Darkness descends upon present-day Seoul, as the century-old monstrous creature Najin makes its way back into the lives around the city, stirring a threatening apocalyptic horror. This leads Jang Tae-sang (Park Seo-joon) and Yoon Chae-ok (Han So-hee) to reunite once again, fighting back against the grave odds in the second season of Netflix’s supernatural horror series Gyeongseong Creature.

In brief, Gyeongseong Creature follows the story of Jang Tae-sang, the wealthy owner of Gyeongseong’s (the former name of Seoul) most successful pawnshop, the House of Golden Treasure, and Yoon Chae-ok, a sleuth searching for her missing mother. Set in the spring of 1945, during the Japanese occupation of Korea, the two encounter a mysterious creature named Seishin, revealed to be Chae-ok’s mother, who was tragically turned into a monstrous being after becoming one of the innocent victims of secret biological experiments by Japanese scientists at Ongseong Hospital, resulting in her grotesque mutation.

After restraining a precarious battle, risking their lives, and meeting a tragic end in season 1, the duo returns in season 2 to fight off the creature. Their journey is filled with tragedy, horror, and a cathartic finale, which might lead to an even more fatal beginning. Here are some of the key moments we loved about the second instalment of Gyeongseong Creature.

Gyeongseong 1945 and Seoul 2024

The second season, set 79 years after the horrific night when Chae-ok nearly lost her life, raises new questions about the fate of the unfinished experiment. Chae-ok and Tae-sang’s fate intertwine once again when the two co-incidentally encounter each other at a mysterious murder scene, a horrific case that occurred for the sixth time in Seoul. We find out that the Najin parasite gave both Chae-ok and Tae-sang certain features of the monster and allowed them to live agelessly all these years. They are now living separate lives, each in the shadow of a demonic force. Chae-ok, who evaded death thanks to the parasite inherited from her mutated mother in 1945, still works as an undercover sleuth, but this time under the name of Silverbill.

On the other hand, Tae-sang, now living as Jang Ho-jae, works as a private detective but suffers from fragmented memories, unaware of his true past. Later, Jang Tae-sang’s real identity from 1945 comes to light after it is revealed that he was infected with a parasite of Najin given by Lady Maeda (Claudia Kim), the mastermind of the dark human experiments. However, the details of Tae-sang's whereabouts over the years, his involvement with those who turned him into a monster, and the subsequent memory loss are unclear and not fully explained. This leaves key plot points disconnected.

Director Chung Dong Yoon masterfully weaves the past and present together, creating a parallel narrative that is fast-paced (sometimes a bit too rushed) and gripping, with plenty of action unfolding simultaneously.

Lim Hyoseon/ Netflix

The horrors in Jeonseung Biotech

While leaving Korea in 1945 by the end of World War II, the Japanese left Ongseong Hospital and its unruly experiments in ruins. So what let the past embers ignite after all these years? Lady Maeda, who has also consumed the Najin parasite to halt her ageing and gain supernatural strength, has returned with an even more powerful, technologically-equipped and bulked with man-power (to be precise human-mutated monster power) mission, with Jeonseung Biotech laboratory, to continue the past experiments on innocent victims — this time in a broader and more menacing way. The lab is operated by a group of Kurokos (Najin-powered supersoldiers) and is supervised by Lady Maeda, who pulls strings from behind. Similar to the past, Jeonseung Biotech brings in innocent victims — not by force this time, but by offering them jobs. Once recruited, they become subjects of lethal experiments. Most die, while a few undergo terrifying transformations, mutating into enormous tentacled creatures.

Lim Hyoseon/ Netflix

New characters with connections to the past

The second season of Gyeongseong Creature introduces new characters into the narrative by connecting dots to the past.

A complex character of mixed heritage, the Kuroko Leader (Le Mu-saeng) is the son of Lieutenant Colonel Kato (Choi Young-joon), the chief military general at Onseong Hospital and a Korean concubine. Constantly facing discrimination due to his background, he works his way up within Jeonseung Biotech, managing the underground lab. His relationship with his favoured half-brother, Chairman Shin, shapes much of his journey.

Seung-jo (Bae Hyeon-seong) is a monster-human hybrid, the son of Lady Maeda’s husband, Japanese police commissioner, Ishikawa (Kim Do-hyun) and his Korean mistress, Myeong-ja (Ji Woo). With his dual identity and complex moral struggles, Bae Hyeon-seong portrays Seung-jo with a subtle menace, despite his angelic appearance. His role becomes darker, especially in the final epilogue, where he reveals a more sinister side.

Supporting characters like Kwon Yong-gil (Heo Joon-seok) and Detective Yuh Myung-joon (Lee Sung-wook) add depth, with their strong ties to Tae-sang and their shared legacies. Meanwhile, Grandma Antenna’s (Park Hye-jin) role illustrates the suffering inflicted by Jeonseung Biotech's inhumane practices. These characters create a powerful narrative that intertwines personal struggles with familial duty, all within a deeply intricate world.

Lim Hyoseon/ Netflix

The reunion of Jang Tae-sang and Yoon Chae-ok

One of the most highly anticipated and standout moments of the season is the long-awaited reunion between Tae-sand and Chae-ok, a scene filled with emotional intensity and layered with heartfelt significance. Season 1 witnessed early blossoming of romance between the leads, while they struggled to fight off the supernatural evil. From once pointing guns at each other to ultimately being willing to sacrifice their lives, Tae-sang and Chae-ok found unexpected solace and comfort in each other during one of the most turbulent times of their lives. Despite sealing their unconditional love with a promise of a lifetime together, they part ways after getting defeated at the hands of fate — Chae-ok is brutally attacked and killed (she was dead until received the parasite) by her mother Seishin, who had turned into a monster. During her final moment, Chae-ok confessed her love to a devastated Tae-sang, while dying in his arms.

In Season 2, however, the bereaved lovers reunite once more — 79 years later. During the fall season in Seoul, they find each other again at yet another unexpected moment. At first, Tae-sang's memory is clouded, unable to recall who Chae-ok is. Yet, as his emotions stir and his buried conscience awakens, fragments of their past begin to surface — her touch, her voice, her suffering, and the pain they shared together. Despite the looming danger of losing each other again, Tae-sang and Chae-ok rush to put an end to the mayhem caused by Jeonseung Biotech, determined to stop the madness. Once again, Park Seo-joon and Han So-hee deliver outstanding performances, doing justice to their roles this season.

Lim Hyoseon/ Netflix

A devastating end with a disastrous start

The final episode of Season 2, titled ‘Marginal Man’, indicates the restart of the Najin operation in the lab, inflicting new conflicts and betrayals. It hints at a sinister new beginning in the wreckage of Maeda’s downfall. The episode begins with a flashback conversation between Seung-jo and Tae-sang, giving a glimpse of their past bond when Tae-sang had worked in the lab. Tae-sang shared his motive for revenge with Seung-jo, rather than his quest for victory. In the present, Seung-jo confronts Maeda, who has exploited him for her experiments. Overcome with distress, he captures Chae-ok and transports her to Jeonseung Biotech. Maeda asks Tae-sang to choose between rescuing his friends or Chae-ok. He opts to save his friends first, while Chae-ok valiantly defends herself against her assailants but is plunged into a cold water tank. Seung-jo ultimately kills Maeda upon discovering the truth about her motives behind using him. Tae-sang arrives in time to rescue Chae-ok and vanquish the Kuroko soldiers. Chae-ok doesn’t die during the process but suffers memory loss, making her forget everything about her past. Though she lives a normal life now, unlike Tae-sang in the past, her conscience also lives in fragments as she longs to chase a shadow in her memory. The episode ends with Chae-ok catching a glimpse of Tae-sang in a crowd, which suggests the enduring nature of their connection.

Lim Hyoseon/ Netflix

Will there be a Season 3?

In the post-credit scene, we see Seung-jo embark on a malevolent plan in Jeonseung Biotech. He intends to spread the Najin parasite on a large scale by contaminating water bottles, thereby infiltrating the lives of innocent commoners. Although there has been no official announcement regarding a third season, should it be produced, it is certain to explore the unresolved questions left at the open-ended finale.