‘Squid Game’ Season 2 Review: A Thrilling & Addictive Return That Leaves You Craving More

Just 3 years after Squid Game season 1 took over the streaming world, the Korean survival drama is back. The premise of the show is pretty simple. A strange, mysterious organization sets up a competition on a secret island off the coast of Korea. They seek out cash-strapped contestants from the mainland and beyond, who they invite to take part in their games. The winner takes home an enormous cash prize. But there’s a twist: whoever loses the games, dies.

The games that the 450+ contestants play are typical children’s playground games. There’s Red Light, Green Light, Tug-of-War, the titular Squid Game, and more. In season 1, our protagonist, Seong Gi-Hun (Lee Jung-jae) — also known as Player 456 — wins the games. He takes home the enormous ₩45.6 billion cash prize. But he feels guilty, and in the final moments, he refuses his chance to return home to his family. Shockingly, he turns around with a thirst for vengeance and a steadfast determination to end to the games once and for all. 

What is the plot of Squid Game season 2?

This brings us to season 2. The new season is set a few years later, where Gi-Hun (now without the strange pink hair) is back in the streets of Seoul. He’s determined to find the perpetrators of the games. He uses his prize money to hire a team of people to find The Recruiter (Gong Yoo) — the man who hangs out in the Seoul subway, challenging indebted people to a game of ddakji and then inviting them to the games. His search for The Recruiter ultimately brings about is participation in the new set of games. 

With 7 long episodes — it’s actually a shorter overall season than the debut outing. With that said, however, it takes its time, which helps with developing characters and building tension, while also building out its world. We spend more time outside the games themselves, seeing how the consequences of the games from season 1 have held significant emotional repercussions to those who were involved.

Of course, there’s Gi-Hun, who’s naturally a more melancholic figure. And also Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon), a police officer who previously broke into the games while seeking out his brother, only to discover its dark secrets.

When Hwang Jun-ho broke into the games in season 1, he realized that his brother was the Front Man. His brother leaves him left for dead, but season 2 quickly reveals that he’s alive, although he can’t recall his brother that his brother is the Front Man. Season 2 chronicles his ardent search for the island; and his desire, like Gi-Hun, to end the games. But of course, that’s much easier said than done. 

The first two episodes of the season are pretty slow, favouring exposition over all else. They’re not the most convincing instalments, but they have their moments. I particularly loved a game of Russian Roulette that Gi-Hun played with The Recruiter  in the season premiere. It’s not until episode 3 that the show really begins to feel like Squid Game again. When the games return, it’s like we never left!

The new cast is magnificent!

After a slow start, the season really picks up in episode 3, where the games begin. We’re introduced to our new group of contestants, which is really the strong point of the season. The new cast is a triumph. Each character is their own unique personality with an interesting backstory. There wasn’t a single character in the games I wasn’t interested in — whether emotionally, sympathetically, or with hostility.

For me, the highlight was Thanos (Player 230), played by K-pop idol and former BIGBANG member Choi Seung-hyun. His villainous character was a stellar entry to the show, bringing energy and an unhinged madness that always keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Credit: Netflix

There were a couple of duo’s too, Yim Siwan (Player 333) and Jo Yu-ri (Player 222), who play ex-lovers, were a thrilling addition. Player 333 is in the games having built up heavy debt thanks to flogging a Crypto scam (one that other players, including Thanos, the game fell victim to). And Player 222 is is ex-girlfriend, who also happens to be pregnant with his child. This sets up a really interesting dynamic that we didn’t have in season 1.

Moreover, the other duo that I think fans will really take to is mother and son Geum-ja (Kang Ae-shim) and Park Yong-Sik (Yang Dong-geun). Having a duo like this adds a real emotional weight to the games, one that the writers don’t hesitate to elaborate and play on. 

Squid Game S2 (L to R) Yang Dong-geun as Park Yong-sik, Kang Ae-sim as Jang Geum-ja in Squid Game S2 Cr. No Ju-han/Netflix © 2024

But perhaps the most exciting addition of all is the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) taking off his mask and taking part in the games as Player 001. From the start, he strikes up a meaningful connection with Gi-Hun. Gi-Hun sympathizes with the him, and they quickly become friends and key allies in the games, alongside Gi-Hun’s old friend Jung-Bae (Lee Sea-Hwan). These dynamics add a fascinating complexity to the season. 

The new games are a mixed bag.

As for the games themselves — in many ways, the key selling point of the entire series — I was left a little underwhelmed at times.

There was a persistent feeling that the show has become very self-indulgent. For instance, most of the first and second games felt like compilations. They didn’t hold the suspense that season 1 had — which, I guess, is a result of the initial shock value of the debut season already being used up. The first game is Red Light, Green Light. And the second forces the contestants to form groups and tackle several minigames, including ddakji and spinning top.

Squid Game Season 2

By far, the most entertaining game was Mingle, which required the contestants to team up for a limited time or die. It felt like the only fully intense game that forced contestants to make morally ambiguous decisions. Nobody was safe; it was a game that invited sacrifice. It was undoubtedly the highlight of all the games. 

Another key difference from season 1 is voting, which now feels like a game in and of itself. Season 1 touched on the importance of democracy, giving players the ability to end the games.

However, season 2 takes things to a whole new level. Now, after each game, the contestants are forced to either: vote to continue the games and raise the cash prize; or vote to leave and split the cash between everyone. This idea puts a price on everyone’s head. This new spin on things not only adds to the overall tension, but also creates a more dangerous atmosphere in the player’s communal room.

I loved the implementation of the voting system. It helps viewers better understand the perilous situations that the contestants experience outside the games, and their motivations to continue. 

Squid Game season 2 is only half the story.

It takes season 2 a few episodes to kick into gear, but once it does, it’s fantastic and leaves you desperate for more. The cast are the jewels in the crown of this season, and it still feels like there’s so much more to come from those left alive. For instance, the sub-plot featuring Hwang Jun-ho doesn’t really go anywhere. As we move into the show’s third and final season, I’d expect that to massively come into play. And of course, the games are still in fruition, despite the effects of Gi-Hun’s failed rebellion in the season finale. 

After waiting all these years for the return of Squid Game, I think fans will be satisfied enough with the show’s long-awaited return. It’s a little self-indulgent at times, and the writer’s could’ve taken a few more risks. But the show is extremely good at its niche, and that’s enough to keep me addicted and hyped for the final season. There’s plenty of humour too. For a show so brutal in nature, it’s not afraid to shy away from comedic beats.

Season 2 is a brilliant set-up for what’s poised to be an epic final showdown in 2025.