We have patiently waited and now “Kingdom” has given us the answers we needed. Netflix’s first original Korean production has exceeded the intensity, action and disconcerting conspiracies it set when the series was first released—still able to stun its audience with the maddening and exhausting mystery of the plague of the undead.
In “Kingdom,” the Joseon Dynasty is forced to face a new century with remnants of a past invasion crippling its nation. But there is an emergence of heroics in the margins of survival, led by the country’s rightful heir to the throne, Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon).
Its second season leads us back to the battlegrounds of Sangju, where roaring hordes of flesh-eating beasts are determined to feast on the living. Dazed with the number of the undead that are no longer afraid of daylight, the prince’s men are forced to retreat.
“Kingdom” is full of blood. The hunger for power transforms itself into a bloodlust, coupled with a plague causing an insatiable desire eat and kill. Every episode bears death for us to witness (and more action precede it), with emotionally-gripping displays of unwavering and sacrificial loyalty. You can expect that no episode of the show is ever a replay of the last—unlike others that share this apocalyptic genre.
But this is no surprise when two of Korea’s top storytellers have united to bring this show to our screens. “Kingdom” is a series born out of the brilliant mind of Kim Eun-hee. The multi-awarded writer for her work in “Signal” has authored the series’ main source of material, a webtoon called “Kingdom of the Gods.”
The period drama continues to thrive with social allusions that plague modern times, which is shown in the show’s every struggle for survival. It has seized an illimitable passion for justice to underpin a new society—with its unrelenting, nuanced characters and heart-stopping action forcing you to keep your eyes glued onto the screen.
This masterpiece wielded by director Kim Seong-hun is worth dedicating six full hours of your life to. It’s quite impossible to stop when you’ve started, and perhaps the only way you’ll feel cheated at the end of its episodes is the frustrating prevalence of evil.
Season two maps out the conspiracy, laying out each convenient coincidence to be discovered. Truths come to light as the story delves into the origins of the plague, revealing the greed that perpetuated the outbreak. The series betrays every expectation, maneuvering the story through one plot twist to the next.
Photos courtesy of Netflix. “Kingdom” season two is now streaming.
No comments