The East Palace Ending Explained: Netflix’s newest Korean fantasy thriller takes eight episodes to create a thrilling supernatural adventure that is borne out of royal politics and a ton of bloodshed in the past. The dramatic conclusion, thus, is much needed at the end of eight episodes, wherein we finally see who was behind the palace’s curse and whether or not Gu-cheon is able to rid it of the curse. It reinforces the series’s biggest themes: evil persists when history is buried instead of confronted.
The series, also known as 동궁, stars Nam Joo-hyuk, Roh Yoon-seo, and Cho Seung-woo in lead roles and is directed by Choi Jung-kyu.
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The East Palace Ending Explained
What Was Really Haunting the East Palace?
throughout the series, we see that the Royal Palace is being haunted by innumerable spirits of some kind who keep killing the lineage of the royal blood, intending to stop them from ascending the throne. When his last son falls ill, King Ju-sang calls Gu-cheon to the palace to rid it of the evil spirits and help his son survive. As Gu-cheon and Saeng-gang investigate her family’s secrets, they come to realise that there isn’t one particular entity haunting the palace – there are hundreds of spirits in the palace who have remained due to being unfairly murdered in the past. They have deep resentmenent that they want revenge for and thus, these spirit torment the palace and its inhabitants.
But, as the duo figure out eventually, it’s not these spirits who have been killing the princes, but rather a situation far more sinister that threatens the kind and Saeng-gang as well.
Who Is the True Antagonist?
The true antagonist turns out to be King Ju-sang and his mother, Suk-bin who have been murdering the real princes of the throne, i.e., Ju-sang’s brothers, before Ju-sang even became king. Being the son of one of the late king’s concubines, Suk-bin was desperate to see his son on the throne and for that, she was willing to go to any lengths. Ju-sang, too, was aware of his mother’s antics but continued to turn a blind eye since it was helping his purpose. As a result, they created a horrible curse in the palace and murdered more people trying to keep this truth a secret.
Eventually, Ju-sang realises that his own son has been killing his brothers after learning the truth about his father’s accession to the throne and, hoping to end this toxic curse, Ju-sang himself killed the Crown Prince, who was the one antagonising everyone after his murder. Incensed at not being allowed to become the king, he has been killing his brothers after his death as well, not allowing anyone to take over the throne other than him.
How Do Gu-cheon and Saeng-gang Defeat the Curse?
Through several trials and tribulations and going to the spirit realm several times, Gu-cheon and Saeng-gang learn the truth about the King’s sullied history and eventually get rid of the Crown Prince once and for all. To make this happen, Gu-cheon has to take the help of the Supreme Gwi-mae to defeat the Crown Prince and save Saeng-gang who has been mortally wounded by the spirit. After a lenghty battle, during which Ju-sang begs the other spirits to seek peace and leave, Gu-cheon is able to defeat the Crown Prince and save the King.
What Happens to the King?
King Ju-sang is alive after Gu-cheon and Saeng-gang give it their all to save him. Spending most of the time trying to save his secrets from spilling out, he is finally able to contain the curse and save his kingdom. He continues to rule but, with no one to take over the throne from him, he is left burdened with the blood of those he has killed.
Do Gu-cheon and Saeng-gang End Up Together?
In a sense, yes. Gu-cheon is finally able to get free from the palace after he fulfils his obligations to the king. However, there is a catch – he is shown still chained to the royal palace, meaning that his freedom is also on borrowed time. Either way, he does go on his adventure and Saeng-gang, having become fond of him, follows him out, promising to help him in his duties as he did hers. Their partnership is rooted in mutual respect and shared purpose, allowing their emotional connection to feel authentic. Although we don’t know whether anything romantic will blossom between the two, their deep trust and emotional understanding make their relationship a tender watch.
What Does the Ending Mean?
At its core, The East Palace highlights that one cannot outrun their karma and have to face the consequences of their actions in one way or another. The ghosts symbolise the unresolved truama that still lingers in the palace walls and that can only be removed by accepting responsibility and respecting the truth. Every attempt to hide the uncomfortable truth only strengthens the darkness waiting just underneath the surface. Only through this can the cycle of guilt and truma be broken.
Is a The East Palace Season 2 Possible?
While Netflix has marketed this as a Limited Series, with the central story having found a conclusive ending in the first season itself, the story itself leaves a few things open ended, especially Gu-cheon’s fate after this. Now that he is chained to the palace, would be he called back to rid the king of the evils that still lurk just beyond the surface?
The East Palace is streaming right now on Netflix. Did you enjoy watching the fantasy thriller? Let us know in the comments below!
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