This review contains spoilers.
In 2021, Netflix's Squid Game captured global audiences with its harrowing tale of class conflict and survival, and left fans clamouring for answers after a thrilling closer. Three years on, and the wait is finally over - the highly anticipated second season of Squid Game is available to stream on Netflix on Thursday. But how does it compare to the first?
Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk gave fans a first glimpse of the new series in November, telling Empire that season two would delve into a deeper, darker, more advanced story than its predecessor.
"I feel it could even surpass season one, but physically, mentally, it was not easy. Some of the sequences we shot were the most challenging in my whole career. It was ... hell. I even had some concerns because the story told in the second season is much crueller, scarier and more gruesome than the first.
"Honestly, I thought to myself ... 'is this too much for people to handle?'"
Where did season one leave us?
Squid Game season one introduced viewers to a deadly premise: play childhood games for a chance to win life-changing money - but lose, and you face instant death.
We followed Seong Gi-hun, a desperate man drowning in debt, and the protagonist of our story. There was the enigmatic Salesman, who recruited players with a game of ddakji; Oh Il-nam, the elderly contestant revealed as the mastermind behind the games; and Hwang Jun-ho, a detective infiltrating the game in search of his missing brother, In-ho, who was ultimately revealed to be the Front Man overseeing the competition.
In the end, Gi-hun had emerged as the sole survivor among 456 players, winning the game and receiving the final prize money of 45.6 billion won before being released to the outside world. He was left with irreparable trauma, boiling rage, and a blinding thirst for revenge.
But a few things were still unclear - who would be in charge of the games after Il-Nam's death? Why did In-ho become the Front Man if he was a winner of the games himself? Where do the masked workers come from? And what is Seong Gi-hun's plan after he hangs up the phone at the airport at the end of season one?
Spoilers for the first three episodes of season two ahead.
Does the new season live up to the hype?
Season two picks up three years after the events of season one, with Gi-hun still determined to expose and dismantle the organisation behind the games.
In Bread and Lottery (episode 1), Gi-hun uses his prize money to fund a search across Seoul, eventually tracking down the Salesman who is still luring desperate people into the game. This opening episode sheds more light on the class commentary central to the series.
In a psychotic demonstration, the Salesman approaches a group of homeless people, offering them a choice: a piece of bread or a lottery ticket. Most people choose the ticket, drawn by the illusion of hope. When no one wins, the Salesman dumps the untouched bread and stomps on it, gleefully pointing out that their choice led to this outcome - they had autonomy, and they chose green over sustenance.
When Gi-hun finally confronts him, the Salesman defends the games, claiming they exist because society allows them to. He describes the players as disposable "trash" in an overpopulated world - now just horses on a racetrack. Gi-hun fires back, calling the Salesman a mere pawn in a larger, sinister operation - "a dog who barks at his master's every command". After a tense exchange of words and a thrilling game of Russian Roulette, Gi-hun realises that dismantling the organisation will require more work. To end the game, he'll need to re-enter it.
In Halloween Party (episode 2), new characters are introduced, including No-el, a part-time performer at an amusement park, and Gyeong-seok, a father struggling to care for his daughter battling blood cancer. Both are drawn into the game, but No-el is invited, not as a player, but as a masked shooter.
As Gi-hun prepares to re-enter the games, he encounters the Front Man through a veiled speaker. When Gi-hun demands the games be stopped, the Front Man retorts, "Game? All we did was create it. You all participated in it."
This exchange highlights the series' signature critique of capitalism, showing how the illusion of choice often masks deeper systemic oppression - all while blaming the working class for their own misfortunes.
This illusion of 'choice' comes into sharp focus in 001 (Episode 3). Gi-hun returns to the island with a new group of contestants, each drawn by the promise of a life-changing prize. Among them are a former cryptocurrency influencer, a retired rapper, a shaman, a squabbling mother-son duo, and an older man burdened with a staggering 10 billion won debt. They all sign a contract to participate in the games.
A squabbling mother-son duo are part of the new cast of Squid Game season two. Photo: Netflix
Despite Gi-hun's warnings, the contestants underestimate the stakes until the first game, 'red light, green light', eliminates over 90 players. The survivors quickly realise the severity of their situation.
Gi-hun calls on a key clause in the contract and the players are relieved - the game can be terminated by a majority vote. And that's when the masked men remind the contestants of the prize pool, now sitting at 9.1 billion won. Between the remaining players, that is just under 25 million won per person. The vote is evenly split, 181 to continue, 181 to stop the game, leaving Player 001 with the deciding vote. He steps up and votes, and it's decided the games will continue. Player 001 is revealed to be the Front Man.
At each step of the games, there's an illusion of democracy and willing participation. While the players believe they hold power, every decision is ultimately controlled by the game's architects.
Squid Game season two intensifies the psychological and social themes that made Squid Game a phenomenon three years ago. While its commentary on capitalism and class dynamics is a bit more overt this time around, it remains poignant, exposing the systemic traps that perpetuate inequality.
The games are bloodier and more psychologically harrowing, adding new layers of tension. Returning characters gain greater depth, while new ones bring fresh dynamics to the story.
Squid Game season 2 doesn't just meet expectations - it exceeds them, offering a richer, more complex narrative that cements the series as a masterful exploration of humanity's darkest impulses. The wait was certainly worth it.
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