https://fashionindustrybroadcast.com/2020/07/19/the-latest-show-on-netflix-is-not-worth-binge-watching-for-just-one-reason/

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A normal, average protagonist is living life in their own terms when suddenly the weight and responsibility to save the world is upon them. This individual is portrayed to care less about the world and is rather self-centred, but only in the beginning. Towards the end, the protagonist understands the value of life and takes on the mission to fight and protect the world, more than anything. The protagonist is the 'Chosen One'. Sounds a little familiar doesn't it?

It must because it is literally the premise of every other superhero movie, ever!

Yet another fantasy, built on the idea of the 'Chosen One', the Warrior Nun is loosely based on Ben Dunn's comic series Warrior Nun Areala. However, what the former lacks is originality, consistency in writing and proper pacing.

The story revolves around a 19-year-old girl named Ava Silva, an orphan who died mysteriously and is brought to the church for burial but is resurrected when a nun implants the halo in her back to protect the corpse from demons. The halo is a crucial part to the story as it is the sacred relic of the Order of the Cruciform Sword (OCS)- a secret society of women warriors going back to the First Crusade.

Who is Ava? What is the significance of the halo? Who are these warrior nuns? The narrative unravels these details in a span of 10 episodes in Season 1.

So many questions, an interesting plot full of mystery that eventually amounts to nothing by means of unnecessary voice-over narrations and ridiculous background music which ultimately doesn't communicate the theme to the audience. For instance, Billie Eilish playing in the background as warriors are fighting demons is so off-putting.

In an attempt to attract Gen Z, Warrior Nun stands as an epic fail. Despite being an all-women show, even the protagonist being a female lead, the show loses its essence when Ava is seen to be surprisingly strong due to the halo's powers that we almost forget that she was a quadriplegic since she was 7. But the most unrealistic part of the show is the protagonist herself. Ava seems to be less deserving of the halo and the viewer's attention.

The show unfolds parts of Ava's life, depicting her struggle growing up in a Catholic Orphanage in Spain and devoid of any freedom until the halo gave her powers to be able to live a 'normal' life. Not for long, however. The Warrior Nuns hunt her down to get their holy relic back, with hopes of convincing Ava to be their leader. Warrior Nuns are about fighting the Tarasque, a creature with biblical origins, known as one of the most powerful monsters in Dungeons & Dragons but Ava is all about having fun, dancing, falling in love and running on the beach. She is a teen, after all.

She even meets a hunky squatter, JC who she develops a romantic relationship with. The show failed to portray a strong female-lead given the chance and pondered too much on Ava dissing her responsibilities as the halo bearer, shedding more time on self-reflection and constantly bringing up the fact that she "doesn't owe anyone anything".

What doesn't add up in the show is Ava's cool nature, sassy attitude, pop-culture nous and spontaneous gaining of combat skills with the halo despite growing up in a facility run by a controlling and abusive nun. She states in one of the scenes that all her knowledge is from watching TV. Wonder how she learnt the technique to break a leg.