Chief of War season one just became one of my biggest surprises of the year and I still cant believe how much this Apple TV series caught me off guard. Jason Momoa playing Kaiana in this Hawaiian historical drama about the unification of the islands turned out way better than I expected it to be, specially after watching that season finale that had me hyped up during the the entire episode. The show takes place during the wars between different Hawaiian kingdoms with this prophecy floating around about some king who gonna unite all of them eventually, which sounds cliche as hell but the way they handle it makes it feel interesting although nothing really new, I didnt cover Season 1 because firs I understood this was going to be a mini series but now its not and second because its very very Hawaiian historic to the point I dont want to mess up with history data and get things inaccurate so decided to let it go and just do a Season recap / review. What surprised me most was how this wasnt just another action heavy war series, instead it focused on the people and their relationships and the cultural significance of everything happening around them, which made every single battle scene hit way harder because you actually care about everyone involved in the fighting. Jason Momoa really stepped up his game here playing Kaiana who used to be King Kahikili's chief of war but quit because he couldnt stomach all the pointless bloodshed anymore, the guys performance feels so natural, so raw that you forget he is the same dude who played Aquaman in those DC movies. The show doesnt hold back on showing you how brutal this world really was, these arent your typical sword fights with clean cuts, these warriors use weapons embedded with shark teeth and coral that leave these jagged wounds that made me look away half the time because it was just too damn intense to watch. But what really brought the most satisfaction was watching characters like Kahumanu break through all the patriarchal bullshit of her time to become this political powerhouse, the way she navigated being a woman in leadership while supporting Kamehameha's rise to power was absolutely incredible to see unfold over nine episodes, everything that happen during the series is link up together and she is just an example of the many others who out grow their character.
- IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19381692
- Platform: AppleTV+
The battle scenes in this show are unlike anything I have seen on television lately and Im including all those big budget fantasy series when I say that because this felt more real and brutal than most of them but balanced at the same time, almost like you can imagine this happening in real life by real people. When they finally got to that volcanic desert showdown between Kamehameha forces and Keoua army it was just pure chaos in the best possible way, with warriors fighting on actual hot volcanic rock while the earth is literally falling apart beneath their feet and lava is flowing everywhere, this is the only part that I find hard to beleive but Im no expert on Hawaiian history but Im almost certain this is just part of the "show" business. What made it even more insane was watching how organized Kamehameha side was compared to Keoua scattered fighters, you could see the difference between people fighting because they believe in something versus people fighting out of fear and ego which created this interesting contrast throughout the battle. The introduction of guns or red mouthed weapons as they called them added this whole strategic element that wasnt just about who had better weapons but about how they used them, passing rifles down the line so people could reload while others kept firing was genius military tactics, watching them not only shooting the guns but using them as close combat weapons was so sick. OMG and where to start with that whole spiritual rap battle thing before the actual fighting started where both sides were basically trash talking each other while waiting for signs from the gods, it was like watching the most intense staring contest of all time mixed with a wrestling promo that went on forever, but the moment that really got me was when Heke finally got her revenge on that piece of shit Opunui who had assaulted her, watching her use that poisoned hair pin to slowly kill him was brutal but so damn satisfying because she earned that moment after everything she went through, that was pure satisfaction although felt he went down too easy to be honest. The whole sequence where Kahumanu shot him in the leg instead of killing him because she knew it was Heke fight to finish showed this unspoken understanding between women that just pure script glory, writers of this series really understand what the viewers want, you dont need dialogue to know whats happening there and it was beautiful in its own dark way.
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In Chief of War the fact that most of the dialogue is in Hawaiian with subtitles makes everything feel more authentic and immersive, the intial episodes are full Hawaiian for the most part but then they start mixing it up with english and I think that was intentional to capture the audience, your not listening to actors pretending to be Hawaiian while speaking perfect English the whole time which would have been terrible. Jason Momoa being part of the production team really shows because you can tell this wasnt just another paycheck for him, this was personal and it comes through in every scene hes in and every decision they made about the story. The series goes deep into brotherhood and family, true loyalty, seeing Kaiana and his brothers embrace and show affection without all the toxic masculinity bullshit we usually get in war shows was fkn awesome to watch and felt very natural. Tonys story as a former slave who gets accepted and brotherhood with Kaiana people added this whole layer about found family and belonging that made his character way more than just the sidekick they could have easily made him. The political drama between different kingdoms and chiefs felt complex as it should but never over the top, reasons and motives were easy to understand if you pay attention, you could follow who was allied with who and why they were making certain decisions without needing a damn flowchart to keep track of everything.
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The season finale was something else but the thing is now there is a second season from what i can tell, IMDB still says "Mini Series" but wtf now with King Kahekili, cant leave him hanging, but holy shit that ending sequence for season one changed everything I thought I knew about where this story was heading and what would happen next. Watching Kaiana almost die in that lava flow while fighting Keoua felt like destiny fucking him up because at fist look like he was going to end up taking the worst part, when Kahumanu was screaming his name I felt that panic because he was really gonna die and a bigger WTF moment was when she went back to Kamehameha and he was like ok you got something for him now we all know it, but then when he survived and everyone was cheering for him instead of Kamehameha you could see that jealousy and resentment starting to build, he just let it slide because he is the king although Kaiana is the leader, which sets up what obviously gonna be a huge conflict in season two if we get one. Kupuhi getting injured and Namake saving her while dealing with his own guilt about loving his brothers wife added this emotional complexity even after confronting Kaiana before going to war, they didnt need any dragons or magic for it to feel more epic than most fantasy shows, just people fighting with everything they had for their families and their future which is way more powerful than any supernatural element, well they had a fkn volcano going off too. The cinematography during those volcanic eruption scenes was absolutely stunning although the lighting at the end was not the best but still almost like you could feel the heat coming off the screen and the chaos of trying to fight while the ground is literally melting beneath you and threatening to swallow everyone whole.
Looking back at this entire first season Im shocked at how much this show managed to accomplish in just nine episodes, prove of great writing and drama, building these complex characters and relationships while also delivering some of the most brutal and beautiful battle sequences I have seen on TV lately, what makes it more special that its not your classic western or european story. The cast was absolutely incredible across the board but Jason Momoa really proved he can carry a serious dramatic series when given the right material, Kaiana character felt authentic and emotionally grounded instead of just another action hero role that relies on muscles and charisma, never felt like a Fast and Furious character all pump like a WWE wrestler. Temuera Morrison as King Kahikili felt like a manic as it was intended, playing this psychopath who justifies his brutality by claiming hes fulfilling some divine prophecy when really hes just a power hungry maniac who enjoys hurting people. The women in this show were just as strong and complex as the men, with Kahumanu and Kupuhi and Heke all getting their moments to shine without being reduced to just love interests or victims which happens way too often in these types of shows, I honestly though Heke would be this little sister on the background but damn did they make her character grow just in TWO episodes. The show respected Hawaiian culture and history while still making it easy to digest to audiences who might not know anything about this time period, the subtitles never felt like a barrier once you got used to them after the first episode. The production quality was top notch too, from the costumes made with actual feathers to the weapons that looked like they could actually fuck someone up in a fight instead of those fake plastic props you see everywhere, even with 9 episodes they did something epic, if I had to compare the quality I have to say Shogun (2026), big budget series like House of The Dragon should take notes. This show deserves way more attention than its probably gonna get because its doing something different in the historical drama space, Im giving Chief of War season one a solid 8 out of 10 because it surprised me in all the best ways and left me wanting more, which is exactly what a good first season should do and I really hope Apple gives it another season.
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