The hype for Squid Game season 2 has been unreal. And I get it. With season 1 amassing 265.2 million viewers according to Netflix, there’s clearly a lot to love. It was a tale of greed, debt, and what humans are willing to do to survive. But it’s also a tale of how the rich eat the poor and think of the less fortunate as their playthings. And with the way that things ended in season 1, season 2 had a lot to prove. It had to honor the first season but stand out. Also, it had to elevate the game, the plot, and make us want to watch season 3. It did all of that and more. And it did it without falling into a sophomore slump.
Gi-hun’s Journey in Season 2
In a way, Gi-hun is still running in season 2 of Squid Game. In season 1 he was running from responsibility, whether that be to his mom, daughter, or himself. And in season 2 he’s running away from his daughter and a happy life to right a grand injustice. Now don’t get me wrong. The games are inherently evil. But in talking about what Gi-hun’s bravery in coming after Goliath, we have to acknowledge his faults. And the running continues to be a pattern for Gi-hun.
Besides that, Gi-hun is a transformed man. There’s a determination we haven’t seen in him before. And the selfish man of season 1 is gone. In his place is someone who wants to take down the game so bad that he’s willing to put his life in danger. But the fact remains that he’s over his head. For all the planning he did, the game and the Front Man were several steps ahead. And it makes me feel bad for Gi-hun while also relating to him. The only comparison I can make to that is the lie of the American Dream about pulling yourself up by the bootstraps and becoming rich. That doesn’t happen because the rich don’t want it to.
By the end of season 2, Gi-hun is right back where he ended up in season 1 when Sae-byeok was killed by Sang-woo. He was broken, yet filled with rage. And if anything, I think it’s going to make him more unhinged when it comes to what he’ll do to stop the game. Hopefully, he won’t take to heart In-ho’s words about the other contestants or people in general being a small sacrifice for the greater good. These other contestants aren’t sacrificial lambs. And Gi-hun needs to remember that as the games get more brutal and more people die.
MORE: Squid Game season 2 had plenty of heartbreaking moments and we’ve made a list of the saddest!
The Contestants Really Were Different
In season 1 of Squid Game the focus of the main characters skewed to older characters. From Gi-hun to Sang-woo and Il-nam, they were older. You had Sae-byoek and Jun-ho of course. But they didn’t have people as young, vain, and so self-centered like the characters in season 2. These kids were worried about their crypto, phones, and how the outfits weren’t cute. And for someone who knows what’s about to happen to them all, it was jarring, cruel, and made me go, “Oh your outfit is the least of your worry. Also, you’re going to die in it.”
The introduction of drugs into season 2 of Squid Game also changed things. Because yes, it was used as a coping mechanism. But it was also used to enact violence on others. And there’s no way the game didn’t realize those pills weren’t in Thanos’ cross. The same thing for Geum-ja and her hair blade. Both were calculated choices by the House for when the players attacked each other, instead of the House aka the actual bad guys. Because at the end of the day, this game is a microcosm of reality and how the poor are fighting against each other instead of looking at those controlling the bigger picture.
Hyun-ju was also a welcome addition to season 2. And while I would’ve preferred a trans person playing Player 120, it feels like a revolutionary move for South Korean cinema. I’ve never seen outwardly queer or trans characters in Korea film or TV. And for many within South Korea, where there are no protections against discrimination of queer people, this might be the first trans person they’ve experienced. That matters. It also matters that her story was told with a delicate hand. One where her story was met with patience by those like Geum-ja and Gyeong-seok as she took charge during games and helped lead the attack on the soldiers.
Can We Talk About the Diabolical Games?
Season 2 found a way to balance out what we know about the actual games from season 1 and give it a fresh spin. We had Young-hee, the red light green light doll, being the diabolical opening. But then we had a rally race that was almost unfair in how tough it was with it’s mini-games. And then the carousel room game called Mingle. Each were probably familiar to people who grew up in South Korea. (I have to do research on that bit.) But for me, who grew up in the States, I was blown away and so interested in learning how to play these games.
Honestly, I think this might be my favorite part of Squid Games. Because yes, the games are absolutely diabolical in how they tear people apart and end lives. But there’s a history behind Gong-gi or Jegi that I don’t know about. And I plan to explore it in the same way that I did with the actual squid game presented in the first and final episode of season 1 of Squid Game. If anything, I’m grateful that this show has made me curious about South Korean culture and the many actors within the industry who brought season 2 to life.
MORE: Mingle ended up on our Squid Game season 2 most heartbreaking scenes for a reason.
What Player 001 Tried to Prove
In-ho aka Player 001 was an unavoidable part of season 2. He was the balance needed after having Gi-hun return to the game gave the other players an advantage. But In-ho also entered the games because he wanted to break Gi-hun. In comparison, Il-nam in season 1 entered the game to feel a thrill. These are two vastly different reasons, with In-ho’s being one of cruelty and proving that people are broken so why change things or help them out? And for all of that… I think a part of Gi-hun clocked that there was something wrong.
All throughout season 2 there were small but notable manipulations of Gi-hun via In-ho. And Gi-hun didn’t just accept them and go forth. He paused and gave Player 001 the side-eye more than anyone else. It breaks my heart too that the murder that Jung-bae saw In-ho commit will never be known. Because if he would’ve told Gi-hun, our protagonist would have put the pieces together. But that was a false lead for us the viewer because In-ho was always steps ahead in front of us as well. In a way, the writers wanted us to lean forward in our seats, thoroughly invested as we pieced everything together and hoping Gi-hun did too. He didn’t.
At the end of the day, I truly think the only one that will take down Player 001 is either himself or his brother Jun-ho. We saw how In-ho paused and reached out to his brother in season 1. And we also know that sea Captain Park was sabotaging Jun-ho’s search for the island. He has to be working for In-ho, meaning the Front Man knows his brother survived and cares for him. But will he care enough to listen? We don’t know. What we do know is that this man is the chink in the Front Man’s armour and Gi-hun will probably use that to his advantage when he finds out. Well, if Jun-ho himself doesn’t take down his brother.
Squid Game season 2 is now available on Netflix.
