Netflix is the home of several shows that K-Drama fans know and love including the zombie action-adventure series, Kingdom. Fans of the show have been waiting for the next season after being left with a huge cliff-hanger from the Season 2 finale of the show. While there is still no confirmation at this time when the third season will drop, Netflix is gracing us with a special spin-off episode. The special, Ashin of the North, was teased to fans in the early parts of 2020 but now Netflix has officially announced the episode’s release date! It premiers exclusively on Netflix this July 23, 2021.
Here’s What We Know So Far
The second season of Kingdom ended with a lot of cliffhangers and questions for its fans to ponder, which more than guaranteed a third season. The biggest question on everyone’s mind is the identity of the woman, played by Jun Ji-Hyun, in the last few seconds of the final episode. It has been confirmed that the woman’s name is Ashin, one of the main characters in the Kingdom universe.
Writer Kim Eun Hee and director Kim Seong Hun gave more details about the spin-off episode in a separate panel discussion at the See What’s Next Korea virtual event. “Ashin is one of the main characters in the Kingdom series, and I thought that it would be more apt to tackle that in the special episode, a spin-off, rather than incorporating that into the regular seasons, just to make it more interesting,” said Writer Kim Eun Hee.
The spinoff episode will dive deeper into the origin of the zombie infection in Joseon primarily caused by a plant that has the ability to resurrect corpses. A lot of the details are still up in the air at the moment including the possible appearance of mainstay characters from the first two seasons. Some of the cast members that have been confirmed to show up in the special include Kim Sia, who will play the younger Ashin, and Park Byung Eun, who reprises his role as Min Chi-rok, the Head of the Royal Commandery Division. Kim Seong Hun who directed the first season will also helm the special episode.
Is It Worth It To Wait For Just One Episode?
If you find yourself asking this question, then most likely it’s because you haven’t seen the show in its entirety. The past two seasons of Kingdom should be enough to give us an inclination of how well this single episode would be like. Despite Kingdom is not being your conventional dose of what fans would usually expect when it comes to the K-Drama genre, it would be a huge mistake to dismiss it. The sheer cinematic atmosphere alongside the brilliant acting and perfectly written story make for a series that is unlike any other. It brings a new perspective and flavor to a genre that offers so many other alternatives.
As we wait in joyful anticipation for the spin-off’s release, there is no perfect time than now to start (or rewatch, if you already a stan) Kingdom. It may not be as daunting of a task as you may think, with a total of 12 episodes for the entire 2 seasons with an average running time of 50 minutes per episode — it will be a piece of cake!
Watch Seasons 1 and 2 of Kingdom on Netflix
Check out our article entitled Army Of The Dead Sneak Peek: First 15 Minutes Locked Behind Virtual Heist to see our thoughts on another zombie-infested flick entitled Army of the Dead.
