While HBO and Netflix are currently hogging the premium cable and streaming spotlights, Cinemax (itself an HBO spin-off) has been operating in the background, churning out respectable entertainment right under everyone’s noses. In addition to its thrilling Bruce Lee passion project, Warrior, Cinemax has crafted yet another winner with its twisty neo-noir crime drama, Jett. Minor spoilers ahead...

Cinemax brings a healthy dose of Asian representation to premium cable with its new martial arts western, Warrior. Originally pitched for television in the 1970s by Bruce Lee, the series’ original incarnation was mothballed for over four decades until it was picked up by producers Jonathan Tropper (Banshee) and Justin Lin (Better Luck Tomorrow, The Fast and the Furious). While Warrior continues the Cinemax tradition of graphic sex and violence, along with a reach that is sometimes beyond its grasp, it is also a compelling look at the bloody Tong Wars of 1870s San Francisco. Buoyed by frenetic martial arts action and strong female performances, Warrior admirably fills the void left by the end of Cinemax’s Banshee and Strike Back. Minor spoilers ahead…