Kingdom: Ashin of the North
Kingdom: Ashin of the North is a special episode of the popular zombie series Kingdom. This is an origin story that also acts as a backstory to a new character in the series. Living up to the reputation of the Kingdom series, this special episode delivers an amazing blend of a vengeance story with the zombie origins in the larger Kingdom universe.
This special episode is a prequel that takes us before the events of the Kingdom: Season 1. It also introduces the back story of Ashin, who is the lead character of this episode. This is the same character who was teased in the last episode of season 2.
Perfect Timing for Kingdom: Ashin of the North
The timing for this special episode is just perfect. It fits the ending of season 2 in a very logical way. Integrating the origin story in a way that almost seems like a standalone movie is very clever. The writers have certainly done a great job.
There can be a two-way effect of this special episode. People not familiar with the Kingdom series who stumble upon Kingdom: Ashin of the North are more likely to start following the series. They might binge-watch the two previous seasons before the release of the third season.
Not only this special episode furthers the storyline but also acts as a perfect promotional content for the series as a whole. Having said that this special episode of the Kingdom is nothing like your average promotional content. It is more like a proper feature film with some amazing storytelling and great action.
The Perfect Inter-Season Episode
When it comes to the special episode itself, it is beyond doubt one of the most satisfying episodes linked to a series. The timing is everything here because if this episode was put somewhere mid-season, it might’ve looked out of place.
The mere fact that it is released in-between seasons makes it all the more special. The filmmaking is focused on sound storytelling. A strong emphasis on the character building of the protagonist highlights the desire of the filmmakers to produce a strong origin story.
Not only they have successfully produced a great origin story for the series but also created a unique vengeance story that has what it takes to be a good standalone feature film.
Even though critics might question the pacing of the story, analyzing it in the larger context of the Kingdom series I think it is only fair to overlook some minor technicalities. Besides the pacing issue, I think this special episode is a perfect origin story for the Kingdom series.
Bottom Line
Kindom: Ashin of the North is a really good prequel to the popular Kingdom series. Even if you haven’t watched the first two seasons of Kingdom, it is still worth a watch.