Squid Game Season 2
Genre: TV Series
Created by: Hwang Dong-Hyuk
Starring: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon, Lee Byung-hun
Release Date: December 24 th, 2024
Platform: Netflix
Rating: 3/5
By Stephen Lackey
“The journey back to the games is a mixed bag of tricks”
SQUID GAME season two was doomed from the start. The second season could never recapture the freshness of the debut because the novelty of the formula was out there. Season two could choose just to do a new set of games with new characters and fans would say, “Well it’s cool, but it’s just rinse and repeat, more of the same.” The second season could instead choose to go more behind the scenes and build the mythology and fans would say, “Where arethe cool new games?”. The creators fully understood this dilemma and chose to try and ride the line between both options to hopefully please everyone.
Ultimately, what we end up with is a season that’s not fully satisfying for fans of the games, and incomplete as far as the greater story. Season two picks right up after the cliffhanger of season one and immediately begins to expand on the story outside of the game arena. While the story being built outside the games is interesting, it’s slow, which sets an off-balance pace for the entire season. The series doesn’t even find its way into the arena, until the third episode. Once the games finally begin, the series attempts a balancing act of inside and outside the arena. One side story follows characters searching for the arena, which grinds the show to a standstill every time it cuts to them. The characters are likable, but they don’t really get enough depth for viewers to fully invest in them. This becomes a problem for the entire season. All of this cutting between stories doesn’t allow enough time for development of the new players, so they end up much less compelling than the characters of season one.
One of the most fun elements of season one is the way the games were portrayed. Viewers could almost play them along with the characters, and the ways players would be eliminated were shocking and sometimes awkwardly humorous. This go-around the games feel like an afterthought and are executed in quick montages, so it’s tough to invest in them. The arena does still allow space for some interesting social commentary though. The focus this season is again on tribalism but this time the element of false choice plays a huge part in the games. The game makers allow the players opportunities to vote to end the games early and leave with a share of whatever money has been earned. Is this a true choice though? Thisaspect of the arena and how it reflects our current world situation is by far the most interesting part.
Season two of SQUID GAME is a fun ride but leaves viewers ultimately unsatisfied. It has been announced already that the series will conclude with its third season, so season two ending with another cliffhanger is no surprise. Season one ended with the feeling of a complete story arc regardless of its cliffhanger, but the arc for season two feels broken going into the next and final season. Season two has several fun elements but doesn’t even come close to the highs and excitement of the first.
