Squid Game: Season Two

"One more game!"

We're back for more! C'mon, there was no way that Netflix was going to just let this be a one season thing. But should they have?

This review contains mild spoilers.

Alright, let's get this out of the way first: No, this is not as good as Season One. And I honestly didn't expect it to be. It would be incredibly difficult to match the first season, especially without the shock factor that came with it.

I'm still slightly disappointed. Slightly.

My disappointment mostly stems from a production decision. When Hwang Dong-hyuk, the show's creator/writer/director, sat down to create a second season, he realized that it was getting too long and so split it in half. It shows. This definitely felt like only half a story, with multiple storylines just fading away without any conclusion, and the last episode was definitely more of a mid-season finale. I'm wondering if it will feel better when we have that third and final season next year.

As it stands, it felt like we spent a lot of time just spinning our wheels. It takes two episodes to actually get to the games themselves, and while both episodes had moments that literally made my mouth drop, we watch Squid Game for the games, for the social dynamic between the players. The episodes got a lot stronger once we returned to that... with one exception.

I didn't particularly enjoy the last episode. It was good, but it both dragged and felt the most repetitive of things that we had already seen before last season. You could have cut the shooting in half without losing anything. If anything, having that section end quicker might have made it more emotionally overwhelming. Still, it does set up the possibility of some interesting dynamics once we return for Season Three.

There is a new twist this time around in that the players vote after each round of games. If the majority of players agree to leave, then everyone will split the accumulated prize money. These voting sequences can sometimes run a little long. There really isn't much tension in what the outcome will be each time. Instead, the tension comes from how certain players will vote and how players will react the others' choices. Every player has their decision plastered on the front of their chest, so it's impossible to forget or for someone to lie.

Everyone has a different reason for continuing to play the games. Everyone has a different reason for continuing to opt into something that will likely kill them. It adds a new complexity to the black and white divide between the players and the people running the game. By voting to continue, players are actively and knowingly taking part in the system. They aren't just passive victims. It's a fun wrinkle.

Our new characters to actually play these games are something of a mixed bag of very high highs and very low lows. Like Thanos (played by rapper, T.O.P.). I usually don't enjoy pure agents of chaos in death games, but he wasn't even a good one! If you're going to have someone dye their hair purple and paint their nails the color of the Infinity Stones, then lean into it! Instead, he wound up as a whiny missed opportunity.

On the other hand, Hyun-ju (played by Park Sung-hoon) was amazing. I know that there was some controversy over casting a cisgender male to play a trans female character, but I thought that they handled her very respectfully. The conversation where we delved into her background and Geum-ja told her that she looked fine made me cry. I also really liked that she was a former special forces soldier as opposed to something more traditionally feminine. She was a badass.

Out of our returning characters, I was the most excited for the Salesman (played by Gong Yoo). He absolutely carried the first episode. Just absolutely mesmerizing. What a fascinating character with a fascinating view of the world. To quote a comment that Onigirli made, his inscrutable face and smile made me truly believe that he could do anything at all. I was so glad that he came back.

I was less glad that the policeman, Jun-ho (played by Wi Ha-joon), returned. Sadly, he still feels completely divorced from the main plot. There were several episodes where he just didn't appear at all, and I didn't miss him. When he did appear, I often rolled my eyes. The twist there felt so obvious to me that I couldn't help but wonder why no one else thought of it. Jun-ho really isn't very successful at this whole investigation thing.

Gi-hun returns as our protagonist, and Lee Jung-jae predictably kills it. Gi-hun is a lot more bitter this time around, but there is still that stubborn core of naive idealism that refuses to die. Even when everything goes wrong, even when hope fades, he still doesn't give up. I did find myself a little frustrated with him. There were several moments that I thought were hints that he had a long con going, but in the end I was disappointed.

I can't help but continue to root for him, though, and his expression at the end will be one that sticks with me for a long time.

In terms of overall production, these seven episodes are amazing. The sets, especially the pink M.C. Escher stairs that we see a lot of, are great to look at and are both innocent and unnerving. My favorite, though, might have to be the set of the Mingles game, especially when we had the overhead shot of the room. The fact that all of the doors had small openings so that you could see out was a nice, cruel edge as well.

Ultimately, I binged all seven episodes in one sitting, and it made me want to rewatch Season One again so that I could spend more time in this world. I'd consider that a successful season.

Random Thoughts

For reference, ₩45.6 billion is equal to roughly $31 million.

I kept looking at the dorm walls for hints to future games. I think we might get monkey bars next season.

There is a very brief mid-credits scene after the last episode.

Favorite Episode: "O X."

Least Favorite Episode: "Halloween Night."

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An Honest Fangirl loves video games, horror movies, and superheroes, and occasionally manages to put words together in a coherent and pleasing manner.

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