‘Warrior Nun’ Season 1 Retrospective
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WARNING: SPOILERS FOR WARRIOR NUN SEASON 1
Well, it has been over two months since Netflix canceled the Warrior Nun series, kickstarting the “#SaveWarriorNun” movement on social media. Since then, the campaign has garnered over ten million tweets, articles from magazines like Forbes and TIME magazine, and even billboards in Times Square and California. With such an unprecedented reaction, and from such a seemingly small fandom, one has to ask, what is it about Warrior Nun that has captured so many people? Is #SaveWarriorNun just another viral Twitter trend, or is there a genuine merit to Warrior Nun that has been overlooked by Netflix executives? Here is a retrospective review of Warrior Nun Season 1.
The story of Warrior Nun revolves around Ava Silva, a 19-year-old woman who wakes up in a church morgue, in possession of an artifact known as “The Halo.” Soon, Ava attracts the attention of a secret convent of militarized nuns called the Order of the Cruciform Sword (OCS). As the organization requires the Halo in their fights against the forces of hell, Ava finds soon finds herself not only in the battle against evil but also in a complex power game within the Catholic Church that threatens the entire world. To anyone hearing of Warrior Nun for the first time, this plot might sound reminiscent of a B-Grade Disney Channel movie, but that would be selling the show short.
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It is clear from the first few episodes that Warrior Nun is driven by its characters. Unlike other shows, which would focus on maybe two or three characters (often with similar or one-note personalities), Warrior Nun rotates around the entire cast. Yes, some characters do shine more than others (Ava, Beatrice, and Mary in particular), but not one single character feels two-dimensional or otherwise left behind by the writers. Whether it be the fierce but stoic Sister Beatrice, the haunted Father Vincent, or the brash but kind Shotgun Mary, each character has their own personality, role, and personal issues they’re wrestling. Their uniqueness makes the world of Warrior Nun feel real and believable.
This is especially true of Ava, who is crafted in a way that defies the standard “strong female hero” we’ve come to expect in sci-fi/fantasy media. The audience sees Ava reject her calling multiple times in the show, train and ask for help from her allies, making Ava more real and relatable, but not at the expense of her agency. There may be divided opinions in regard to Ava’s actions, but everyone can agree that her heart-wrenching story is an excellent exploration of life, love, and free will.
While some might be divided on Ava’s actions, her heart-wrenching story is an excellent exploration of life, love and free-will
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Another area Warrior Nun shines is its themes, which range from feminism and religion to life and free will. The themes of feminism are self-evident with a title like Warrior Nun and the mostly-female cast. But rather than beat the audience over the head by telling them how “great and edgy” the OCS members are, the show lets their actions and bravery speak for themselves. The series follows the golden rule of “show, don’t tell” with all its themes, taking the time to present the messages in a way that hits the audience hard. Whether it be sexuality through Beatrice, abuse and free will through Ava, or religion vs. science through Jillian and Duretti, Warrior Nun introduces the topics with a gentle touch, but lets them land with a heavy punch.
As befitting its title, Warrior Nun delivers on special effects and fight choreography. The special effects are used pretty sparingly for a sci-fi/fantasy show and on a visibly smaller budget. Warrior Nun’s SFX team does make every penny count in the glow of the Halo, the menacing, scarlet visage of the demons, or just a simple explosion or gunshot. One can tell that there is a great deal of care put into each SFX shot.
Similarly, while the show’s fight scenes are nothing on the level of a Jackie Chan or Jet Li movie, they still pack a wallop (no pun intended). The fights are carefully crafted, carried out with actors and stunt teams, and, most importantly, are practical and realistic. Whether it be the hallway fight scene or the Lilith and Mary showdowns, the audiences may find themselves wincing at each hit.
When Sister Beatrice’s face-shield drops, so do the bodies…
Image Source: SyFy
While Warrior Nun excels with its characters, themes, SFX, and choreography, it is dampened by some unnecessary or otherwise anticlimactic subplots. One such subplot is the murder of Sister Shannon (the previous Warrior Nun). Despite being a source of conflict for the first half of the series, the storyline ended rather anticlimactically. More than that, the Sister Warriors knowingly team up with those connected to Shannon’s murder in the second half of the series, which, considering their duty to help and protect the Warrior Nun, seems a little reckless. Of course, there are some mitigating circumstances to their team-up, but it nonetheless feels a little iffy.
The second subplot is the “will they/won’t they” tryst between Ava and JC, a squatter that she meets and falls for in the first episode. Not only does it get old fast, as JC brings little to the show but eye candy and conflict between Ava and the OCS, it ends just as inexplicably, leaving the viewer feeling as though the story could have been cut away to explore other stories or characters. There are also Ava’s internal monologues where she fantasizes about kissing JC and running away with him, despite the pleas of the OCS for her not to. While this could be seen as a result of the agency Ava has as a character, some viewers might see her ignoring the demonic invasion to run away with a boy she just met as selfish.
Warrior Nun’s debut season might fall just short of the mark in some places, but it more than makes up for it with its strong characters, quality SFX, fight choreography, and themes. If one is looking for the next big show in the vein of Arcane or Squid Game, something that grabs on and doesn’t let go, then you might have to look elsewhere. However, if you want a show that is centered on powerful and vibrant characters, action, strong female leads done right and a balanced reflection on religion, life, and divinity, then Warrior Nun might just be the show you’re looking for.
Both seasons of Warrior Nun are now streaming on Netflix. Learn more about the campaign on savewarriornun.net or check out the #SaveWarriorNun hashtag on Twitter.
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