So, I first stumbled upon Warrior Nun during the lockdown in 2020, and I was immediately sold when I read the plot.
A bunch of ass-kicking Catholic Nuns fighting demons and mercenaries and doing the Lord's work.
Sounds crazy, right? Sign me up!
They got my two favorite genres (fantasy and science fiction) and merged them. The result was an entertaining ten hours of world-building, character development, and badass fighting nuns.
The show attempted to merge Christianity and Science in an interesting and sometimes confusing manner. I found myself asking questions like; is Christianity just another extension of science fiction? Where does Religion end and Science begin? How do they intersect?
There's nothing I love more than subtly bashing the Catholic church's ancient doctrines (I'm Catholic, so I'm allowed to bash them). Growing up, we were taught to believe everything we were told, hook, line, and sinker. But, as an adult, I like to form opinions on certain aspects of religion and question things that don't add up.
Before I digress, let's get back to the show.
Warrior Nun is based on the comic series of the same name by Ben Dunn. In Netflix's adaptation, we follow Ava, an orphan who died and was resurrected with a divine artifact (the halo), and the Order of the Cruciform Sword.
The warrior nun is the champion of the Order of the Cruciform Sword (a bunch of gun-wielding and ass-kicking nuns), a secret sect in the Catholic church.
When the previous champion died, and the nuns had to hide the halo from demonic forces, they stuck it in the nearest dead body they could find. Luckily for Ava, her lifeless body was nearby.
Ava is a 19-year-old who'd spent a decade of her life confined to a bed in an orphanage after surviving a car crash that killed her mother.
Unfortunately for Ava, who wants to spend her second chance at life partying and living her best life, she has to accept her new role as the new warrior nun. A special class of fighter for the Vatican whose purpose is to battle the evil forces seeking to destroy the church and humanity.
Ava has to navigate her new reality as different parties seek out the halo and figure out who to trust.
Season one was a bit slow— understandably, since we had to get the reluctant hero bit and become familiar with the lore and characters. Luckily, season two picked up where the last one ended and kept going at full steam.
The story saw Ava and the Order scattered across Europe and dealing with the aftermath of the finale season. With new allies and friends, Ava, Beatrice, and the remaining sisters of the Order rally together to defeat a false prophet intent on world domination.
I'm trying this new thing where I write spoiler-free reviews and avoid talking about everything that happened in a movie/tv show. It's hard, I know.
As a result, I can't expand much on season two's plot without spoiling the first season.
But I can say this- season two was a significant improvement.
It had impeccable action scenes, impressive visuals, pacing, and character growth. And they finally got rid of Ava's annoying inner monologue from season one (although I now realize it was to avoid spoiling the romantic buildup).
When season two dropped, I binged it all in one night. It goes to show my commitment level. Unfortunately, it was just eight episodes, which is both a blessing and a curse.
I'll elaborate.
Having short seasons means there's no time for filler episodes, and we get down to business immediately. But the sad part is that we don't have time to watch the characters relax and unwind from all that ass-kicking and plotting. And it ends too quickly.
If you're in the mood for a fun show about ass-kicking nuns and parallel dimensions that pokes fun at religion, you should give Warrior Nun a chance.
Knowing Netflix, they'd probably cancel it and keep renewing annoying shows that should have ended long ago (I'm looking at you, Elite).
Fingers crossed as we wait for them to renew the show for a much-deserved third season.
Season Two Highlights
Let's break down some of my favorite scenes of the show.
Beatrice kicking ass and taking receipts.
Mother Superion dispatching demon-possessed priests.
The stunning visuals.
