Netflix's New R-Rated Fantasy Series Deserves Its 100% Score On Rotten Tomatoes

Although Netflix’s latest R-rated fantasy drama has more than earned its 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating, it is admittedly a little tough to see how the series can return for a second outing without a whole new story. There has never been a better time to be a fan of fantasy TV. Although the 2000s TV landscape was dotted with occasional underrated fantasy shows like Merlin, Legend of the Seeker, and The 10th Kingdom, the success of HBO’s Game of Thrones opened the floodgates for a deluge of ambitious, mature fantasy dramas.

In the realm of medieval dark fantasy shows that shared the tone of Game of Thrones, there was Netflix’s The Witcher franchise, as well as Prime Video’s Critical Role shows The Legend of Vox Machina and The Mighty Nein. Of course, there were also the original HBO mega-hit’s own spinoffs, House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, as well as plenty of fantasy shows that explored other eras of history. AMC’s Interview with the Vampire was a centuries-spanning epic, as was Netflix’s animated video game adaptation Castlevania.

Within this milieu, it takes a lot for a fantasy show to stand out. Thus, it is impressive that Netflix’s new fantasy The East Palace earned an astounding 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, quickly becoming one of the year’s most acclaimed new entries into the genre. The East Palace stars Nam Joo-hyuk as Gu-cheon, a ghost slayer who is tasked with hunting down the demonic force plaguing the Crown Prince’s eponymous palace. Gu-cheon is aided in his search by Court Lady Saeng Gang, who has the ability to hear the ghosts of the palace.

Could The East Palace Season 2 Happen? What Would The Story Be?

With eight episodes and a runtime of a little over six hours, The East Palace slowly unearths the secrets of the titular setting as Gu-cheon and Court Lady Saeng Gang hunt down its ghosts. Of course, the titular setting is haunted by as many dark revelations as it is literal ghosts, and each episode delves deeper into the show’s twisty blend of mystery, mythology, folklore, and horror.

While many modern fantasy shows are unafraid of getting gory and R-rated, The East Palace leans further into its horror elements than Netflix’s earlier hit fantasy Arcane. However, this is no bad thing, as the show’s grim mystery is made all the more compelling by its dark tone. Unpredictable and occasionally brutal, The East Palace is also visually sumptuous and incredibly immersive. Critics highlighted its inventive visuals and striking storytelling, fusing monster horror with character drama and psychological mystery in a genre blend that could easily have proven chaotic.

The only issue with the show’s success is its self-contained story. Like Netflix’s earlier, lighter South Korean supernatural hit KPop Demon Hunters, The East Palace has the potential to spawn an entire franchise with its lived-in mythology and compelling main characters. However, unlike that 2025 movie, the show doesn’t lend itself to a second outing with its ending. It is satisfying that the ending of season 1 feels self-contained, but this makes it tough to tell where season 2’s story could go.

Without giving away any more plot details, suffice to say, the second season of The East Palace would need some new villains for the heroes to vanquish, a new mystery for them to solve, and, perhaps most difficult of all, a new titular setting. The palace itself plays a major role in this acclaimed fantasy drama’s spooky story, but season 2 of the show will need to transplant its surviving characters to a new setting within the same world. Thus, it is tough to see how Netflix’s perfect fantasy drama The East Palace will pull this off.