"Kingdom" Season 2 Review: Possibly One Of The Best Zombie Series Ever

For anyone who needs a brief refresher, "Kingdom" takes place in medieval Korea (around the 16th century). In season 1 we are introduced to Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon). He is the Crown Prince of Joseon. Chang is trying to contact his father the King. Queen Consort Cho (his stepmother) won't let him in the palace. Something has happened to the King... but what? The Queen (Kim Hye-jun) knows if she gives birth to a son that child will take the throne (instead of Chang). The Queen's father is Chief State Councillor Lord Cho Hak-ju (Ryu Seung-ryong). Their power hungry family would give the Lannisters from"Game Of Thrones" a run for their money.

Since he can't see his father, Lee Chang goes in search of his father's doctor Lee Seung-hui. His loyal bodyguard Mu-yeong attempts to protect the Prince during their long trip to Gyeongsang. They meet physician Seo-bi (my favorite character in the series, played by Bae Doona). They are later joined by tiger hunter Yeong-shin, magistrate Cho Bom-pal (Cho Hak-ju's nephew) and a number of other people along the way.

Zombies attack as everyone scrambles to try to survive. Initially all the group knows is that the zombies hibernate during the day. This at least allows time to prepare (and/or hide). Season 1 ends with Chang and crew bracing themselves for an epic battle. The attack occurs at the beginning of season 2 and is well worth the wait. An all out blood fest ensues. Many lives are lost.

Seo-bi goes off in search of the resurrection plant. She discovers its not the night but the cold temperature that reanimate the creatures.

In a series of flasbacks we see Cho Hak-ju (along with Chang's mentor Lord Ahn Hyeon) first used the plant on their own soldiers during the last war to fend off the Japanese. So that's how they knew to use it on the King. While Chang is busy trying to stay alive, the Queen is hiding a group of pregnant women. If one produces a male, he will be the heir. The rest of the women and girl babies are slaughtered. It seems that the Queen was pregnant at some point but had a miscarriage (I think). No one knows the truth except her closest servants (not even her father).

The noose tightens on the Queen as the dead bodies are found. She has a baby but her father is suspicious. He brings Seo-bi along to see if she really was preggo. That would be a nope. So what does the crazy Queen do next? She offs her own father with some poisonous tea. That girl is hard core. And with Change closing in, she decides if she cant have the throne, no one will. She releases some zombies she had on standby for just such an emergency. It looks like everyone is a goner. Zombies eat the Queen and attack the baby. Seo-bi is able to rescue him. Chang's group make their last stand on a frozen lake. Everyone is bitten and it looks like there is no hope. He is finally able to break thru the ice thus plunging everyone into the water. Zombies it seems hate water. And if someone is bitten, if they are submerging in water soon enough, the worms that live on the resurrection plat which turns them into zombies leave the body. Chang survives. He decides that the baby should be raised as King. Chang will be listed by the scribes as killed during the zombie attacks.

Fast forward several years. Seo-bi and Chang are in search of the origin of the plant. It is from China and is being sold by a mysterious woman who we only catch a glimpse of. What is she trying to accomplish? Is she trying to weaken the nation so an invasion is easier? We will have to wait till season 3 to find out.

Grade: 5 Monsters (out of 5). Perfection! "Kingdom" is perhaps one of the best zombie series ever. I believe the show's six episodes per season came in at around $1-$2 million each. It's easy to see where all that money went. Everything about the show is epic-- the settings, the costumes and of course the zombies.There's no mowing down 1000 zombies at a time here. That's because were in medieval Korea. if you want to off the walking dead, you have to do it the old fashioned way with a sword. Come for the zombies but stay for the history lesson. This article discusses the various hats and hairstyles worn by the different classes during the Joseon period.