Kingdom Season 2 Review: is it the end for the hit Korean Zombie drama?

There was something endearing regarding South Korea’s mini zombie drama, Kingdom that hit Netflix screens last year. It was quick, ruthless and well built with loveable and roguish characters spread across a faraway land at a different time. When the last episode aired, we were on our seats ready for the second season.

What Culturedemandsgeeks has learnt is that season two is badass, brutal and scary and what GOT last season should have been.

MINI RECAP:

Kingdom is essentially Crown Prince Lee Chang’s story. He’s been through a lot last season – trying to unravel the mystery behind his father’s illness, finding out zombies exist and then deciding to take matters into his own hands to save the people he’s tasked to serve.

Crown Prince Lee Chang fought his way across the country with a handful of faithful followers and eventually found himself at the gates of Sangju, defending the city from the undead.

Previously, it was believed that the ones suffering from the plague would only come out at night. They just don’t like warm weather, which means that our intrepid band of uninfected heroes isn’t as safe as they thought. But now, they are out during the day, and Chang is at his wit’s end.

Meanwhile, Seo-bi and Beom-pal, who had been trapped at the waterfall, make their way up the mountain and end up in Mungyeong Sangjae, where Lord Cho is ready to plan his next move against Chang.

The Queen has hatched a plot of herself to take control of the kingdom.

Season two:

Picking up right after the events of the first season, where the Crown Prince and his people were left gaping at the zombies running towards them in broad daylight, the series begins with a nail-biting episode.

You are on the edge of your seat the entire time, and the excitement that it starts out with never fades away. Much like Game of Thrones, winter has come, and it’s bringing zombies with it.

Stranded at Sangju, the Crown Prince and his followers find themselves attacked by a massive mob of zombies, and an extremely impressive action sequence follows. The group gets split apart, with zombies attacking them from all sides.

Unprepared, their defenses crumble almost immediately – and it’s a harrowing sign of things to come.

Main characters aren’t safe anymore, either. Seo-bi and Beom-pal find themselves surrounded by zombies while trying to procure a Resurrection Plant, and afterward get carted off from one dangerous location to another against their will.

While zombies have always pushed the narrative forward in this show, Kingdom has not forgotten its roots. This is a series set within the Joseon period and being both a zombie and political drama helps to make sure that there is never a boring moment in Kingdom. One moment you are following Lee Chang and hunter Yeong Shin as they desperately try to escape certain death at the hands of zombies and the next you have officials trying to figure out why corpses of pregnant women have been thrown away, discarded alongside their dead infant.

Much like the first season, ‘Kingdom’ woos its audience with the picturesque shots of medieval Korea. The striking visuals paired with the elaborate costumes and grand palaces are a feast for the eyes.

Pacing-wise, the drama zips across the actions in double-quick time (though its zombies are definitely way too fast). This makes it perfect for binge-watching which was certainly what we ended up doing.

Are there deaths? Yes. Does the show kill off characters we’ve come to love? Definitely. And that’s why Culturedemands loves the show.

FINAL VERDICT:

To cut a long story short, Kingdom Season 2 is very good. It exceeds the expectations set by the first season and with the ending, which is another tense experience, sets the stage for the third season. Before that, in an intelligent move, it clears several subplots off the table, so we know that there will be no unnecessary stretching of outdated ideas. But one thing bothers us…

the show literally ties up every last route and neatly puts eery piece into place, and that’s why maybe season 2 should be its last season.

4.5/5 stars