Netflix ended 2024 with the release of “Squid Games” season 2 on Dec. 26. Two months have passed, and the reviews are in, with the sequel doing well even if it was not quite as exciting as the first.
According to Netflix, over 185.2 million viewers have watched season 2 since it came out, putting it in the app’s top five shows in viewership of all time. The original still holds first place with over 265 million views. With the already scheduled release of season 3 approaching in June 2025, let’s recap season 2.
After a slow start, the main protagonist, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), returns to the games as player 456 once again. Having already won the ₩45.6 billion, he carries different intentions than before. Gi-hun enters the games by choice, trying to take down the establishment and guide new players to safety. With the help of detective Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon), they put together a team dedicated to finding the island where the games take place, though unsuccessful.
The main antagonist, known as the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), is revealed to the fans as Hwang In-ho, half-brother of detective Jun-ho. In-ho takes off the mask and joins the game as player 001 to break Gi-hun’s spirit. He reveals some of his past to Gi-Hun, getting close during the games using the alias Oh Young-il.
New characters such as No-eul (Park Gyu-young) and Thanos (Choi Seung-hyun) were popular additions in the season. No-eul, a defector from the north, gave the audience a different view of the game from the guard’s perspective. Thanos, a rapper in debt, fits the role of an antagonist amongst the players. He sabotages other players, only worried about himself.
The actual life and death games themselves featured the return of the classic Red Light, Green Light to provide some nostalgia back to the first season. After that, two new games were introduced to excite the fans including the Six-Legged Pentathlon and Mingle.
“I thought “Squid Games” season 2 was really well done, but it left me with a ton of questions. The incorporation of the Front Man as player 001 I really enjoyed because it was similar to Oh II-nam as player 001 before. I will be rewatching this season at least a couple of times before the next one comes out.” – Emma Claire Thompson, UNG junior psychology major
Most controversial, the ending was abrupt, and the game never ended. Gi-hun tried to lead an attack against the game operators that ended with him getting caught for the final scene without answering nearly all the questions the fans had answered. What happened to No-eul? Will Gi-hun put together who the Front Man is? Will Jun-Ho ever find the island? All questions were left wide open for the next season.
Many have alluded to this being the reason for such a quick turnaround before next season’s releases. This will be the final season in the Korean mega series, leaving them on the edge of their seats excited to see how it ends.
