Every corner of the internet seems to be discussing the characters or trying to recreate the games showcased in the wildly successful Netflix series, “Squid Game.” This South Korean thriller survival series takes place in a dystopian world, where those riddled deep in debt compete for a chance to win a 45.6 billion won cash prize. It serves as a social commentary on the class disparities. When Season 2 was announced, expectations ran high, however, it did not meet the same glory of the season before.
Seong Gi-hun, the previous winner of the games in Season 1, has dedicated his whole life to seeking revenge on the organizers of the Squid Games. He manages to join the games a second time successfully. His plan of using a tracker was naive and anticlimactic as he failed immediately. With all the money he won, Gi-hun should have had access to more advanced and discrete technology.
He and the other players navigate through a series of children’s games, with the punishment being death. The show includes the iconic “Red Light, Green Light” game but continues the rest of the season with new, thrilling games. Aside from this, the organizers also allow participants to vote after each game on whether they would like to leave or continue playing, though the majority choose to stay each time. There were a multitude of voting scenes since they were voting after every game. The votes, which were intense and invigorating at first, ended up becoming repetitive and seemed to be dragged on for an unnecessary amount of time.
Gi-hun and several other participants attempt to take over, being very successful until one of their own betrays them, halting the progress and ending the season. This left the season on a disappointing cliffhanger.
Aside from the main storyline taking place in the games, multiple other stories were happening simultaneously, showing different perspectives of the games. The season introduces Kang No-eul, a North Korean defector who works as staff, killing players who are disqualified. She has an interesting backstory and motivation, and her actions in the games seem to contradict the other staff members’ beliefs. Yet, her storyline is neglected once the games begin, and she does not progress. This would have been a great opportunity for the audience to learn more about the inner workings of the games and interactions between the staff, but it was never explored.
Another instance of this incompleteness is with the military veterans that Gi-hun hires to help him find the location of the games. Occasionally between scenes, the show cuts to these men, exploring island after island, trying to find Gi-hun. They are unsuccessful during all attempts and their actions are repetitive, leaving this to seem like a very unnecessary storyline.
Much of the excitement surrounding Season 2 was focused on the cast, filled with familiar and new faces. These sentiments were reflected online as well, with few comments on the actual story-writing. Thus, many viewers went into the season and remembered it for its cast.
The season seemed like a filler season, or even a setup for Season 3. None of the storylines introduced are completed at all. Despite this, the season was still interesting, especially with the new character introduced and always leaves a sense of wanting to watch more. There are many conflicting opinions from fans this season: some were disappointed by the story while others were completely enraptured.
Season 3 was announced to be coming out in June 2025, which could immediately follow up and continue the incomplete story of Season 2. Hopes are high for the next season to properly close the plot and live up to the incredible first season.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
