'Warrior Nun' Season 2 Retrospective
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WARNING: SPOILERS FOR WARRIOR NUN SEASON 2
After the decent start in Season 1, Warrior Nun’s second season picks up two months after the cliffhanger ending where we find the OCS members scattered. Ava and Beatrice have been laying low in Switzerland, Camila and Mother Superion are in a convent in Spain, and Lilith has gone AWOL. On top of this, they must deal with the threat of the villainous Adriel, the otherworldly co-founder of the OCS who is now the leader of a rapidly-growing cult known as the First-Born Sons. To defeat Adriel, the surviving Sister Warriors must search for the fabled Crown of Thorns (the “crown” that Christ wore at the crucifixion) and help Ava become a true Warrior Nun.
One can tell right off the bat that the second season of Warrior Nun feels more “polished” than the first. The introduction of a clear goal (defeating Adriel) and a MacGuffin (the Crown of Thorns) create a more grounded plot and the chance to expand on the world and lore of Warrior Nun. There are also improvements in the characters, who, having traded an old church for the real world, show visible signs of development. Ava is embracing her role as Warrior Nun more seriously, and Beatrice is learning to open herself up (more on that later) to Vincent. Then, there are Lilith’s shifting loyalties and crises of conscience, just to name a few.
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Season 2 also introduces new characters, in particular, Yasmine (Meena Rayann), a nun from an off-shoot order of the OCS, and Miguel (Jack Mullarkey), a brash but determined young man and leader of the Samaritans, a counter-movement to Adriel’s cult. Like the cast of the previous season, both characters bring their own roles and conflicts to the show. Yasmine serves both as a guide and an unintentional comic relief as someone with no fighting experience thrust into a war for the world, while Miguel’s methods to defeat Adriel may undo everything the OCS holds dear.
Of course, there is Adriel himself, played by William Miller, who fills the role with a disturbing mix of Christ-like grace and a Devil-like evil. While it is a shame that we don’t get much insight into Adriel’s motivations besides world/religious domination, Miller’s performance will leave the audience wanting to learn more about Adriel and his world right until the end.
Throw a fallen angel, a demon, Andrew Tate, and a nice ponytail into a blender, and you’ll get Adriel
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The themes in this season are similar to the first, but with the addition of false prophets, which is explored through Adriel’s deception and hypnosis of the masses, and martyrdom as Ava grapples with the potentially self-destructive methods to defeat him. These themes become quite heavy as this season reaches its climax, but the whole season is thankfully uplifted by the theme of love. The relationship between Ava and Beatrice (dubbed ‘Avatrice’ by fans) deserves its own article. Their chemistry is impeccable and should serve as a blueprint for all sapphic relationships going forward.
All in all, Warrior Nun Season 2 is a huge improvement over Season 1 and a refreshing change from the sophomore slump that affects most modern shows. This season of Warrior Nun not only improves on the shortcomings of Season 1, but it does so without forsaking what made it unique or what did work. The characters are better than ever, the plot is more grounded and the themes (and fight scenes) hit harder than ever, This only makes Warrior Nun’s cancellation all the more tragic. Should the show be picked up for a third season and the same level of care is taken as it was with the second season, Warrior Nun has the potential to become a breakout sci-fi/fantasy show, and a breakout show across all television.
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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