Netflix has finally dropped the second season of Squid Game, leaving fans eager to know how the deadly game ends. Taking place three years after Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) won 45.6 billion won, the show focuses on him getting revenge and plotting to end the games once and for all to avenge previous competitors’ deaths. On his quest to track down the real mastermind behind the brutal competitions, the true reality of the game becomes very clear: there is no way out alive, and money can shift people’s principles.
Not only was the dangerous obsession with money evident this second time around but different players were added to boost diversity and inclusion on-screen with much success. Most notably, the women characters were the most genuine team players, like Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon), the transgender ex-soldier, Jun-hee (Jo Yuri), the secretly pregnant contestant, and Geum-ja (Kang Ae-shim), the sweet, elderly woman. Not only that, new characters like Thanos (Choi Seung-hyun), the rapper, In-Ho (Lee Byung-hun), the frontman, and Seon-nyeo (Gook-hee Chae), the shaman, brought the most drama and chaos, making the show gorier than ever before.
Although Squid Game improved representation and had several action-packed moments, the show still felt incomplete, leaving major plot holes. Viewers were left with questions like: What will happen to Jun-hee’s baby? Will Hyun-ju save the remaining players and defeat the guards? Will Seong Gi-hun survive? Will Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon) successfully take down the game with the police force? And most importantly, who is the new ruler behind the game and why does the event continue?
The Price of Survival
Squid Game Season 2 continues to offer social commentary on capitalism and societal inequality, but the bloodthirsty games can easily cause viewers to misconstrue the show’s deeper meaning. As viewers learned in Season 1, the purpose of the “Squid Game” was to provide entertainment for the wealthy and financial opportunities for the poor. However, this new season unveiled an even darker purpose: organ harvesting. As a result, the intensity of the games often overshadows the message: more wealth may lead to less empathy and compassion for others, as the contestants readily betray one another in their pursuit of financial freedom.
Most of the games were dragged out in each episode, making them interesting but, at times, boring and repetitive. Despite this, the games added depth to the characters, offering insight into Korean culture and the players’ identities. For example, the six-legged pentathlon included several Korean games such as Ddakji, Flying Stone, Gong-gi, Spinning Top, and Jegi. These challenges prompted some characters to share their backgrounds and strategize as a team to survive once they realized their lives were on the line.
The show can also be bizarre and unrealistic at times, but it effectively captures how trauma can shift someone’s mindset for the better while also fueling a desire for revenge. Seong Gi-hun is a testament to this complexity, as he could have easily moved on with his wealth and reunited with his daughter but instead chose to confront the evil mastermind behind the games for the greater good.
What’s Next for ‘Squid Game’?
A third and final season of Squid Game is set to premiere later this year, but no official release date has been announced. Hwang Dong-hyuk, the series creator, told Variety “At this point, anything I might say is going to be a spoiler, so I want to be cautious. But what I can say is, after Season 2 launches, I believe we will be announcing the launch date for Season 3 soon. I probably expect that to launch around summer or fall next year.” For viewers anticipating the new season, keep an eye out for updates on the release date!
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