When it first burst onto Netflix in late 2021, the Korean dystopian thriller Squid Game quickly became an overnight hit. The first season told the story of down-on-his-luck gambler Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) who is sucked into a secretive and deadly competition to win 31 million dollars by playing twisted children’s games for the entertainment of the elite. The miniseries’ mix of high-tension action and poignant social commentary left fans clamoring for a second season. More than three years later, Netflix has delivered.
Squid Game Season 2, released last month, picks the story up as Gi-hun uses his fortune from winning the games to fulfil his vow to bring its crimes to light and end the competition. After tracking down the man who recruited him in the first place (Gong Yoo), he plunges back into the colorful and brutal world of the games to try and destroy it from the inside out.
(Credit: TV Insider)
Compared to the first season, this installment of the show stands out for its broadened variety in many fields. While the show’s signature Red Light, Green Light returns from season one, big laser-eyed doll and all, the remaining arsenal of games in the competition are completely different this season.
From a Six Legged Race to Mingle, the show manages to avoid retreading the same ground that it did last season while also keeping true to its gameshow-like feel. Even Red Light, Green Light manages to stay fresh, as this time the dynamic is changed with Gi-hun desperately trying to guide the other contestants through the game. (Spoiler: it does not work). It also gives a peek behind the scenes of the competition, following some of the guards to get a view on its inner workings.
Alongside having a much more complicated storyline, Season 2 also explores a new set of cultural issues. While the first season focuses on the wealth disparity between classes and how social systems perpetuate this divide, Squid Game 2 adds an extra layer to reveal how those inside the system support and enforce it, even when that’s to their disadvantage.
This season implements a voting system, where the contestants can end the games if a majority votes to do so. However, against their own personal safety, they repeatedly vote to stay in the competition, which aside from keeping the story going, also challenges Gi-hun’s own goals and views.
The roster of contestants is also greatly expanded this time around. From broke crypto-bro MG Coin (Lee Myung-yi) and his K-Pop rapper nemesis Thanos (Choi Seung-hyun) (yes, he’s named after that Thanos), to mom and son duo Jang Geum-ja and Park Young-sik (Kang Ae-sim and Yang Dong Geun, respectively), this season takes a much more in-depth look at Gi-hun’s fellow contestants. The extra depth given to these new characters not only helps make the story more interesting, but also makes the deaths all the more gut-wrenching.
The returning cast also puts on a stellar performance. Gong Yoo, better known for his role in 2016’s zombie film Train to Busan, gives a completely unhinged performance in the first two episodes, which stands in stark contrast to Jung-jae’s far more restrained performance. The sinister Frontman, played by Lee Byung-hun, is also enjoyable to watch as he hides in plain sight as a contestant, as is Gi-hun’s best friend Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan), who was a minor character last season but who plays a much larger role this time.
All in all, Squid Game 2 shows definite growth from the first season in almost all aspects. Having proven the success of the show’s survival game formula, the second season feels like the creators are willing to take more creative risks and tell a much bigger story. Because of this, this season at times feels like a very different show than the one that was released in 2021, especially the last few episodes.
This is the core challenge that plagues all sequels in any form of media: how to capture the essence of what made the franchise popular in the first place, while also changing it enough to not feel like it’s doing the same thing again. Some people have complained that Squid Game 2 is too different from the original Squid Game, but if enjoyed on its own merits, it’s a lot of bloody, bloody fun.
(Credit: Variety)
Netflix’s audience seems to agree. The second season has smashed viewership records, racking up more than 150 million views in its first three weeks. In fact, it’s currently the third most watched series on Netflix, only behind the first season and 2022’s Wednesday miniseries.
Online, the show has spawned countless memes, which is a testament to its instant popularity. While many viewers were left unsatisfied with this season’s cliffhanger ending, don’t worry: you won’t have to wait long. Netflix has already teased that Season 3 is well on its way to a release later this year, possibly as soon as this summer.
It’s also worth noting that the character of Thanos in particular has received criticism in Korea over his substance abuse throughout the show. Korea has a far stricter view of drugs compared to the US, and the topic has become a hot-button political issue as drug use has soared in recent years after the pandemic. Also, actor Seung-hyun, a K-pop star who goes by the stage name T.O.P., already has a shaky history with drugs, with a 2017 scandal regarding his use of weed nearly destroying his career.
