2024 was an incredible year for Netflix with the release of two fan-favourite TV shows. Upon the incredible success of Arcane Season 2, it’s now the time for another popular show: Squid Game Season 2. The action-thriller series, directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, is back with its next chapter, featuring the sequel of the story of a group of contestants participating in a violent competition for a huge price.
The following article provides a comprehensive review of the show. As a result, If you haven’t watched the series yet, be warned that there will be significant spoilers.
Story: Still Admirable
The story of Squid Game Season 2 pursues all that happened in S1. The lead character and winner of the last rivalry, Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae) is now on his vengeance against those responsible for these deadly competitions. Episode 1 entirely concentrates on him planning to find the recruiter guy he first met in the subway. This episode is the strongest episode of the whole season, particularly with the remarkable and outstanding Gong yoo’s performance. The last scene of the episode, where he challenges Gi-hun to a Russian-Roulette game, his unforgettable, Al Pacino-styled performance with a half-happy, half-sad expression clearly demonstrates his magnificent acting ability.
Upon episodes 1 and 2, the story reaches a point where Gi-hun is forced to come back to the game if he still insists on seeking revenge. In the battle arena, as expected, new characters join the show. The first game is the old red-light green-light challenge; however, this time, one person knows what is about to happen. Gi-hun’s performance in this scene is absolutely amazing as he shouts at others to avoid movement; otherwise they die. The last scene of Episode 3 is also a big shock as Player 001’s identity is revealed. In total, Episode 3 was adequately exciting to keep you staring at your screen, and holding still when there is red light.
Episodes 4 and 5 don’t actually offer anything surprising. The competition goes on with different game modes that Gi-hun is also unfamiliar with and has to survive. Throughout these episodes, you can only see teams competing – some manage to save themselves, while others meet the opposite fate. More backstories of characters are elaborated on in these episodes, helping you become more acquainted with them.
Episode 6 follows the same path as the previous parts, as after each round, players are asked to make a decision whether they want to continue playing or quit the game and split the money. Each time, the vote comes down to one final person, but ends up being continued. However, at the very end of the episode, something shocking happens, leading to an anticipated battle among the contestants in the next section.
The final episode of Squid Game Season 2 starts with the long-awaited night fight. The participants are now divided into two groups: one insists on finishing all the games, and one prefers to go home, prompting a fight among them to increase the total prize. At this point, Gi-hun comes up with an interesting plan to take down the guards, who will return to the dorm room to control the chaos, and start a revolution against them. With an intense battle between his allies and the guards, the show creates a new path we have been waiting to see. That said, the episode reaches its last scene with a shocking betrayal from Player 001, leading to Gi-hun once again losing his best friend. Fans now have to be patient for the final season of the show to figure out what will ultimately occur in this world.
Characters: A Few Very Good, Mostly Very Weak
Although season 2 of Squid Game captures your eyes with its interesting narrative and ambiguous ending, the main downfall of the whole show lies in the new side characters. Except for the recruiter with his marvellous performance and Player 001 who plays a key role in the story, the remaining characters mostly fail to bring the vibe of alliance or hostility.
In the show, you see a boy with his elderly mother surviving together. Although their bond seems strong, it doesn’t evoke that much of care between the two, as at certain points in the game, they accidentally get separated, but their reunion is not that much influential.
Another character worth talking about is an evil character called Thanos, a famous rapper with colourful nail polish representing Thanos’ infinity stones, who lost his money in cryptocurrency. The show clearly depicts him as a person who cares only about himself as he pushes three people during the red-light green-light game, leading all three to die. But, the villainy of this character is still pretty artificial, and he fails to be a leader of others toward winning the prize. In comparison, back in S1, Jang Deok-su played a seriously dark character who even planned to ambush other players to eliminate them from the game. His presence, from the beginning all the way to the Glass Bridge scene, brought an intimidating vibe, making viewers eager to see his death.
Another example is a friendship bond between a girl and a transgender character. The friendship seems cool and interesting to discover, but the death of one side leaves it feeling hollow and not very emotional. You can compare it with that relationship between two girls in S1, where in the Marble game, one decided to sacrifice herself for the other, leaving everyone in tears.
Perhaps, the worst, least understandable character of the show is Player 044. A woman with a very vague religious mindset that either aids or hinders her progress. The acting of the character is at a real low level, and it’s easy to recognize she’s not playing the role naturally. Unfortunately, she remains alive until the end of the show, but we hope to see a great character development in the future.
All in all, Squid Game Season 2 is still worth watching and enjoying. Although the show almost fails in designing decent side characters, its narrative, story, and scenes are all amazing that can easily fill your spare time.
