Aun Ng, Kim Ho Yeap, and Aamir Saeed Malik, 2014

Activated sludge system is generally used in wastewater treatment plants for processing domestic influent. Activated sludge is monitored by measuring the sludge volume index (SVI) and similar entities exclusive to sludge wastewater. Digital image processing and analysis offers a better alternative in monitoring the present sludge state to predicting future trends. It is observed that image analysis can play a very useful role in the monitoring of activated sludge wastewater treatment plants.

��There have been a different set of parameters to characterize the organic and inorganic content of wastewater for different perspectives. For example, SVI is a good indicator of settle-ability. The following are the parameters often found in literature to characterize wastewater and/or activated sludge...”

This paragraph and the outline that follows described the different characteristic of sludge wastewater that may affect the data sampling, treatment, processing and analysis. It also stated the different abnormal conditions that can lead to discrepancies in the result translations.

Understanding Illicit Drug Use Patterns through Wastewater Analysis

Sheree Pagsuyoin, Jana Latayan, and Babelene Pagsuyoin, April 2015

Illicit drug use is an ever-present problem that has serious consequences on the health and socioeconomic well-being of a person, and a society as a whole. Its identification and estimation in communities is difficult because of the privacy laws and doctor-patient confidentiality agreements. Various strategies and research methodologies rely on surveys and reports from health and other government agencies. In this study, the proponents employed a relatively new approach called “wastewater epidemiology” to study the patterns of cocaine use in Belgium with real-time data and a non-invasive alternative to understanding the patterns of drug use in communities.

“Considering the evolving patterns of drug consumption within communities and with the emergence of new and more complex illicit substances in the market, newer methods for collecting relevant information are necessary in order for policymakers to develop a timely and more effective course of action. One such method is wastewater epidemiology, which refers to the study of illicit drug use patterns in the community through wastewater analysis. In principle, it involves the detection in wastewater of target compounds that are excreted by humans; these measurements are then used to back-calculate the consumption levels of these compounds in the community served by the sewer network.”

This paper provided a different perspective on the importance of looking into sludge wastewater sample and analyzing them to detect drug traces in a certain population demographic. This proves to be another function of sludge wastewater processing and analysis.

Monitoring Biological Wastewater Treatment Processes: Recent Advances in Spectroscopy Applications

Daniela P. Mesquita, Cristina Quintelas, A. Luis Amaral, and Eugenio C. Ferreira, August 2017

     Aerobic and anaerobic processing technologies have been continuously developed for wastewater treatment and are currently routinely employed to reduce the contaminant discharge levels in the environment. However, most methodologies are labor intensive and time. Thus, spectroscopy applications in biological processes are, nowadays, considered a rapid and effective alternative technology for real-time monitoring though still lacking implementation in full-scale plants.

     “…considerable efforts are being undertaken to develop spectroscopic methods for monitoring and quantifying key parameters involved in WWT processes.”

     This excerpt from the study guarantees that developments in the field of spectroscopic applications are being developed to meet the need of the different wastewater treatment plants and their procedures. In turn, these endeavors aim to ease the costly, labor-intensive and time-consuming traditional processes with faster alternative technologies.

Literature Review

Activated Sludge Wastewater Monitoring through Digital Image Processing and Analysis

Most Asian cities do not have access to proper wastewater treatment systems and facilities. In the Philippines alone, only 10 percent of the wastewater is treated. As a response to these issues, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) thrusted the advocacy for cleaner and safer technologies in the treatment of wastewater and to provide sustainable measures for the pressing environmental repercussions of untreated and unprocessed wastewater.

Inside the Sludge Wastewater Treatment

Activated sludge is a fairly complex ecosystem made up of bacteria and protozoa of different species, most of which embody their own roles for efficient pollution removal. Bacteria converge into aggregated lumps as a result of the flocculation of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) excreted by bacteria that consists of floc-forming filamentous bacteria (Amaral, A., et al., 2005). Bacteria in sludge are robust, due to the nature of their environment, causing in adequate compacting and settling, resulting to low organic matter and turbidity.

The characteristic of wastewater will not only benefit researchers, but also for the wastewater treatments plants (WWTP). This can be attributed to two main reasons. Firstly, activated sludge is one of the most often means for microbiological degradation in wastewater. Secondly, flocs determine the quality of effluent and the efficiency of WWTP, thus proving to be an undoubtedly major component in wastewater purification.

Aside from alleviating environmental issues, wastewater monitoring can be an avenue for drug tracing in the city sewage systems, canals, and household septic tanks (Pagsuyoin, S., et al., 2015). It involves the detection in wastewater of target compounds that are excreted by humans; these measurements are then used to back-calculate the consumption levels of these compounds in the community served by the sewer network

According to Khan, the activated sludge process employs some definitions specific to the process itself. Two of them are Mixed Liquor suspended Solids (MLSS) and Mixed Liquor Volatile suspended Solids (MLVSS), which are the total suspended solids and volatile suspended solids respectively. Hydraulic Retention Time is the mean time the primary effluent stays in the aeration tank. Sludge Age, also known as Mean Cell Retention Time, is the average residence time of the microorganisms in the activated sludge system. Lastly, we have the Sludge Volume Index (SVI) which is defined as the volume a gram of activated sludge preceded by settling of the mixed liquor. Aerobic wastewater treatment, also known as activated sludge process, utilizes microorganisms to oxidize both organic and inorganic matter. The process consists primarily of aeration tanks and clarifiers which act as catalysts for the microbial flocs to settle in a secondary clarifier (Khan, M.B., et al., 2014).

Digital Imaging Process

Sludge wastewater digital imaging begins with the acquisition of filamentous image samples through phase contrast microscopy and magnified up to a certain extent to produce aggregate image (Amaral, A. et al., 2005). The following step of the process consist of the conversion of RGB images into greyscale images and the subsequent background correction to reduce the uneven background intensities caused by uneven lighting or any lighting discrepancies. The greyscale images are then enhanced by means of the image processing tools such as histogram equalization and median filtering (Perez, Y.G., et al., 2006). Other process like aggregate segmentation, filaments segmentation, and debris elimination consists primarily of the determination of the different components in the sludge sample previously acquired. Aggregates are labeled, noise and debris are cancelled to produce clearer pictures. According to Costa (et al., 2013), the overall image analysis process can be analyzed in three steps: sample preparation and image acquisition, image processing, and image analysis. Sampling is marked by pre-treatment, image processing is the transformation of raw input into a final output image, and image analysis concerns the determination of descriptors describing the object morphology, the size and shape, which also affects the efficiency of particle sedimentation in wastewater treatment (Yu, R., et al., 2008).

It is essential to produce image samples of good quality to ensure consistency in producing results and accuracy to translating the results. To achieve this, researchers have formulated different algorithms to guarantee the performance and results of the imaging process and analysis. One of them is an iterative algorithm for minimum cross entropy thresholding which allows for an accurate threshold location with the minimum number of computations required (Li, C.H., et al., 1998). It is done by selecting the threshold which minimizes the cross entropy of the image. This algorithm only but a speck in the dozens of existing algorithms which can further enhance the digital imaging process, suitable for different specifications.

Along with this come different microscopic techniques and commercial image analysis software by microscopes and digital imaging systems companies, such as ImageJ and DAIME (Digital Image Analysis in Microbial Ecology) created by the University of Vienna (Liwarska-Bizukojc, E., 2005). One of the most popular software being used today is MATLAB, which is used for computer vision, deep learning, robotics, and the like.

In the review paper “Monitoring biological wastewater treatment processes: recent advances in spectroscopy applications,” (Mesquita, D., et al., 2017), the proponents have addressed different aerobic and anaerobic spectroscopy systems that are currently being developed for WWTP. The review detailed the efforts being undertaken in developing spectroscopic methods for monitoring and quantifying key parameters in the wastewater treatment process, subsequently replacing conventional methods, which are quite time-consuming, costly, and laborious.

Special Sludge Factors and Conditions

While it is important to familiarize the process, it is also essential to know about the possible hindrances in effective digital imaging procedures that may affect the quality of the sludge wastewater samples. In a study by Mesquita (et. al, 2010) entitled “Dilution and Magnification Effects on Image Analysis Applications in Activated Sludge Characterization,” the proponents emphasized the vulnerability of image analyses to dilutions. According to their study, it is impossible to predict and quantify the dilution effect for the aggregated and filamentous biomass as a whole, on the basis of a single correction factor. Therefore, the optimal operating dilution must be carefully established, and the determination of the aggregates recognition percentage could be a valuable methodology for identifying this dilution factor. Along with this, other researchers have also discussed possible abnormal conditions that may affect the interpretation of results. These include dispersed growth, which is caused by high turbidity of effluent, viscous or non-filamental bulking, manifested by reduced settling and compaction, pinpoint flocs, which are due to low SVI, filamentous bulking, caused by overgrowth of filamentous bacteria, and foaming or scum formation, which is caused by non-biodegradable surfactants like detergents.

REFERENCES

Li, C., & Tam, P. (1998). An iterative algorithm for minimum cross entropy thresholding. Pattern Recognition Letters,19(8), 771-776. doi:10.1016/s0167-8655(98)00057-9

Amaral, A., & Ferreira, E. (2005). Activated sludge monitoring of a wastewater treatment plant using image analysis and partial least squares regression. Analytica Chimica Acta,544(1-2), 246-253. doi:10.1016/j.aca.2004.12.061

Liwarska-Bizukojc, E. (2005). Application of Image Analysis Techniques in Activated Sludge Wastewater Treatment Processes. Biotechnology Letters,27(19), 1427-1433. doi:10.1007/s10529-005-1303-2

Perez, Y. G., Leite, S. G., & Coelho, M. A. (2006). Activated sludge morphology characterization through an image analysis procedure. Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering,23(3), 319-330. doi:10.1590/s0104-66322006000300005

Yu, R., Chen, H., Cheng, W., & Chu, M. (2008). Simultaneously monitoring the particle size distribution, morphology and suspended solids concentration in wastewater applying digital image analysis (DIA). Environmental Monitoring and Assessment,148(1-4), 19-26. doi:10.1007/s10661-007-0135-z

Mesquita, D., Dias, O., Elias, R., Amaral, A., & Ferreira, E. (2010). Dilution and Magnification Effects on Image Analysis Applications in Activated Sludge Characterization. Microscopy and Microanalysis,16(05), 561-568. doi:10.1017/s1431927610093785

Costa, J. C., Mesquita, D. P., Amaral, A. L., Alves, M. M., & Ferreira, E. C. (2013). Quantitative image analysis for the characterization of microbial aggregates in biological wastewater treatment: a review. Environmental Science and Pollution Research,20(9), 5887-5912. doi:10.1007/s11356-013-1824-5

Khan, M. B., Lee, X. Y., Nisar, H., Ng, C. A., Yeap, K. H., & Malik, A. S. (2014). Digital Image Processing and Analysis for Activated Sludge Wastewater Treatment. Signal and Image Analysis for Biomedical and Life Sciences Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology,227-248. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-10984-8_13

Pagsuyoin, S., Latayan, J., & Pagsuyoin, B. (2015). Understanding illicit drug use patterns through wastewater analysis. 2015 Systems and Information Engineering Design Symposium. doi:10.1109/sieds.2015.7116994

Mesquita, D. P., Quintelas, C., Amaral, A. L., & Ferreira, E. C. (2017). Monitoring biological wastewater treatment processes: recent advances in spectroscopy applications. Reviews in Environmental Science and Bio/Technology,16(3), 395-424. doi:10.1007/s11157-017-9439-9

[aion-rsa]

Warrior Season 2 Episode 3 Review: Not How We Do Business

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This Warrior review contains spoilers.

Warrior Season 2 Episode 3

“Not How We Do Business” sums up the latest episode of Warrior in two ways. First, it’s a line that Zing (Dustin Nguyen) lays on O’Hara (Kieran Biew) when he finally breaks away from being a debt collector for the Fung Hai. “Not how we do business” also works on a meta level, this episode only has one Kung Fu fight. That’s weak for a Bruce Lee inspired show. There are two other fight scenes, but they’re scrappy brawls the likes of which can be found in any action drama.

Bruce Lee fans want Kung Fu, and not just any Kung Fu. As part of the Little Dragon’s legacy, it must be great Kung Fu. The lone Kung Fu scene in this episode is good and serves to introduce a pivotal new character, but that’s not enough. It’s not how we do business. 

This episode begins with a missed opportunity where Ah Sahm (Anthony Koji) is in the Barbary Coast Fight Pit, facing off against another challenger. That would be great, but the fight is already over. The opening shot focuses upon his burly challenger, but he has already been knocked out and is just standing stunned, then there’s a shot of Ah Sahm, and then the challenger falls.

Seriously? No Kung Fu? Starting in the Fight Pit is fine dramatically but shortchanging the audience out of a fight is not the way to go for this show. It’s a big ripe piece of low hanging fruit left to rot. Bruce Lee fans crave gratuitous Kung Fu. Whenever Warrior goes to the Fight Pit, there had better be a fight.

After that, Ah Sahm’s fight manager Vega (Maria-Elena Laas) teases him with the promise of a bigger purse in some other international arena, a place where Warrior will hopefully go at some point this season, but not in this episode. Chao (Hoon Lee) pulls Ah Sahm aside and implies that he knows about the molasses plot that he and Young Jun (Jason Tobin) are cooking up, and that he’s concerned over Ah Sahm’s rivalry with Mai Ling (Dianne Doan). Chao comments “I don’t see any version of that ending well” which comes as no surprise to anyone. If this all ended well, there’d be no fight scenes. 

Enter Hong – the New Guy in the Hop Wei

The centerpiece of the episode is the introduction of a new character, Hong (Chen Tang). Chen Tang just portrayed Yao in the new Mulan. In the original Disney animated film, Yao was Mulan’s hard ass comrade, and in contrast, he’s the shortest character (unless you count Mushu and Cri-Kee). The live action Mulan changed a lot – Yao was still the hard ass, but now he’s 6 feet tall and a less significant role. Nevertheless, Chen is a great addition to Warrior, exuding a southern charm because he was raised in Memphis and has a natural southern accent in real life, but he covers that up for Warrior. 

Read more

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Hong arrives ‘fresh off the boat’ with a batch of new recruits, hatchet men ordered from China by Father Jun (Perry Yung). Their appearance makes Young Jun nervous that Father Jun might be on to his non-Chinese molasses scheme. He’s also suspicious of Hong’s attempts to weasel his way in with them. Nonetheless, Young Jun and Ah Sahm agree to take Hong to a brothel. There Ah Sahm discovers Hong is gay but sympathetically keeps that secret. 

After that, the threesome stumble across some Fung Hai gangsters in the streets and Hong, either eager to impress or just hungry to kick some ass, takes them all out by himself. It’s a good introduction and reveals his expertise with whip chain. A whip chain is a traditional Chinese weapon, one that can be easily concealed as a trusty everyday carry for a Tong man. Chen Tong delivers a decent first fight scene with it. As weapons go, the whip chain requires more skill to wield than a nunchaku. Hong deploys both the whip chain’s striking and entangling methods proficiently, although the scene is in a dark alley and the shadows can conceal a multitude of sins. Chen Tong lists skills in Stage Combat, Karate, Kung Fu and Tai Chi on his resume and claims he did some preparation for the role of Hong studying Chinese whip chain and the Japanese equivalent manriki-gusari.

One of the best things about Warrior is the relationship between Ah Sahm and Young Jun. They have an earnest chemistry as two gangsters being gangsters, delivering beat downs, slinging molasses, and chasing sticky. This camaraderie is commonplace for buddy films and TV partners but it’s exceedingly rare and delightfully refreshing to see this for two Asian men in a Western production. Both Ah Sahm and Young Jun have a lot to prove and their connection is palpable. Hong brings a new lighter tone as the third wheel to their partnership. They already seem to be bonding as a threesome which is promising for the rest of the season. 

In the Room Where It Happens

Mai Ling (Dianne Doan) and Li Yong (Joe Taslim) pay a visit to the Fung Hai lair so she can scold Zing (Dustin Nguyen). Walking into Zing’s room is a gutsy move for Mai Ling, but with Li Yong at her side, she’s fearless. Zing agrees to Mai Ling’s terms, but not before she shares a ritual drink of mare’s milk with him. Mare’s milk, or Kumis, is a unique fermented drink because few alcoholic beverages are dairy derived. It’s usually not that strong, nor is it the disgusting chunky chowder depicted in Warrior but the Mongols are stereotyped as barbarians, just as they were in Mulan, so it’s depicted as revolting. Mongolians are poorly represented in film and television. Project their media depictions upon any other race and the generally disparaging tone is evident. 

On the way out, a Fung Hai thug gets up in Li Yong’s face and gets throat punched for his trouble. Don’t mess witjj Li Yong. Knowing Li Yong could destroy his crew, Zing calls off his man saying “Be thankful for your pain. It means you’re still alive.”

Much to Li Yong’s dismay, Mai Ling echoes this line towards the end of the episode, making him wonder if his boss is headed down the wrong path like Zing. While everyone in Warrior has their dark side, Zing has emerged as the villain with no redeemable qualities. Taslim brings a guarded nobility to Li Yong as Warrior’s most badass fighter; he’s loyal to Mai Ling, his lover and boss, but not blindly so. This, along with Taslim’s martial expertise, makes Li Yong one of the more intriguing characters. Mai Ling, like most of the rest of the cast, is another character with a lot to prove.

Read more

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Later, Zing, being the barbarous Mongol villain, threatens Chao (Hoon Lee) over delivering weapons. Chao, always the manipulator, discusses Zing with Mai Ling. Then later, Chao meets with Li Yong alone. Over bowls of noodles, Chao proposes a way to avoid war, teasing some coming intrigue to take Zing down. Everyone is aligning against Zing and the anticipation of this inevitable showdown is promising.

Sophie (Celine Buckens) sneaks into Leary’s (Dean Jagger) back room at the Banshee and finds his map of factories that use coolies. While she’s smart enough to realize that Leary is behind the factory firebombing, she somehow overlooks that Mercer Steel has got to be among those circled on that map too. Clearly her sister’s company is on the Irish workers hit list because they were beating up the coolies headed to Mercer until Penny (Joanna Vanderham) hired the Hop Wei for protection against them. Sophie and Leary finally hook up and Leary unwittingly echoes Chao saying, “This isn’t going to end well.” By now, the audience is well aware it’s not going to end well and has their collective fingers crossed that it will end in a massive Kung Fu fight at the very least. 

As they have a post-coital stroll, Sophie suggests that Leary get into politics with a nod to Hamilton by suggesting he should “be in the room where it happens.” Leary calls Sophie out when she says she “knows.” She’s an entitled upper-class woman and hasn’t seen the tragedy that Leary has. He tells Sophie of some of the horrors he witnesses, of friends and family starving, and starts to pull away from her until she draws him back. It gives Leary more context.

Given the era, Leary likely escaped the Great Irish Famine (1945-1849). Over a quarter million Irish emigrated to the New World and Leary would be part of that generation. The Irish are struggling too. During that period, Irish immigrants made up most of San Francisco’s working class and about one-third of the city’s population. This is another way Warrior sheds light upon a dark period of history.

Police Beatdowns

The other two fight scenes come from the cops. The first is short. Lee (Tom Weston-Jones) returns to Nora’s (Gaosi Raditholo) tavern where he got rolled last episode to exact revenge. He goes full copper, night-sticking and shooting up the joint until he gets his cash back. With Lee, Weston-Jones is echoing his role as Kevin “Corky” Corcoran, in his previous TV show Copper. Corky was an Irish detective in a period drama set in the late 18th century, the same era as Warrior. This is not so much of a bar fight as it is a cop taking out a few unarmed barflies. 

When a debtor’s wife flashes a gratuitous boob at O’Hara, offering him sex to pay her husband’s bills to the Fung Hai, it’s the last straw and he finally quits the Fung Hai. Even though O’Hara has repaid his debt, Zing exacts revenge by sending Tong men to invade his home and threaten his family. This happens right after dinner where Lee had been their guest. Lee comes to the rescue, revolver blazing, and a scrappy bit of violence ensues where O’Hara’s son and wife must defend themselves too. It’s a brutal sanguineous scene, leaving everyone dead or splattered with blood, ending this episode in a bloody mess. 

Warrior Season 2 can be seen exclusively on CINEMAX.

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[wirbelwindria]

I agree, the two year time frame is ridiculous, but the two year time frame is also what we get from Ah Sahm, and since our information on what exactly happened in China is severely limited, it could have been longer than he knows.

I also thinhk that Li Yong has been with Long Zii for quite a while, and I’d guess that his story could mirror Ah Sahm in a few ways, being trained formally by a master for example.

He remarks that their level of skill is both comparable and unusual.

I also see Li Yong as a fairly emotional character tbh, and I could see that leading to a situation that has him fleeing China for one reason or another. And the Long Zii might have been the most palatable option in regards to adapting to a new environment.

I highly prefer the route to power that doesn’t involve sexual exploitation this prominently, one of the reasons I’m not necessarily after 100% historical accuracy.

After all, I’m not watching the show to educate myself about real and horrendous history, I watch it to be entertained. And while that doesn’t mean there can’t be harsh scenes, or hard to watch scenes, I prefer the kind of softened reality that won’t force me to watch that kind of interaction too often.

And with how Ah Toy insists on not actually owning anyone, and the girls can leave whenever they want, they still could’ve crossed paths without Mai Ling ending up a courtesan or “regular prostitute”.

She’s brave and uncompromising enough to get away from her abusive husband, to cross the salt, and take power for herself.

There’s no reason she wouldn’t have demanded her freedom, and gotten it(because we’re definitively departing from reality in the show when it comes to sexual exploitation)

I don’t mind the affair with Li Yong, depending on how they go forward it could lead to many great scenes(if they can resist having her be in love with him), and it made more sense for Li Yong to be so blind to her manipulative side.

I’m also fond of the idea that Ah Sahm killed her husband, although the main reason for his crossing was bringing her back, not fleeing charges... might be that he did it in a way no one suspected him, or he didn’t do it after all.

I think it’s safe to say she met Buckley through her own initiative, as in she familiarized herself with the power structure of the city as a whole and created a situation that allowed her to propose a mutually beneficial situation(we see her leave Chinatown on more than one occasion, she’s pretty comfortable navigating it, even knows on what corner she’s likely to run into Buckley late at night).

I don’t think she’s naive in regards to what his end goal is either, but I think she’s in over her head at this point, overplayed her hand so to speak(and that could be a reason to reconcile with the other tongs and Ah Sahm later on).

And I think her anger at the world is severely understated in the show, I could imagine her being willing to burn everything down when she first met Buckley, and only later on changing her mind, and redirecting her efforts to a more long lived kind of power.

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I don’t think we’ll get to to anything as explicitly feminist tbh.

And if we were I could see Ah Toy trying to fight it, yes. But the Way Mai Ling is set up? She won’t care all that much(unless we get a ton of additional character development).

I think Mai Ling will be to busy, keeping the power she has, to look out for anyone but herself.

I’d welcome an arc of Ah Toy and Mai Ling coming to understand each other though, and I could see that leading to a more organized resistance on their part.(I just don’t believe we’ll get that...)

I think her main theme is burying the past(as you said) and trying to build up a monument of her self, safe enough in it’s base to withstand whatever life will throw at her.

I think she has enough evidence to bring Buckley down, and cost him his position(there’s no way she didn’t find a way to document his involvement with her), but I think she’ll try and avoid that. Buckley is only useful as long as he remains in power, and he will only be pushed so far(and Mai Ling knows how to play a dangerous man).

About Mai Ling:

She's a very intriguing character, but we never get anything more than the barest hints at who she is and why she's doing what she's doing.

How did she manage to leave China in the first place?

How did she come across the Long Zii, and how'd she manage to gain so much influence?

Who was the guy looking for her, before Ah Sahm showed up? The one that vanished?

How on earth did she get Li Yong's allegiance? He's loyal and principled from all we see, how'd she manage to turn him against his actual superior?

What is her actual goal? She is the leader of the Long Zii by now, why is she still after "blood in the streets"?

How did she meet Buckley? And why is she prepared to help him reach his goals? She's not naive enough not to know what he's about...

How does buying out a vegetable vendor, to make sure his wife gets to a doctor in time, fit with her willingness to exploit and manipulate Chinatown and it's people?