The South Korean zombie genre (and television industry in general) just keeps on giving, as Kingdom Season Two picks right where the first iteration left us off, with our characters in vulnerable positions facing the consequences of both a deadly plague ravaging the countryside and ruthless court intrigue seeking to dismantle the Prince's reign. Season Two contains just as much nailbiting action and tense scenes as the first, whilst bringing the initial sage of this series to a satisfying conclusion whilst also cementing the possibility of sequel seasons.
To spoil this season would be a massive disservice to you all; even with minor details. The overall plotpoint is that Prince Chang and his allies muster their forces after suffering through a horrendous winter zombie invasion, and prepare to seek vengeance on the evil State Councilor Cho Hak-Ju and his familial dynasty. There are several moments which nearly made me tear up, and one particular character death that caused the waterworks to flow for only a few moments. This season really connected you with the pre-established characters among the narrative, even more so than it already had done. Motivations are deepened, explored, and changed as we learn more about the situations our characters are in. For example, the character death I mentioned is so heartbreaking because of a situation we become familiar with over the Season's course that culminates in the character acting out of desperation given the leverage that's being utilized against him.
Kingdom is truly proving that Korean dramas are becoming further and further an icon of Western interest and consumption. Given the success of films such as Parasite which brought attention to the capabilities of South Korean filmmakers to a wider Western audience, it should come as no surprise content from this country becomes increasingly sensationalized. In my opinion, this is for good reason. Despite taking place within an unorthodox time period for the undead menace, Kingdom handles its subject matter spectacularly well and has possibly helped open a new sub-genre of the living dead's carnivorous tenure on our television screens.
This is one of the few times where I don't really delve into the plot whatsoever, because the amount of unexpected twists and turns the story weaves, whether it be through Prince Chang's quest to assume the throne to build a better society for his people or Seo-Bi's attempts to understand the makings of this virus and how to prevent its spread, to Cho-Beam Pal's temporary moments of comedic relief to balance out this tale's grimness, it'll be a narrative you cannot hope to strip your eyes from. 10/10.
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