This article contains mentions of miscarriage.
Summary
Hierarchyepisode 7 concluded Netflix’s newestK-dramaseries with surprising redemptions and major twists, including a post-credits scene that sets up season 2. Thought to beNetflix’sElitereplacement,Hierarchyended up being closer toPretty Little Liarsas it combined the high school genre murder mystery tropes. WhileHierarchycan be described as arevenge K-drama, Kang Ha only confirms who killed his brother toward the end of the show. Still,Hierarchy’s finale makes it clear that, whileProfessor Ji-soo was the one who killed In-han, virtually everyone at the school was to blame for what happened.
After years of living by her father’s cruel rules, Jae-i stood up for herself and let the truth about her be exposed to the press, regardless of how it would affect her family’s business. Instead of going to New York, Jae-i decided to stay and went after her mother, who had been living a simple life on her own. It can be assumed that Jae-in will rebuild her life from scratch, now living with her mother instead of her abusive father.The higher-ups behind Jooshin had to answer for everything that happened at the school,but the crisis isn’t over yet in thisK-drama thriller.
There is a new murder mystery in Hierarchy
Right until the credits rolled, it seemed likeHierarchywould have a happy, self-contained ending that would leave no room for a second season.Hierarchywas originally described as a limited series, meaning theNetflix original K-dramawas expected to wrap up all of its storylines by episode 7. However,Hierarchyepisode 7 included an after-credits scene in which He-ra finds a dead body surrounded by blood in one of the classrooms.Ri-an and other students soon arrive to confirm that there has been another murderer, this time inside the school’s campus.
Lee Won-jung
Lee Woo-jin
Hierarchydoesn’t make it clear who is the dead student at the end of episode 7. The scene never fully shows the face of the student lying on the floor, which itself is a massive sequel hook for a potential season 2. However, going by elimination based on the students that were there, it could be Ju-won’s body. Ju-won is the son of the former principal – he was the one blackmailing Jae-i for most of the show.As soon as the body was found, Ri-an received an anonymous text threatening him, which may or not have come from Kang Ha.
How Kang Ha Gets His Revenge In Hierarchy’s Finale
Ji-soo was arrested for In-han’s murderer
Hierarchyepisode’s epilogue teases that Kang Ha’s revenge isn’t over and that he will continue to go after some of the school’s students. However,the scene with Kang Ha smiling at his phone may have been just a red herring, especially because the character already accomplished what he wanted – Kang Ha changed Jooshin High School from within. Thanks to Kang Ha’s actions, the higher-ups who watched silently as a toxic, deadly environment was created in the school had to answer for their negligence, including the principal and the board.
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Most importantly,Ji-soon, the teacher, was arrested for killing Kang In-han.Ri-an apologized to Kang Ha, noting that, while he was not involved in what happened to In-han that night, he was to blame for all the bullying the scholarship student was dealing with. All other students directly tied to In-han’s death, as well as everyone else who was practicing bullying, were interrogated by the police and the board. It is unclear if any of them faced criminal charges, but the school finally acknowledged the problem. Kang Ha’s revenge led to something even bigger than just getting for his brother.
Who Does Jae-i End Up With In Hierarchy?
Jae-i is not focusing on relationships right now
Hierarchyfeatured a complicated love triangle, which sometimes evolved into a love quadrangle, that included Jae-i, Kang Ha, and Ri-an. It is only in the latter half of the series that the Netflix K-drama reveals why Jae-i broke up with Ri-an and distanced herself from him.Jae-i was pregnant when she traveled to the United States for the first time, and before she could decide whether she would proceed with the pregnancy, she had a miscarriage. This traumatic experience, combined with the fear of what would happen if her father found out, made Jae-i isolate herself.
In the meantime, Jae-i grew closer to Kang Ha, whose brother became good friends with her before dying. Jae-i blamed herself for the death of Kang Ha’s brother, and it seemed like they had feelings for each other as well. Still, Jae-i never hid that she deeply cared about Ri-an, who had been by her side ever since they were six years old.While Jae-i reconnected with Ri-an at the end, she decided to put an end to their relationship, at least for now. Jae-i believes they should sort out their lives before they can commit to a relationship.
What Happens To The Jooshin Students In Hierarchy’s Finale
The students were given a second chance in Hierarchy
Hierarchyepisode 7 surprisingly redeemed most of the show’s characters, even the ones who actively participated in the bullying of Kang In-han. Even though they confessed to their actions, all students continued to attend Jooshin. This includes Ri-an, whose participation in the bullying of In-han was going to be kept under wraps until he decided to come forward. Ri-an also asked Kang Ha for forgiveness, suggesting he will now be a different person. Woo-jin, who knew what happened to In-han this whole time, also came forward and gave Jae-i all the recordings he had found.
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The fact that Woo-jin risked ruining his father’s presidential campaign to make things right is a good sign for the character, who appears to regret what he did. The same applies to He-ra, who patched things up with Jae-i and even became friends with Kang Ha.Hierarchyends with Ri-an, Woo-jin, and He-ra going back to the school together, hopefully as better versions of themselves. The twisted power dynamic between the rich students and the scholarship ones seems to be over. It’s important to note that Jooshin now has a new principal.
How Hierarchy’s Ending Sets Up Season 2
Hierarchy’s epilogue suggests the show will continue
Hierarchyworks as a self-contained limited series for the most part, but episode 7’s epilogue makes it difficult to believe there are no plans for season 2. Not only has a student been killed, but Ri-an has been sent a threat by an unknown person. The epilogue also teased that Kang Ha is the one behind this death, although it is difficult to believe this is the case considering he only wanted justice for his brother. Either way, there is still a killer in Jooshin, meaningHierarchyseason 2 could happen.
AlthoughHierarchy’s ending was somewhat satisfying and brought justice to In-han, there is more than enough room for the K-drama to continue.
Hierarchyseason 2 could also explore more of Jae-i’s life now that she has finally abandoned her father to live with her mother. A sequel toHierarchywould likely revisit theK-drama’s love trianglestoryline, especially because Kang Ha is still in love with Jae-i. Assuming Jae-i will eventually go back to Jooshin, there would be plenty of drama for a second season to tackle, including this new murder mystery. AlthoughHierarchy’s ending was somewhat satisfying and brought justice to In-han, there is more than enough room for theK-dramato continue.
