*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*
“Look beyond the duality of good and evil…”
Kung Fu premiered on The CW on April 7th 2021. Season one features thirteen episodes and the season finale aired on July 21st 2021. The series stars Olivia Liang, Shannon Dang, Gavin Stenhouse, and Tzi Ma. Each episode runs for approximately 42 minutes.
Inspired by the 1972 series of the same name, The CW’s Kung Fu introduces us to Nicky Shen, who ends up running away from her family to become a Shaolin monk. After her mentor is killed and a mysterious sword is stolen, Nicky returns home and encounters several new threats along the way while trying to make things right with her family.
Season one brought us a good balance of epic fight scenes, the mystery behind the great power, and some welcomed family drama and levity. The episodes were entertaining, but followed a new weekly case/mission style, which meant that you could easily skip an episode and then return to the show without skipping a beat.
However, as we got toward the later episodes of the season, the mystery behind Nicky’s destiny became more and more intriguing, leading up to the season finale. But does the season finale of Kung Fu do enough to bring us back for season two? Let’s find out…
The Pros:
The Shen family can hold their own!
Sure, Nicky Shen may be the warrior of the family, but everyone consistently proves their worth and I thought the season finale did a good job of still reflecting Nicky’s family values and connections without overshadowing everything else going on.
It’s part of what makes her who she is and it gives her something to fight for.
There were some really great moments and I have to say that I will always be rooting for the Shen family!
All hail Zhilan!
I just need to take a moment to recognize how amazing Yvonne Chapman is at portraying the villainess, Zhilan. I thought that the later episodes of the season did a good job of developing her character more. She could have easily been molded into a typical “bad gal,” but there is a lot of complexity to her character and it actually really enhanced the whole “duality” plot even further.
I think she is truly fantastic and how does she always look so stunning?
Epic final battle.
I really love watching the fight scenes on this show. While most of them involve a pop music soundtrack in the background, the one in the season finale needed to feel different and I thought it was truly fantastic.
There was a true artistry to the choreography behind the fight scene and it was magical watching our two leading ladies face off on screen.
More please!
The Cons:
Nice and neat.
I don’t want anything to happen to any of the characters on this show, but things felt a little too nice and neat by the end. A sacrifice needs to be made or something tragic needs to happen to keep Nicky’s fight relevant, but there is plenty of time for that in season two.
So am I in or out?
I’m in!
I’ve truly enjoyed my watch of this show, but the season finale really stepped things up for me. I thought it was really entertaining and the set-up for season two looks like we’re heading in the right direction to keep this show going strong.
Nicky Shen is a warrior worth rooting for and I can’t wait to see what she does next!
I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Kung Fu in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!
Best,
Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl
DON’T TAKE THE JOB…
It was only supposed to be temporary…but when Olivia Crewe accepts a new position that seems too good to be true, she soon discovers that twelve other girls previously had the same job as her. Only none of them lasted for more than thirty days. No notice. Nothing…right before they mysteriously disappeared without a trace.
My new supernatural thriller Girl Number Thirteen is out now! I hope you enjoy!
Girl Number Thirteen is available here!
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