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Kingdom Season 2 Explains What Caused The Zombie Outbreak
The zombie virus in Netflix’s Kingdom that threatens Crown Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon) and his people has finally been traced to a source. In the wake of political machinations and brutal struggles for survival, an undercurrent of mystery runs through the Korean horror-thriller regarding who or what exactly is responsible for the spread of the zombie virus. At first, much of the sleuthing is left to Seo-bi (Bae Doo-na), whose medical background makes her particularly well suited to the task.
However, as Kingdom progresses, it becomes clear that this is more than just a question of academic curiosity for the characters. As is shown by Kingdom season 1’s final twist – of the zombies being able to roam during the daytime – solving the mystery behind their origins is all the more pressing because it could provide the kingdom with information on how to repel them. And aside from fire, water, and the old-fashioned, tried-and-true “go for the head” method, Kingdom’s main characters are relatively under-prepared in that department.
Long after the dust and frost has settled, Kingdom season 2 closes with an epilogue that shows the nation seven years in the future. With Mu-yeong’s son on the throne, Lee Chang and Seo-bi have ventured to the north to further investigate the zombie virus. There they learn that not only is the zombie threat still alive and well (in a manner of speaking), the resurrection plant at the root of it was deliberately dispersed throughout the region, originating from the border between Korea and China, thus kicking off the undead plague.
While this revelation sets up a new conflict for future seasons of Netflix’s Kingdom, it also builds naturally upon the previous explanations that the show has given, creating the kind of holistically horrific background that is so valuable in modern zombie stories. The resurrection plant was the focal bit of lore for Kingdom season 1, but it served primarily as a mechanical, scientific explanation. The opening of Kingdom season 2 showed Cho Hak-ju (Ryu Seung-ryong) using the plant to shore up the country’s defenses in the face of conflict with Japanese forces, which ultimately seems to have been an unexpected domestic facilitator of the plant’s spread. Both of these plot points very decidedly left open the possibility of a larger force manipulating the virus from afar.
This points to a distinct aspect of Kingdom as not only a period piece, but one that concerns itself heavily with the broad social and political implications of a zombie outbreak that hasn’t quite yet reached apocalyptic proportions. Unlike other zombie stories that focus on the sense of isolation felt by an individual or small group of people in a desolate setting, Lee Chang’s royal status inextricably binds him to the fate of his country and its people. Having an origin that positions the zombies as a threat to both of those things (in addition to being your conventional “eat your brains” threat) makes them feel unique and specific to the world of Kingdom.
Source: ScreenRant
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