'Squid Game' review: Netflix's South Korean smash returns with a thrilling second season
This review contains spoilers about season one of “Squid Game”
It’s no understatement to say that season one of "Squid Game" took the world by storm in 2021. It was the type of can't-miss show that feels like it only comes along once in a generation. Everyone and their sister tuned in to watch childhood staples like "Red Light, Green Light" transformed into a feverish game of life and death, while also staying for the not-so-subtle commentary on capitalist greed and class inequality. It was a thrilling, bloody, and often engrossing season that all but guaranteed a second installment, especially given the blockbuster viewing metrics.
Though a bit rough around the edges, with numerous minor subplots and various characters (not to mention that the seven-episode season doesn’t resolve any major conflicts and instead sets the stage for the third and final season), the second go-around in the "Squid Game" universe is a satisfying affair. It expands on the series by giving its lead character, Player 456 (aka Seong Gi-hun, played by Emmy winner Lee Jung-jae), a justifiable reason to become entangled in these deadly games once again.
The second season picks up three years after Gi-hun won the grand prize of 45 billion won (roughly $30 million). Now, he’s using that financial resource to try to stop the games for good. The first episode is dedicated entirely to Gi-hun’s hired hands trying to track down the recruiter who lured him in the first time with a simple game of "ddakji."
Gi-hun also teams up with Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon), the detective from the first season who managed to infiltrate the island where the games are held. He uncovered that his long-lost brother, In-ho (Lee Byung-hun), was the games' infamous ring leader. Easier said than done, but without spoiling too much, Gi-hun once again finds himself enlisted in the games, this time with a new roster of 500 players, some of whom have compelling screen presences.
Among the new contestants is Young-sik (Yang Dong-geun), a man saddled with massive gambling debts, and his elderly mother, Geum-ja (Kang Ae-sim), who, unbeknownst to him, was recruited to help pay off what he owes. Other newcomers include a purple-haired rapper named Thanos (Choi Su-bong), who lost everything based on the advice of a crypto influencer named MG Coin (Yim Si-wan), who is also a competitor; a transgender player named Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon); and one of Gi-hun’s closest friends, Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan).
One of this season’s most intriguing twists—aside from the younger demographic, which allows series creator Hwang Dong-hyu to explore more timely topics such as a pregnant contestant and digital currency—is the focus on a pink soldier named Noeul (Park Guy-young). This storyline reveals a different side of the games, showing not only how they target players with low incomes and poor education but also why someone like Noeul would choose to work for these people.
This leads to some strong group dynamics and the inclusion of new games that Netflix has asked reviewers not to reveal (though one of them would likely be really fun, if not for the whole dying part). As the first season did so effectively, the second season explores the dangers of groupthink and the desperation (and irony) of trying to survive against a system that sees you as disposable. "Squid Game 2" does what it needs to: advancing the story in a plausible way while laying the groundwork for what promises to be a crazy finale in 2025.
While it may lack some of the first season’s sharp insights and memorable deaths (though there are some gnarly slayings), it remains a worthy addition to the "Squid Game" canon that will give fans exactly what they want.
Grade: B
SQUID GAME 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
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