What has happened to the infected?

Throughout the first season, the uninfected were able to move around during the daytime and then take shelter at night, which was when the dead would be reanimated. But in that last episode, as the heroes were standing in the misty daylight in Sangju, the infected started emerging in a frenzy. Seo-bi, having found the rare Resurrection Plant in a hidden cliffside, was surrounded. By now, Seo-bi is the one who knows the most about the infected because of her personal experience and having read the royal physician’s journals, so the viewer will get their important questions answered through her. So, she answers: “It was not the sun. It was the temperature.” It’s winter, so the infected can run around anytime. But the biggest question—could Seo-bi possibly find a cure—remains the one that hangs most over the show.

What is the Queen Consort planning?

When the show started, it seemed that Minister Cho was working closely with his daughter, the Queen Consort Cho (Kim Hye-jun) to keep their grip over the capital Hanyang by isolating Prince Chang. But as the season went on, it became clear Minister Cho needed his daughter to have a male son to become the next emperor for their plans to work. Now we know the Queen Consort was running a con of her own, keeping pregnant women, killing the female infants and waiting for a male infant to pass off as her own. Does Minister Cho know of this plan, or is the Queen Consort tricking her own father?

What is the Crown Prince’s long game?

Ever since Prince Chang saw the shadow of a monster in Hanyang, he had been running around trying to get a feel of just how back the infection has gotten. The immediate plan is of course save as many people as possible in Sangju and get to Hanyang, but what then? Is it a military solution, or a personal one? What about the people of Joseon? Kim Eun-hee, who had written the webtoon the show is based on, understands layered storytelling. She also understands slow burns, and in many ways, Prince Chang’s journey is one slow burn, reflected by his geographical location. He left Hanyang to the frontier then, now trying his best to get back to Hanyang. The intensity of the show is rising to a fever pitch.

Who will live, who will die and who is the traitor?

The first season introduced the large cast of characters and made viewers care for them. Season 2 is when it’s time to start making the viewers pay for that emotional connection as key characters are killed off. You can probably already sense which characters are relatively safe, but everyone else is fair game. This also plays into the rumor there will actually be a final third season for the show. The other element here is the identity of the traitor in their midst. Since last season, Prince Chang has noticed that Minister Cho seems to always be a step ahead of them and has been suspicious, notably of two people he respects, Lord Ahn (Heo Joon-ho) and personal guard Moo-young (Kim Sang-ho). Is it one of them, or someone else?

Who is Jun Ji-hyun playing?

We know now that K-drama icon Jun Ji-hyun (the original “My Sassy Girl” herself) will be appearing in the season 2 finale. But what part will she be playing? Clearly, it will not be a small role, as that would defeat the purpose of getting such a big name for the big series. The showrunners have done an excellent job of shutting down any leaks or spoilers regarding this so your guess is as good as ours. There are some juicy possibilities: a new love interest for Prince Chang (if you don’t ship Chang and Seo-bi)? What about a completely new character right out of the blue who will makes a big entrance in the finale and then a big role in a possible season 3?

“Kingdom” Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.