Did the treatment of the White Walker storyline in Game of Thrones disappoint you? Is The Walking Dead tiring you out with its overstretched and lacklustre plotting? If the answer is yes, then Kingdom is one series that you can’t afford to miss. We already covered the first season which turned out an exciting ride that balances edge-of-the-seat storytelling with a mash of political machinations and existing social inequities. Here is a look into the second season of the series that was released on Netflix last March.

The first season ended with two interesting revelations at a critical juncture. The second season of Kingdom starts right where it left off with Crown Prince Chang (Ju Ji-hoon) and his allies facing the onslaught of the vicious zombie horde. A thrilling opening battle for survival follows that can easily be one of the finest moments in the season. The show then goes on to focus on the human beings who won’t hesitate to sacrifice the larger interests of the country in their own pursuit of power.

With ambition, greed and revenge being key elements of the plot, Kingdom does present a question to the viewers. Who is more threatening to the country? The dead zombies or the inhuman humans?

As the show unfolds the layers of the story, often through flashbacks, the pace suffers a bit at times. The mid-section of the six-episode long season does lose the intense ferocity of the first season. But Kingdom makes up with some beautiful choreography and stellar production design. The final chapters of the season flow at a breathtaking pace with a show of grisly horror inside the royal palace that ends with a fascinating last stand on a frozen lake.

At the same time, the show traces the origin of the plague through the mystery of the Resurrection Flowers through physician Seo Bi (Bae Doo-na), who plays a key role in the drama. There are some storylines involving Lord Cho Hak-ju and Lord Ahn Hyeon that often strain the lines of credibility. But to its credit, Kingdom excels in the execution of the plot that remains satisfying in the end. Like the first season, there are plenty of twists and turns that will keep the viewers guessing till the last minute.

All through the season, Kingdom presents the same approach where characters are pushed into desperate corners from where they have to extricate themselves. Multiple deaths bring in the same degree of uncertainty to ensure that no one is safe from the dire situation. When Kingdom casts its shadow of horror, it does it in a way that is far better than anything seen on current television.

As the plot unravels, new facts emerge that will affect the future of the country and that of the Crown Prince as well. Is the plague finally over and the Kingdom safe? When it seems that everything is moving smoothly, Kingdom allows the seed of another storyline to germinate so that it leads to season 3.

However, the release date of the third season has still not been announced. Quite possibly, the story of a zombie epidemic may be pushed back due to the coronavirus epidemic in the real world. The good news is the show has not been cancelled by Netflix, but there has been no confirmation about its renewal as well.

So, if you want to enjoy a bloody good time the Kingdom’s second season is an absolute must-see. At present, it is definitely a top contender for the best horror shows that were ever seen on a TV screen.

By Suvajit Banerjee

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