The Scandal premieres globally on Netflix on Thursday, September 18, 2026, and every one of its eight episodes arrives the same day. Netflix drops new titles at 12:00 a.m. PT / 3:00 a.m. ET, so U.S. viewers can start the binge first thing that Friday morning, and the show is included with any Netflix plan — U.S. subscriptions begin at $8.99 a month for Standard with Ads.
Here is the full rundown on start time, platform, price, and what you are actually signing up for — a lavish Joseon-era reworking of one of literature’s most famous stories of seduction and revenge.
The Scandal release date and time in the US
The Scandal lands on Netflix on Thursday, September 18, 2026. Because Netflix schedules its worldwide launches on Pacific time, the eight-episode series unlocks at 12:00 a.m. PT, which is 3:00 a.m. ET. There is no weekly rollout to track: all eight episodes drop at once, so you can watch the entire limited series in a single sitting or pace it out over the weekend.
That all-at-once model is worth flagging, because Netflix has split several recent tentpoles into weekly parts. The Scandal is not one of them — the complete season is available on day one.
Where to watch and what it costs
The Scandal is a Netflix original, which means it streams exclusively on Netflix and is bundled into every subscription tier at no extra charge. Current U.S. pricing runs as follows:
- Standard with Ads: $8.99 per month
- Standard (ad-free): $19.99 per month
- Premium (4K, ad-free): $26.99 per month
Every tier includes The Scandal, including the ad-supported plan, so there is no premium surcharge or separate rental. If you want the sharpest picture for the show’s meticulous period costuming and set design, the Premium tier delivers it in 4K.
What The Scandal is about
The Scandal transplants the machinery of the 1782 French novel Dangerous Liaisons, by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, into Korea’s Joseon dynasty. The setup will feel familiar to anyone who has seen the story’s many screen adaptations: two jaded aristocrats turn seduction into a game, wagering on who can manipulate whom, until the game turns on the players.
At the center sits Lady Cho, a noblewoman whose intelligence and ambition far outstrip the narrow role Joseon society allows women. She strikes a secret bet with Cho Won, the most notorious playboy in the capital. Drawn into their scheme is Hui-yeon, a young woman who becomes both pawn and wild card. What begins as a cruel wager curdles into something neither schemer can control, as genuine desire and buried vulnerability crack the players’ careful masks.
Across its eight episodes, the series leans into the source material’s hallmarks — the false fronts, the whispered manipulations, the slow tightening of a trap — while dressing them in the silk robes and candlelit interiors of a Joseon costume drama.
The Joseon transplant is more than set dressing. The original novel’s engine is a rigid aristocracy where reputation is currency and a woman’s power has to be exercised sideways, through influence rather than authority. That maps cleanly onto Joseon’s strict court hierarchy, which gives Lady Cho’s scheming a sharper edge: the same wager that reads as idle cruelty among bored French aristocrats becomes, in her hands, one of the only levers a brilliant woman is allowed to pull.
What to expect from the eight episodes
This is a limited series, not an open-ended drama angling for multiple seasons, so the eight episodes are built to tell a complete story with a real ending. Expect a tightly wound structure: an opening that sets the bet, a middle stretch where the manipulations compound and alliances blur, and a back half where the cost of the game comes due. If you have enjoyed Netflix’s other prestige Korean period pieces, or simply want a self-contained binge you can finish in a weekend, The Scandal is designed to reward exactly that.
The cast: Son Ye-jin, Ji Chang-wook, and NANA
The headline draw is the pairing of two of Korean television’s biggest names. Son Ye-jin, beloved by international audiences for Crash Landing on You, plays Lady Cho. Opposite her is Ji Chang-wook, a fixture of action and romance dramas, as the silver-tongued Cho Won. Singer and actress NANA rounds out the central trio as Hui-yeon, with Han Seon-hwa also featured.
Behind the camera is director Jung Ji-woo, who stages the intrigue across eight episodes of period detail. For English-speaking viewers who have watched the K-drama wave crest over the past few years, the reunion of two performers of this caliber in a prestige costume piece is one of the fall’s more anticipated Netflix arrivals.
Is there a trailer?
Yes. Netflix has released an official teaser that intercuts Lady Cho proposing the bet, Cho Won accepting, and Hui-yeon caught between them. You can watch it here:
Frequently asked
When does The Scandal come out?
Thursday, September 18, 2026, worldwide on Netflix, at 12:00 a.m. PT / 3:00 a.m. ET.
How many episodes are there, and do they release weekly?
There are eight episodes, and all of them release at once on premiere day. There is no weekly schedule.
Where can I watch it in the US?
Only on Netflix. It is a Netflix original included with every subscription tier, starting at $8.99 a month for Standard with Ads.
Is The Scandal based on a true story?
No. It is a fictional drama that reimagines the 1782 novel Dangerous Liaisons in a Joseon-era setting.
Is it in Korean?
Yes. The series is in Korean, with English subtitles and dubbing options available through Netflix.
Is The Scandal a limited series or will it get a second season?
It is structured as a self-contained limited series of eight episodes, telling a complete story rather than setting up an ongoing show.
