Warning: the following contains SPOILERS for Hellbound.
Hellbound’s season 1 finale left audiences with several cliffhangers and hanging mysteries, all of which could be teeing up events for the second season. The King of Pigs, Peninsula, and Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho struck streaming gold with Netflix’s November 2021 release of his acclaimed fantasy series Hellbound. Considering Hellbound’s runaway success, as well as how it ended, the series is bound to get renewed for season 2 soon.
Hellbound season 1 episode 6 culminates with several unexpected twists. Song So-hyun (Won Jin-ah) and Bae Young-jae (Park Jung-Min) successfully sacrifice themselves to prevent the demons from dragging their baby Toughie to hell – the first time for anyone to pull off such a feat. As this event was broadcast live via onlookers with smartphones, baby Toughie’s survival could poke holes in The New Truth Society’s doctrines, which means that Deacon Yuji’s (Ryu Kyung-Soo) arrest could land him in prison. Meanwhile, Park Jeong-ja (Kim Shin-Rock), whose burned corpse serves as an exhibit at The New Truth Society’s first sacred site, is shown being resurrected in a flurry of hellfire. Indeed, Hellbound’s season 1 finale perfectly sets up the foundations for a new season.
Hellbound season 2 will likely focus on what happens after these finale twists. The second season might even reveal more about the truth behind Hellbound’s deaths, decrees, and demons. Here’s a breakdown of how these twists set up Hellbound season 2.
What Will Happen To Min Hye-Jin And Baby Toughie?
After the newborn baby Toughie was saved from the demons by her parents, Sodo organization leader Min Hye-jin (Kim Hyun-Joo) grabs Toughie and escapes to safety inside a cab. While Toughie’s decree refutes The New Truth Society’s claims that only sinners are hell-bound, the baby’s survival shows that the church is also wrong about the decrees being final and the executions being unstoppable. In short, Toughie’s very existence – combined with video evidence of the baby’s survival – could undermine The New Truth Society’s previously unquestionable authority. This means that Toughie could become a part of Hellbound’s main cast in season 2, as Hye-jin will do everything she can to keep Toughie safe from the hands of both The New Truth Society and The Arrowhead.
The New Truth Society, Pastor Kim Jeong-Chil, And Deacon Yuji Face New Challenges
Even without further proof that Toughie is still alive, the video evidence of demons failing to kill the supposedly hell-bound newborn could be enough to shake the faith of The New Truth Society’s followers. This spells trouble for Pastor Kim Jeong-chil (Lee Dong-hee) and his committee, as they’ll need to come up with new, creative, and believable interpretations for the event. Meanwhile, as Deacon Yuji was arrested for battery, The New Truth Society’s declining influence could mean that the deacon/enforcer might actually land in prison. Most importantly, The New Truth Society will also need to deal with the fact that Park Jeong-ja (Kim Shin-Rock) is back.
Park Jeong-Ja’s Resurrection Will Tip The Balance Of Power In Hellbound
Park Jeong-ja’s demonic execution is key to how The New Truth Society evolves after the time jump that halves Hellbound’s 6-episode narrative. For many, The New Truth Society’s live national broadcast of Jeong-ja’s death confirmed the reality of Hellbound’s supernatural events. As the cult has built a sacred site around Jeong-ja’s burned remains, Jeong-ja has become a central figure in their teachings. However, Jeong-ja’s fiery resurrection – just like baby Toughie’s survival – now contradicts The New Truth Society’s doctrines. Moreover, depending on what Jeong-ja remembers from the experience, her return could also result in more revelations about what happens to the hell-bound. On the other hand, The New Truth Society most likely has cameras monitoring sacred sites, including the one with Park Jeong-ja’s corpse, which means that they already know about Jeong-ja’s return. Pastor Kim Jeong-chil could use this opportunity to somehow use Jeong-ja in order to regain The New Truth Society’s dwindling influence on the world.
Will New Truth Society Chairman Jung Jin-Soo Also Return Or Be Resurrected?
Park Jeong-ja’s resurrection implies that others who were hell-bound could’ve also returned in a similar fashion. The New Truth Society founder Chairman Jung Jin-soo (Yoo Ah-In) could return in Hellbound season 2 as well. And Jin-soo’s return could complicate matters for all sides. Jin-soo could decide to retake the reins of The New Truth Society, potentially causing friction – if not a full-blown schism – between him and Pastor Kim. Jin-soo’s memories of Hell, or whatever supernatural plane the hell-bound end up in, could prompt him to espouse more extremist views, become the leader of The Arrowhead, or even form an entirely new cult. On the other hand, Jin-soo’s experience could also lead him to publicly expose his own lies and renounce his own doctrines. As the most dangerous character in Hellbound, Jin-soo’s return could tip the balance of power in Hellbound even more than baby Toughie or Park Jeong-ja.
Where Are Police Detective Jin Kyung-Hun And His Daughter Hee-Jeong?
Detective Jin Kyung-Hun (Yang Ik-Joon) and Jin Hee-Jeong (Re Lee) are last seen in Hellbound season 1 episode 3. The police detective Kyung-hun is the central character in Hellbound’s neo-noir story arc. He’s the only detective who finds out that Jin-soo was given a death decree in 2002, and was executed in 2022. Jin-soo also gave Kyung-hun the choice to either film Jin-soo’s execution, or to keep it a secret. And Kyung-hun’s decision to do the latter is what enabled The New Truth Society to grow from a niche cult into a full-blown proto-fascist religious organization. Keeping quiet about the truth also allowed Kyung-hun to conveniently ignore how Jin-soo manipulated his daughter Hee-leong into killing her mother’s killer. Hellbound doesn’t show what happens to both detective Kyung-hun and Hee-leong after the time jump. And season 2 could reveal how the two are living with their own respective choices.
Who Or What Is Behind Hellbound’s Brutal Demonic Executions And Decrees?
Hellbound season 2 could finally reveal who or what is behind the supernatural events. However, on the other hand, the unexplained nature of the events is what makes Hellbound such a compelling Netflix K-drama series. The fact that no one really knows what’s causing the supernatural events is the primary driving force for the actions of Hellbound’s different characters and factions. Unraveling this mystery would cause tremendous changes in everyone’s motivations and actions, which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing for the series. While revealing the truth behind the series’ supposed angels and demons could sabotage the element of mystery, it could also potentially take Hellbound’s subversion of fantasy to new heights.