Whiskey and Sticky and All the Rest Can Wait

**Whiskey and Sticky and All the Rest Can Wait** is the fifth episode of the third season of Max's original martial arts crime drama *Warrior* and the twenty-fifth episode overall. It premiered on July 13, 2023.

## Synopsis

Ah Sahm and Hong race against time to free a captured Young Jun before he's sent back to China. Meanwhile, an imprisoned Mai Ling hits rock bottom.

## Plot

Mai Ling is taken to the police station and hosed down in the cleaning chambers by Officer Stone. Elsewhere, Young Jun and many other Chinese migrants are taken to San Francisco's newly commissioned deportation center. He exclaims that he's American and that he was born in San Francisco, but the guards aren't convinced and hit Young Jun in the stomach before commanding him to get back in line.

Li Yong informs the council that Mai Ling has been arrested and that they aren't allowing her visitation. He would like to approach the Six Companies, but Wu Jin replies that the Six Companies won't help them, which he doesn't blame them for after learning that Mai Ling invested their money without their permission. Her recklessness has left them weak, and they'd be better served leaving Mai Ling in jail. Kong Pak admittedly agrees with the elders, asking Li Yong if he knew she was investing with the ducks, specifically 1/3 of the tong's cash reserves. Many assumed she would've consulted with Li Yong, making him complicit. Kong Pak has fresh eyes and can't help but wonder how things would be if they had a leader who served the tong instead of the other way around.

Mayor Buckley holds a press conference to further discuss their new deportation center. Through the efforts of his office and the San Francisco Police Department, they will send the Chinese back to where they came. As mayor, he will work hand in hand with the governor to ensure the Exclusion Act is passed and restore America back to its former glory. Stewart commends Buckley for an excellent speech, however, the crowd doesn't seem to be as impressed, and to make matters worse, Thayer played off his brother-in-law's opium addiction better than they anticipated. Even with the Irish vote, Thayer is beginning to pose a real threat to their campaign. And so, Buckley advises Stewart to do something about it, or else he'll find someone who can.

Ah Sahm and Hong stake out the deportation center, where Young Jun is being held. The security is tight and Chao insists that the bulls can't be bought off. With the next boat leaving in two days, that's exactly how much time they have to break out Young Jun.

Young Jun grabs a plate of food, if you can call it that, and takes a seat. He is then approached by a young man named Sicheng, who has been at the center for a couple of weeks and is honored to meet the leader of the Hop Wei. He explains that a few have tried to escape, but anyone who does is killed. Sicheng presumes the Hop Wei will bust Young Jun out and reveals that he and his friends have some bunks staked out, along with some tobacco, if Young Jun is interested, which he is. However, unfortunately for Young Jun, he is led into a trap by Sicheng, who reveals that his father was a tailor who ran a shop on Grant Street. He sold handkerchiefs and even made some suits for the Hop Wei. But one day, his grandparents got sick, and his dad had to send more money than usual back to China, so he couldn't pay the Hop Wei, and they busted up his shop. Like Sicheng, many others in the bunks share similar stories. They proceed to surround Young Jun before attacking. Despite not having his knives, Young Jun manages to put up a fight and even severely injure some of his attackers. However, he is ultimately outnumbered and beaten relentlessly until the bulls intervene.

Li Yong pays Mai Ling's private investigator Clyde Nichols for information. He hasn't seen her himself, but he's under good authority that she's in holding. In exchange for releasing Mai Ling, Buckley wants the photo Mai Ling has been using to blackmail him with. Li Yong pays the fee, though neither of them can be certain Buckley will uphold their agreement.

Lee and Mosely have made their way to Yichèn's print shop, where Mosely trashes the shop while Lee politely questions the man about the counterfeit bills circulating throughout Chinatown. Yan Mi returns and finds her father a seat, as he is ill. Lee joins them and asks if anyone has asked them to print money, but Yan Mi claims to have no knowledge of counterfeit money. She explains that her father is a good man and that then troubling him is only making his sickness worse. Realizing that Yichèn isn't their printer, Lee and Mosely bid their farewell.

Buckley fears that his campaign is faltering, to which Catherine suggests courting new donors, but Buckley isn't concerned about the funds, explaining that campaigning doesn't come naturally to him, as he's always preferred the back office work, steering men like Blake from the shadows. Catherine retorts that Buckley has paid his dues, and now it is his time to shine. But Buckley always saw the man in front as a fool and a puppet, only for him to now become that man. Catherine insists that there's nothing foolish about wanting something and risking everything to have it, at which point, she kisses Buckley, who is a bit hesitant, as he hasn't been with anyone in a long time, but after assuring him that he has everything she could ever want, the two of them proceed to have sex.

Yan Mi informs Ah Sahm that the Secret Service was at her shop and questioning her father. They didn't find anything, but they could return, and if they do, the plates need to be moved. Ah Sahm assures her that he's working on it and that he's not going to let anything happen to her, however, they both know he can't promise her that.

Buckley visits Mai Ling at the police station. He's still a bit upset at her for blackmailing him, referring to her as a Chinese whore. He wonders if their arrangement has run its course, but Mai Ling insists that she's still an asset and that Buckley still has a mayoral campaign to win. However, he's not concerned with that considering that they arrested the heads of two of Chinatown's biggest gangs in a single night — Mai Ling and Young Jun. However, without her, there will be a power vacuum that will erupt in war on the streets. Should he free her, Mai Ling will prevent the war, and then once he's mayor, she will crush the Hop Wei and they will share the spoils.

Ah Sahm and Hong torture one of the guards at the deportation center for intel. When he refuses to tell them anything, Hong chokes him with his chain.

Bill watches in disgust as Chief Atwood conducts another raid in Chinatown, beating tenants and separating mothers from their children. Atwood explains that there were more than a dozen Chinese squatting in a domicile that was zoned for four. Bill exclaims that they're not criminals, rather regular families. Atwood would beg to differ, referring to them as vermin who spread disease. Those who are deported take a clear message back to China that there is nothing for them in America. Bill takes a good luck at the scene, realizing that he did not sign up for this, and quits the force, slamming his badge on the ground.

Young Jun awakens to find Father Jun nursing his wounds. Young Jun informs his father what the tong has been up to in his absence, primarily the printing of counterfeit money. After Father Jun left, he traveled north, seeing so much open land. He met some Chinese ranchers and decided to stay a bit, but a duck mob showed up a week later with guns. The next thing Father Jun can remember, he was in a wagon with a dozen other onions headed back to San Francisco. He always thought he'd find something better out there, but he was wrong. They have no power outside of their own bowl. He's sorry that Young Jun was arrested, but he's happy to see him.

Ah Sahm and Hong continue to discuss how best to infiltrate the deportation center and save Young Jun. Ah Sahm recalls how after he got skinned in, he got arrested. The tong could've bought him out, but they didn't. Ah Sahm now realizes they were right in putting the tong first, and perhaps that's what they should do, because if they attack the center head on, they're going to bring a hurricane down on Chinatown. Hong questions how did Ah Sahm get out, to which he replies that someone owed him a favor, but getting Young Jun out wouldn't be nearly as simple.

Ah Sahm meets with Chao, who reveals that Mai Ling is already out. Additionally, word is out about the bulls raiding businesses for counterfeit money, and if Happy Jack finds out they paid him with fake chop, the Secret Service will be the least of their concerns. Fortunately, Chao has a plan.

Mai Ling has returned home, where she is welcomed by Li Yong, who informs her the council will meet tomorrow to discuss her leadership. They're losing faith, and the elders wanted to leave her inside. Mai Ling admits she made a mistake, and Li Yong can't protect her if he doesn't know what she's up to. Mai Ling insists it won't happen again. He then asks if they can get the money back. It's gone, but she promises to make it right.

Chao pays Happy Jack a visit. He and Isaac have heard of the rumors regarding the raids and the search for counterfeiters. Chao recalls that Agent Lee lives with Abigail, Happy Jack's sister-in-law. Chao has brought Happy Jack real money as an apology and incentive to kill Lee. However, Happy Jack doesn't intern to kill Lee, rather send him back to Georgia to claim the $500 reward. Happy Jack agrees to take care of the problem, but it can't happen anywhere near his territory. Chao attempts to take his bribe money back given that Jack already intends to deal with Lee, but Isaac slams his hand down on the table, as Happy Jack explains that it's a service fee for allowing Chao to continue breathing.

Bill returns home to find Lee waiting. He's heard that Bill quit the force and came to see how he is holding up. He's got no job, family, or purpose. Lee never thought he'd see the day, but Bill realizes that Lee was right all along about the game being rigged and them not being meant to succeed. On the bright side, at least Bill is out of Chinatown, Lee remarks.

Young Jun questions what will happen to them in China. Father Jun replies, nothing good. They either die quick at the hands of enemies or slow through disease and starvation. Father Jun always figured they'd send his body back to China when he was dead, and that's the only way he's going back. He devises a plan with Young Jun to make a break for it when they are being herded on the boat, handing Young Jun a piece of shrapnel.

Ah Sahm pays Mai Ling a visit and says that he's glad she got out safe from jail. However, he recalls that when he got locked up, he couldn't get out until Mai Ling got him out. She bought herself some serious connections. It's how she's dodged the crackdowns and how she's back on the street. Ah Sahm asks her to get Young Jun out of the deportation center and offers to pay with what she already knows is counterfeit cash. Rather than money, Mai Ling wants half of everything moving forward. Through this, the Long Zii and Hop Wei will become partners. The Long Zii wll also provide a space for them to keep printing free from police interference. They'd finally be on the same side and could get rich together.

Bill arranges a lunch date with Lucy. He told her that he had it in him to be a better man, and he thought he was trying to be by clinging so hard to being a cop. He thought that no matter what he did wrong he could always fall back on being a law man, something good, but it's not. It's not good because of what it did to him and to the family. Bill is no good without her, and she and the kids are the only thing that matters to him, and unfortunately, in all the mess, he lost sight of that. Bill reveals that he quit his job and turned in his badge. He's now willing to work for Horace, and do whatever it takes to have Lucy and the kids back home, promising he will never lose sight of them again. Lucy gets up from her seat and kisses Bill, agreeing then and there to come home.

Nellie gifts Lai and the other girls brand-new dresses. When Ah Toy enters the room, Lai abruptly exits, with Ah Toy surmising that Lai blames her for getting her hopes up. Nellie explains that the life they had in Sonoma is the life they deserve, but Ah Toy retorts that her law is not for them. And to make matters worse, the government has taken her land, suggesting that the law isn't for Nellie either. Nellie intends to rebuild, revealing that she found another piece of land up the coast, 50 acres to be exact. She wanted to take a look tomorrow, but Ah Toy refuses to make the same mistake twice. She then breaks up with Nellie and tells her not to come back.

Young Jun and Father Jun are among the Chinese being herded on to the boat. Father Jun tells Young Jun that they will make their move once they pass the gate, however, it doesn't come to that, as Clyde arrives with signed documents for Young Jun's release, though he refuses to leave without his father.

Lai has retreated to Ah Toy's room, where she angrily wields and trains with a Dao. It's good to be angry, but Ah Toy warns her not to be stupid and explains that they need more time to plan and heal. Strickland will pay for his actions, but not now. Lai attempts to take her frustrations out on Ah Toy, who evades her attack and disarms Lai, explaining that neither of them are quite ready for the war ahead.

Ah Sahm and Hong greet Young Jun and Father Jun as they arrive in Chinatown. When Hong asks how they ended up in there together, Young Jun tells him that the details can wait until after he gets some whiskey and sticky.

Li Yong confronts Mai Ling for making another deal without telling him. She explains that it wasn't planned; Ah Sahm came to her and at least now she'll be able to pay back what was lost, which should appease the elders and hopefully make peace with her brother. Mai Ling realizes that she's put Li Yong through a lot. When she was sitting in that cell, wondering if she'd ever see him again, she realized that he's the only person she trusts, and the only person she's ever loved. And so, Mai Ling wants them to get married. Li Yong agrees, and they share a kiss.

Young Jun celebrates his return at Ah Toy's brothel, but he's disgruntled to learn that Ah Sahm made a deal with Mai Ling to give up half of everything they own. Ah Sahm blames their misfortune on Young Jun and his inability to think before acting, such as when he started a fight with the police chief. Ah Sahm explains that he could've let Young Jun get taken away and gained control of the tong if that's what he truly wanted, but instead, he saved him. So ultimately, it was Young Jun who forced him into making this deal with Mai Ling.

Lee heads inside to speak with Chao, whilst Mosely sneaks around back. Lee knows that Chao is a part of the counterfeit operation, leaving him to question why he's offering up information in regard to their investigation. Chao explains that fake money is bringing too much attention to Chinatown. Just as Mosely is attacked outside of Chao's shop, Happy Jack and Isaac enter with their guns drawn. After knocking Lee out, Happy Jack turns his gun on Chao, revealing that he's still upset about the fake money, before knocking Chao unconscious as well.

## Cast

* Olivia Cheng as Ah Toy
* Jason Tobin as Young Jun
* Dianne Doan as Mai Ling
* Kieran Bew as Bill O'Hara
* Dean Jagger as Dylan Leary
* Tom Weston-Jones as Richard Lee
* Hoon Lee as Wang Chao
* Langley Kirkwood as Walter Buckley
* Perry Yung as Father Jun
* Miranda Raison as Nellie Davenport
* Chen Tang as Hong
* Chelsea Muirhead as Yan Mi
* Mark Dacascos as Kong Pak
* Joe Taslim as Li Yong
* Nat Ramabulana as Happy Jack
* Neels Clasen as Chief Atwood
* Robert Hobbs as Stone
* Nicholas Pauling as Harrison
* Sean-Marco Vorster as Stewart Gumm
* Emmanuel Castis as Clyde Nichols
* Emily Child as Lucy O'Hara
* Dominique Maher as Catherine Archer
* Jenny Umbhau as Lai
* Chris Mark as Sicheng
* Sizo Mahlangu as Isaac
* Gary Young as Yichèn
* Trevor Ou Tim as Wu Jin
* Victor Chan as Immigrant
* Stuart Williamson as Deportation Officer
* Ian Williamson as Redhead Guard
* Tristan Robertson as Guard
* Rowan Studti as SFPD Cop

## Trivia

* The episode title was spoken by Young Jun to Hong after returning to Chinatown.

## Gallery

### Videos

The Official Warrior Podcast - Episode 5 - Max