In the season 2 finale of Kung Fu, an earthquake shook San Francisco while seismic shifts occurred in the Shen family. It all came down to the final battle between Nicky, Zhilan, Mia, and Russell as the villain moved towards his goal of immortality. But will he be successful? Read on to find out what happened in “The Source”!
You Can’t Un-Ring That Bell
We dive right into the action where we left off last week, with San Francisco hit with a massive earthquake after Russell rings the bell. Harmony Dumplings is totally destroyed by the earthquake, though Mei-Li and Sebastian are physically okay. Ryan sets up a clinic at the community center. Henry rushes in, having witnessed Nicky and Zhilan go after Russell. The portal is closing, and if they don’t act fast, it will trap Nicky and Zhilan inside. Jin frantically tries to reach Mei-Li, but the phone lines are jammed. She is able to make it to the community center while Sebastian stays behind to hand out food. Evan rushes to the clinic with Mia, who is dying of shock. What she needs is a blood transfusion, but Ryan is going to have to improvise.
However, it turns out the imminent collapse of a shadow realm is enough to replace several gallons of blood as Mia sits upright, having sensed a disturbance in the force with the Source. Suddenly feeling just fine, she decides to run in after Nicky. Althea and Dennis arrive, and the rest of the Shens catch them up on all the supernatural shenanigans that have gone down in the last few hours. Shockingly, our buddy Dennis finally has something to contribute on the mystical object front. He recalls that in Dungeons and Dragons, immortal beings can sometimes be killed with the right weapon. Mia remembers the blade that Russell used to drain her. If it could kill Suyin, it could kill Russell. Henry, Evan, Althea, and Dennis will help Mia get the dagger, but she will have to go in alone.
(I Wanna Be) Forever Young
The bell cracks and opens a portal to the Source. Russell is able to pass through by covering himself in Mia’s blood, teasing that immortality is “only the beginning” for his plans. Nicky wants to go after Russell despite the danger, knowing that an immortal Russell is incredibly dangerous. Zhilan hesitates at first, worried they’ll die in the process. But Nicky points out the two of them are Warrior and Guardian. They can pass through the portal, but only together. Holding hands, they step inside.
The duo end up in a forest, not sure which direction to go. They center themselves, realizing that they can find the Source by following both of their instincts. Meanwhile, Russell hears voices and sees Juliette, covered in blood. She accuses him of breaking the rules to get into the portal and demands to know why he killed her and Kerwin. He finally breaks, saying he doesn’t want “what happened to him to end up happening to me.” The “him” he refers to is his own father, whose long decline at the end of his life made Russell decide to pursue immortality at all costs. His father’s supposed friends deserted him, and Russell was the only one by his side when he died. Watching his father die made Russell see mortality as a weakness others could exploit, and so he chased a way to keep that from happening to him too. He tries to push Juliette away, but he realizes it’s really Xiao using her face.
Zhilan also sees a hallucination that Nicky can’t. It’s her mother, and she splits off from Nicky to go after her. They share a tearful reunion as Zhilan shares everything she has done in her name. But her mother reminds her that they are Guardians; killing is not their way. Zhilan confesses to her mother what happened with Pei-Ling, hoping to find forgiveness for her actions. But instead, her mother rejects her and runs away, leaving a devastated Zhilan behind. Nicky is led to a shack, where she finds Suyin. The hybrid fights Nicky, trying to goad Nicky into killing her. But Nicky refuses.
Road to Redemption
Russell makes it to the Source, where Xiao waits. She is less powerful now, and Russell shares that he discovered the truth. If he takes the Source, her realm will cease to exist. Nicky tries to get Zhilan to join her in following Russell, but she is still reeling from her encounter with her mother. She tells Nicky she was right about her. She’s a monster who doesn’t deserve forgiveness. But Nicky tells her she forgives her, “It’s not about what you’ve done; it’s about what you do.” They need to stop Russell. Zhilan agrees, and they go after him together.
They reach Russell as he grabs the Source, power coursing through his veins. Xiao appears to say there’s no stopping Russell now. But Zhilan and Nicky are determined to try, and they fight back. Suddenly, Mia rushes in, stabbing him with the knife that killed Suyin. It doesn’t work, but now all three team up.
Nicky realizes the only way to stop him is for one of them to stay behind while the other two close the portal. She volunteers, self sacrificing as always, but Mia insists it should be her and that she’s past saving. Nicky gently tells her that no one is past saving as she looks to Zhilan. Zhilan calls Nicky a true hero as she makes Mia leave the cave with her.
But at the last moment, Zhilan has a change of heart. Her connection with Mia has made her want to give her the life she didn’t have. She pushes Nicky out of the way and stabs Russell, telling her “little monk” Nicky to go. As roles are reversed, Mia makes Nicky leave while Zhilan stays. She finally gets revenge for both Kerwin and her mother, holding Russell down while the cave comes down around them. The realm collapses as Nicky and Mia just make it out, where Evan and Henry are waiting.
They head back to Harmony Dumplings, where the Shens are beginning to repair the damage. But they’re not alone. The entire community turns out to help them, recognizing the restaurant for the community institution it is.
Alone in his apartment, Henry is visited by Yuen. He flashes back to his father’s death and his last words: “I’m sorry I never told you who you really are.” She gives him a box of his father’s things, including a ring. That night, Nicky stops by, and Henry tells her about his father’s death and his journals. He’s leaving to go after Si Nan, something his father was searching for. She offers to go with him, but he says he has to do it alone.
Mia pursues training at the monastery while Nicky sees reminders of Henry everywhere. She trains alone as a little girl watches, asking Nicky to show her how to do what she’s doing. In the final shot of season 2, a storm rages while a figure makes their way through the woods. It’s Pei-Ling, seemingly back from the dead.
Kung Fu will return for season 3 this fall on The CW. You can find our other coverage of the series here!
