Following the massive success of the first season, Squid Game 2 brings that same intense flavor when it comes to creating a dramatic atmosphere while adding well-rounded and in-depth personalities. Netflix unveiled the sequel on Dec. 26, 2024, with teasers of a third season set to release in 2025.
After winning in the first season, player 456, Seung Gi-hun (Lee Jung-Jae) finds himself running back to the games that severely altered his life, in order to put an end to it. No money could replace the lives lost during the first run of the games. Gi-hun didn’t see the people he met in the games as competitors but as fellow victims of the capitalistic world they lived in.
With nothing but a calling card and memories of a man in a suit as his leads, Gi-hun swore to track down the man behind the games for the peace and safety of others who were in his situation back then, making sure they don’t serve the same fate as the people he lost during the games.
Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon), the inspector from the first season, also finds a return in the series, after surviving a bullet from the Frontman of the games—his brother. Jun-ho’s survival motivates him to locate the island where the games take place, in order to find the answers to his brother’s betrayal. The series shows two sides of a coin, where Gi-hun and Jun-ho share the same goal of putting an end to the games with different motivations, their efforts mesh in showing a deeper message of tearing down the traditions and the leisures of rich people—showcasing that underprivileged people are not merely commodities for the rich.
Round 2
With higher stakes, brutal challenges, and psychological gimmicks, this season delivers a nail-biting continuation that expands on the original's tension and complexity. Player 456 finds himself back on the island, the weight of past horrors pressing on his shoulders. Armed with the knowledge of how the previous games worked after winning, he feels a fleeting sense of responsibility to keep everyone alive. But that advantage quickly fades as the introduction to new games deems his previous knowledge useless.
This season introduces lots of new twists and turns that not only shape the way the game is played but also fuel a new level of tension between the players, the decisions of the players weigh far more than they ever have by being able to change the fate of everyone playing with a single choice.
Will the greed of the players prevent the cycle from ending or will the games truly end once and for all?
Fresh faces
A big part of what makes Squid Games interesting is how they create interesting characters that all have their own interesting and intricate backgrounds. This season introduces many characters such as Choi Su-bong known better as Thanos, played by former BigBang member T.O.P. (Choi Seung-hyun) who plays a care-free, pill-popping rapper drowning in debts due to a failed cryptocurrency investment made by YouTuber Lee Myung-gi (Im Si Wan)---who is also in the games.
Another interesting face this season is Cho Hyun-ju (Park Sung Hoon), a transgender ex-soldier competing in the games to afford gender-affirming surgeries. Hyun-ju stands out as one of the season's most compelling characters, bringing both emotional depth and meaningful representation for the trans community. Her personal struggles and determination add complexity to the game’s high-stakes environment, making her journey as gripping as it is impactful.
New characters introduce fresh dynamics and emotional depth, raising the stakes and making each round feel more intense and unpredictable. Their diverse motivations and personal battles not only enrich the narrative but also foster a deeper sense of connection with the audience, drawing viewers in and encouraging them to become emotionally attached to the players and their fates.
Dark and darker!
The production of this season amplifies the tension with shots that feel darker and ominous, paired with more elaborate game sets. The pacing slowly builds suspense, hinting at a much larger conflict ahead. Adding to the unsettling atmosphere is the series' haunting soundtrack, where eerie, nursery rhyme-inspired melodies create a chilling contrast to the violence on screen. This unsettling music deepens the sense of dread, making it feel unserious in a way—where the deaths and turmoil of the players seem insignificant, as if it really all was just a game.
While Squid Game 2 may end on a cliffhanger, it lays the groundwork for what’s to come in the next season. The final episode leaves the audience with countless unanswered questions, ensuring viewers are left eager and anxious to see how the deadly game moves forward.
The series has already garnered 152 million views as of Jan. 16 according to Screen Rant, making the series the third most-viewed series on Netflix.
As anticipation for Season 3 grows, the series continues to captivate audiences with its gripping tension and shocking twists, promising that the game is far from over.
Freeze! Don’t move from where you are and watch Squid Game 2, available on Netflix.
