Will ‘The East Palace’ return for a second season?
Netflix brought a page-turner supernatural K-thriller, The East Palace, last week, and fans are already asking for more as it is.
Released on July 17th, the eight-episode horror-fantasy K-drama follows Gu-cheon, a ghost-slayer with the ability to penetrate the human and spirit realms, and Saeng-gang, a court lady who can hear spirits, summoned by the king to lift the mysterious curse plaguing the palace and killing royal princes.
The East Palace opens with the crown prince’s death in a pond, setting the events of the series in motion as the rumour mill picks up pace about the pond spirit’s return to wipe out the king’s royal lineage.
The period fantasy drama The East Palace has captured viewers with its haunting premise and gripping storyline. While the central storyline is met with a satisfying conclusion, fans cannot stop wondering whether the K-drama is likely to return for a sophomore season.
Well, as of now, Netflix has yet to renew The East Palace for a second season, and the streaming giant has chosen to stay tight-lipped about any potential season two development. As is tradition with Netflix, it prefers to weigh a few crucial factors such as viewership numbers and completion rates before greenlighting a show for a continuation.
This is probably why the silence around the renewal isn’t as concerning. Although in a select few cases, Netflix does provide rapid renewals. However, even then, if a potential second season is likely, it’s most probably still far down the line given that the debut season premiered days ago.
On top of that, The East Palace excels with world-building, using historical sets and top-notch visual effects to breathe life into the supernatural realm called Gwi. As a result, even if Netflix does renew the horror K-drama, expect a long stretch of writing, production, and post-production.
Having said that, so far it seems the K-drama is still being portrayed as a standalone South Korean production with no hints towards a multi-season rollout. However, if The East Palace chooses to return, the second season might address the aftermath of season one, although nothing is clear for now.
So, for those waiting for confirmation, unfortunately, they will have to hold their horses a little longer. Until then, the first season of The East Palace is currently streaming on Netflix!