I’ll be the first person to admit that I expected “Squid Game” season two to be awful. Season one was an international hit, and the show remains the most streamed Netflix series of all time — and for good reason. Between its memorable premise, cast and commentary, the first season was a tough act to follow. And with how cleanly the narrative wrapped up, it didn’t make sense to unravel it all again.
The premise of “Squid Game” is simple: 456 participants facing financial hardship enter into a secret competition for the chance to win 45.6 billion won. The challenges are modeled after common Korean children’s games, but, instead of losing the game, any eliminated players are killed. High risk, high reward. As the number of contestants dwindles, the prize money goes up, and players are incentivized to assassinate each other. It’s a choice between murder for money or moral innocence.
The first season explores the horrors of capitalism and class conflict, demonstrating just how quickly desperation turns into betrayal. The intensity of these themes is greatly aided by a vibrant cast of characters. Every major character is thoroughly fleshed out and given a clear motivation to participate in the games, winning over audiences’ empathy and raising the stakes for them, too. Even when you disagree with their decisions, you understand why they made them.
So, seeing as season one covered all of those bases, I didn’t think a second season was necessary. I worried that season two would function as a replication rather than an addition, and that Netflix would trade quality for a quick buck as it has in the past. For a long time, I believed my fears would be validated. Even with season two confirmed, Netflix released a “Squid Game”-themed reality competition series to further profit off of the show’s success. Given the heavy critique of exploitative competition shows in “Squid Game,” it seemed ironic how quickly Netflix capitalized on the hype.
Upon release, “Squid Game” season two broke the record for the biggest Netflix TV debut ever, racking up 68 million views in four days. The buzz has continued online, with many viewers taking to social media to discuss the season. If it was a cash grab, it was a highly successful one. When I finally sat down to watch it, though, I was happy to be proven wrong.
While season one has a larger focus on the games themselves, season two centers a new voting system. After each game, the remaining players are given the chance to vote on whether or not the games should continue. If the majority votes to leave, the contestants will split the total prize money made up to that point and they can return to their lives outside. If the majority votes to stay, they play another game. Depending on how a player votes, they are given either an X or an O badge to wear at all times.
Adding the voting system was one of the best ways to keep season two fresh. While season one’s players formed small groups to strategize and protect one another, those of season two are assigned to one group or the other based on their vote. They must advertise their decision to the other players and, thus, risk being targeted by players who voted differently. The characters who want to stay start to isolate themselves from those who want to leave and vice versa, eventually culminating in a massive brawl that leaves dozens of players dead. By implementing this system, the creators of the game effectively create two opposing groups, distracting players from their common enemy: the game itself.
One trend that season two continues faithfully is its use of a memorable cast of characters. Season two dedicates much of its time to exploring character development and dynamics. Lee Jung-jae (“The Acolyte”) reprises his starring role as Seong Gi-hun, the previous season’s winner who returns to the game with the hope of ending it. Alongside Gi-hun are a new batch of players, each with their own reason for joining the game. There is Jun-hee (Jo Yu-ri, “Mimicus”), who is pregnant and hoping to use the money to support her baby. Then we have Geum-ja (Kang Ae-shim, “A Virtuous Business”) and Young-sik (Yang Dong-geun, “Ruler of Your Own World”), the mother-and-son duo both looking to pay off Young-sik’s gambling debts. The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun, “A Bittersweet Life”) also participates in the games as a player, posing as a man named Young-il looking to pay for his wife’s treatment for liver cirrhosis.
The players don’t feel like cardboard cutouts of the first season’s characters, and those who fill similar roles are differentiated enough to feel fresh. Thanos’s (T.O.P., “Commitment”) character in season two fulfills a similar narrative role as Deok-su (Heo Sung-tae, “Hunt”) from season one, but their personalities couldn’t be more different. All of the players are given unique, compelling personalities, which makes their dynamics fun to watch. Geum-ja takes on a motherly role when helping Jun-hee with her pregnancy, and Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon, “Into the Ring”) and Yeong-mi (Kim Si-eun, “Miss Independent Ji Eun”) develop a sisterly bond after competing in a six-legged race together. I was invested in the entire main cast, whether rooting for or against them, and want to see more of their dynamics in season three.
And yet, with such a short season, the show didn’t get the chance to fully explore everything it set up, like its alternative storylines. Police detective Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon, “Gyeongseong Creature”) spends the entire season searching for the island where the game is held, but almost nothing happens across his whole arc. I expect season three to dedicate more time to him and his search team, but in its current state, the storyline is extremely underdeveloped.
My main gripe with season two, though, is its ending. The season is only seven episodes long, and Gi-hun enters the game in episode three. This doesn’t leave much time for the games themselves, and only three are played in season two. Rather than wrapping up the game, the season ends on a cliffhanger. This is intended to get viewers excited for season three, but I was left underwhelmed. When I finished episode seven, I stared at the screen waiting for Netflix to autoplay the next episode. Nothing came, and all I could think was: “That’s it?” It seemed more like a mid-season finale than an actual season finale.
Despite its unsatisfactory ending, season two of “Squid Game” is a worthy sequel and an overall fun watch. I’m excited for the final season and look forward to seeing the various plot lines wrap up. Hopefully season three gives us a proper finale this time.
TV Beat Editor Morgan Sieradski can be reached at kmsier@umich.edu.
The post ‘Squid Game’ is back with a bang appeared first on The Michigan Daily.
Leave a Reply