WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Kung Fu Season 1, Episode 13, “Transformation,” which aired Wednesday on The CW.
Kung Fu has revolved around the legend of eight mystical weapons that hold an immense power when brought together at the forge where they were first assembled in China, millennia ago. As martial artist Nicky Shen has worked with her boyfriend Henry Yan to find the weapons for themselves, the villainous Zhilan has constantly stayed a step ahead of the couple in recovering the weapons for herself by any means necessary. And as Nicky and Zhilan have their long-awaited showdown back in China for the fate of the weapons’ magical energy, Kung Fu‘s Season 1 finale has set up plenty of intriguing directions for the series to go next for its second season.
Zhilan and Nicky’s duel came about due to an unforeseen third party that had been quietly seeking the weapons for themselves all along: Russell Tan. The head of an unscrupulous global conglomerate that had caused the death of Zhilan’s mother years ago, Russell used his illicit business to gather the weapons, only to be surprised when his son Kerwin entered a whirlwind romance with Zhilan and turned against his father. Zhilan was able to recover all the weapons Russell had recovered, and though she developed genuine feelings for Kerwin, presumably murdered the wealthy playboy to avenge her mother’s death.
Russell seizes the weapon from Zhilan while she is preoccupied with facing Nicky, taking them to a mythical site where their magical power can be unleashed. Instead of attaining the power for himself, however, Nicky and Zhilan are imbued with the mystical energies and duel to determine what to do with the immense power. Ultimately, Nicky uses the magic to overpower Zhilan and diffuse magic to its natural state around the world, encouraged by a vision of her deceased mentor Pei-Ling, with Zhilan taken into custody by the Chinese authorities before Nicky and Henry happily return home.
However, while Season 1’s main antagonist is now firmly behind bars for the foreseeable future, Kung Fu Season 2’s likely primary villain is already poised to take center stage. While being outmaneuvered by Nicky and Zhilan, Russell escaped and is already plotting revenge against the Shen family. Revealing that his son Kerwin actually survived Zhilan’s attack, though remains comatose in intensive care, Russell identifies Nicky as the conduit for the magic that he seeks. And Russell and his business have already laid the foundation for a renewed vendetta against Nicky, with assistant District Attorney Evan Hartley noticing that properties and businesses throughout San Francisco are quietly being acquired at an alarming rate by Russell’s corporate holdings, expanding Nicky’s battle against Russell to encompass the fate of her hometown.
Included in the many dangling plot threads left relatively unaddressed by Kung Fu‘s Season 1 finale, Althea and her new husband, Dennis, remain locked in a legal battle with Althea’s former employer over his past sexual abuse. The family business continues to progress into an uncertain future in the new direction Jin and Mei-Li have taken it. And Ryan faces his own romantic hiccups after his breakup with his serious boyfriend Joe. And yet, with Russell Tan already moving into California’s Bay Area, these struggles will take a backseat as Nicky takes on one of the most powerful, nefarious businessmen in the world for the fate of magic.
The complete first season of Kung Fu is currently available to stream on The CW app.
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