/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25795858/Squidgame_Unit_205_N080607.jpg "Squid Game season 2 review: a brutal remix of Netflix’s biggest show")
squid game Season 2: A Brutal Remix of the Original
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- 1. squid game Season 2: A Brutal Remix of the Original
- 2. ‘Squid Game‘ Season Two: A Reckoning Looms
Three years have passed since Squid Game took the world by storm, becoming Netflix’s biggest show ever. In that time, its powerful story of class conflict got lost amidst a wave of ill-conceived reality shows, influencer knockoffs, and cartoonish mobile games. Just before the highly anticipated return of Season 2, Netflix announced a dizzying array of Squid Game collaborations, featuring everything from Call of Duty to Domino’s to Crocs.
Thankfully, series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk hasn’t forgotten what made Squid Game so captivating. Season 2 doesn’t venture into entirely new thematic territory; instead,it cleverly expands the Squid Game universe while delivering a thrilling experience that’s even more brutal than its predecessor.
‘Squid Game’ Season Two: A Reckoning Looms
Seong Gi-hun, player 456, walked away victorious from the gruesome games depicted in the first season of “Squid Game,” but his life took a drastic turn. Despite winning the ₩45.6 billion prize, he was burdened by the horrors he witnessed and the knowledge of the ultra-rich conspirators behind it all. Season two finds gi-hun years later, haunted by his experience and determined to dismantle the deadly games. Driven by a desire for revenge and justice, Gi-hun embarks on a mission to locate the games’ elusive island headquarters. He employs a network of criminals to scour Seoul’s subway system, eventually leading him to a familiar face: the suit-clad salesman (Gong Yoo) — the master of ddakji who “very good at slapping.” With this lead, Gi-hun hopes to finally uncover the games’ true location. He’s not the only one on the trail. Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon), the detective who went undercover in the first season to find his missing brother, is also consumed by this pursuit. Teaming up with a local fisherman, he combs the seas for any sign of the island. Their paths eventually converge with Gi-hun’s, leading to a desperate plan. However, fate intervenes, forcing Gi-hun back into the game as a contestant once more. p class=”duet–article–dangerously-set-cms-markup duet–article–standard-paragraph mb-20 font-fkroman text-18 leading-160 -tracking-1 selection:bg-franklin-20 dark:text-white dark:selection:bg-blurple [&_a:hover]:shadow-highlight-franklin dark:[&_a:hover]:shadow-highlight-blurple [&_a]:shadow-underline-black dark:[&_a]:shadow-underline-white”>the first few episodes don’t actually touch on the games themselves much — and rather provide a deeper look at the rest of Squid Game’s strange world. That means learning a lot more about the mysterious and unflappable salesman, who seems to take a perverse delight in terrorizing the poor and destitute. There’s also some insight into the guards who patrol the games. We learn that they aren’t all that different from the contestants themselves: desperate people doing desperate things inside of a financial system that has failed them.A few episodes in, the show pivots back to the games and starts to look very familiar. There are green tracksuits, armed guards in shining pink jumpsuits, and a giant piggy bank that fills with cash as more people die. But rather than rehashing previous events, these episodes are like a remix of season 1. The games have been changed up, and as Gi-hun is the only returning player, there’s a whole new cast. And,like in the original,there’s a great mix of compelling stories,with characters who have been pushed to the brink and left with few other options.
That includes an expecting young mother looking to start a new life, a trans woman who needs money for gender-affirming care, and a mother and son who both signed up to pay off his gambling debts, tragically unaware the other had also joined the games. there are some great new villains as well, like a purple-haired rapper who is having the time of his life amid the bloodshed, and a cold-hearted crypto influencer who lost himself — and his viewers — all kinds of money. and once again, there’s an undercover member of Squid Game management who is trying to manipulate the games from the inside.
The games feel different this time because of Gi-hun, who does everything he can to both save people while playing and convince them to leave after the match is over. After each game, all the surviving players can vote on whether to continue, and these moments of counting hundreds of X’s and O’s are extremely tense. But greed pushes people to make the wrong choice over and over, and it’s hard not to get disheartened alongside Gi-hun. But for many of the players,death in a schoolyard game is preferable to what awaits them on the outside. Gi-hun has his work cut out for him convincing the other contestants that their real enemy isn’t each other but the system that put them here fighting over money. Things eventually culminate in a bloody massacre that pushes squid Game further into horror than it’s ever been.
From there, the show races to a conclusion that finally promises to shake up the games themselves — but it never actually reaches that big moment. Instead, it neatly sets up the third and final season that will hit Netflix in 2025. While the cliffhanger (and the subsequent wait) may be disappointing, it’s a relief that, unlike seemingly everyone else, Hwang and his team haven’t lost sight of what made Squid Game so special to begin with. Season 2 may not be the big surprise the original was, but it makes up for that with clever twists on the formula and storylines that hit even bloodier notes. Even better: the promise of a conclusion that knows where it’s headed.
Squid Game season 2 starts streaming on Netflix on December 26th.
