This article contains mild spoilers for the Netflix series Warrior Nun (2020-).
Throughout this year, some amazing shows have been given the boot. Whether it’s on Netflix or Amazon Prime, many original series with passionate fanbases and amazing premises have met their demise. First Kill (2022), The Wilds (2020-2022), and Paper Girls (2022), are just a few of the victims of cancellation—all of which included sapphic characters in some capacity and strong female representation.
It’s safe to say that it’s been a rough year for people who enjoy shows that delve into these aspects and topics. However, there’s one show that’s been able to amass more of a fanbase over the last two years and continues to grow and become beloved by many, including myself: Warrior Nun (2020-).
Try not to let the silly name fool you; Warrior Nun is a show that shouldn’t be underestimated and should definitely be given a chance. Featured throughout the show are complex characters and wild, well-written storylines that have left a significant impact on viewers. To start us off, let’s dive into the premise of the show and give an overview of what you’re getting from both seasons, and finally, an overall review of the show as it stands currently.
Warrior Nun was released on Netflix in 2020 and started off strong with a premise that sounds outlandish but is entirely what it says on the tin. Our protagonist, Ava Silva (Alba Baptista)—an orphaned quadriplegic—awakes in a morgue located within a Church. She's immediately thrust into the heavy responsibility of becoming the "Halo-Bearer" for an order of demon-hunting nuns after an artifact known as the "Halo" is embedded into her back and grants her full mobility after a decade of being confined to a bed.
We're sent into the action right away, showing us a group of women clothed in black carrying guns and other weapons, fighting back a hostile group attempting to steal the Halo. These women form the Order of the Cruciform Sword (OCS for short), where Ava is given the necessary training to be a powerful Halo-Bearer and leader for the group against evil.
The concept of badass nuns fighting against demons was something I never expected to find, but Warrior Nun delivers on that and so much more. Through both seasons of the show, you follow an amazing cast of characters that develop authentically and in complex ways, which is particularly demonstrated through Ava’s arc over the course of the seasons. At the start, Ava has only just been given her life back after being confined to a bed for most of her life and then dying in that bed. The first season shows a lot of her selfish ways and ultimately, her flakiness in taking on this massive responsibility that she’s suddenly been given with the Halo in her back. Although you can’t help but understand how insane it is for the Order to expect this of her, you also can’t help but wish Ava would be more fight rather than flight when the world is kind of being threatened by demons, you know? But that’s an aspect of Warrior Nun that’s done exceptionally well—the characters aren’t perfect just as many people aren't.
Ava’s journey with the Halo and finding her place within the Church and the OCS, all while being a non-believer of religion, is entertaining to watch—with her relationship to Mary (Toya Turner), a heavy-hitter within the Order, driving several episodes in Season 1 that had me laughing the whole time.
Alongside Ava, there are the other women of the Order, and outside of it, who have a major presence within the narrative, which is amazing to see. There’s a diverse group of women at the center of the show, coming from all across the globe, that provides meaningful representation to many. They aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty—it’s kind of the Order’s job, anyways—and they aren’t afraid to be emotionally driven. Oftentimes their actions and decisions are influenced by their emotions, but it’s refreshing to see a cast of women delve into their emotions and mess up, while also showing resourcefulness in getting out of those situations. It’s a balance that I personally loved to see; it shows that these women can be messy, complex, and even completely flawed, but also have the strength to keep going and try to fix those mistakes—even if all seems hopeless.
Besides watching beautiful women fight evil together, two of the main cast contributed to my reasoning for picking up the show. The connection between Ava and Beatrice (Kristina Tonteri-Young), another woman within the Order, starts as early as Season 1 Episode 3, where Ava is still getting used to her new role. She takes the opportunity to sit beside Beatrice during meal time, and although I expected a period of hostility—considering Ava’s flakiness and the death of the previous wielder of the Halo, Shannon (Melina Matthews)—Beatrice isn't unpleasant to Ava in the slightest. The loss of someone as respected and dependable as Shannon, is difficult on all of the nuns, Beatrice included, and therefore could have led to tension between her and Ava if she constantly compared the two. However, she’s understanding of Ava’s position, open with her about Shannon, and tries her best to listen to Ava’s concerns. Beatrice is still level-headed and blunt about how Ava has carried herself, but ultimately, she was one of the only ones in the OCS who was willing to hear Ava out and give her kindness, thus beginning a delicate friendship.
This sparks their bond, and throughout the first season, more moments here and there develop between the two that hint at something more, which skyrockets in the second season. I don’t want to give too much away on their storyline—spoilers and all—but just know that it’s wonderfully written and beautifully portrayed. Overall, their story shows the devotion they have for one another and how they both grow together as individuals as well as a pair. It’s given the space that it deserves, and never makes it feel like it’s meant to be a big deal that these two have something between them. Although there’s a moment in Season 1 for Beatrice to share her feelings on her own sexuality (a scene that had me bawling), the show does a great job at expressing that it’s part of these characters and is a natural thing at the end of the day, despite the religious overtones of the show. Experiencing their journey was something special, and I’d love for people to take a chance on the show to watch their tentative friendship slowly turn into something much greater.
As mentioned, there are religious elements within the show, and discussions of faith and the relationship it has to science. I’m not well-versed in these areas myself, so I won’t spend too much time covering them, but what I do love about Warrior Nun is that it takes the concepts of religion, faith, and science and smashes them all together to create discussions and questions surrounding everything that not many shows would be comfortable diving into. It provides a look into the Catholic system, the power that the Church holds, and how powerful faith can be for many people when they look to God—many of the nuns in the Order have that faith. But it also provides other avenues besides religion and Catholicism, and how science and faith can coexist, despite many believing otherwise. An example is the fact that Jillian Salvius (Thekla Reuten), a powerful scientist, uses a rare material called Divinium to create many of her inventions; a material that has been hoarded by the Church itself for centuries. It shows an interesting connection between the two areas, and on top of that, our protagonist being a non-believer despite having a literal Halo in her back also shows that faith can come from many different places beyond religion. It can even come from the people around you, and the ones that you love.
On a more technical level, Warrior Nun has beautiful cinematography and amazing stunt work for the fight scenes that makes it just a fun show to watch. Picking out the hidden Easter eggs of random crosses etched in walls or smoke from a gun, or even the characters themselves referencing religious paintings or moments from the Bible, were also things that made the viewing experience feel unique and kind of fun, despite not being religious myself. The titles of the episodes are even references to the Bible itself, where audiences can go find the meanings and see a little taste of what the episode will offer; something I’d never seen before this show.
The score and soundtrack contain some of the most beautiful pieces of music I’ve ever heard (my favourite is called “Ava’s Fall”—watch the show to find out what that means!), and overall, the plot of the show kept me hooked from the beginning to the end of Season 2, providing twists and turns that I’m still reeling from even a week after binge-watching.
To conclude, Warrior Nun is a gem that Netflix would be crazy to lose. Although Netflix has had a bad reputation for canceling shows with both women and sapphic representation at the forefront (I’m still mourning First Kill), I’ll follow the characters’ footsteps and try to find my own faith that the show will be renewed for many more seasons. With an interesting and complex plot, wonderful characters and acting, amazing representation for both women and sapphic people, my overall verdict on Warrior Nun is this: a show about “freewheeling, secret, ass-kicking nuns” (thank you, Beatrice) is a hit in my book, and if you take a chance on it, I hope you enjoy it just like I did.