After three years, Squid game is back with more deadly games to play. The seven-episode second season premieres today on Netflix. By all accounts, it's as good as the show's first outing. This isn't a Season 1 rehash, though, and that's due to Seong Gi-hoon's (Lee Jae) return to the gauntlet that nearly killed him.
Why would Gi-hoon (aka Player 456) even come back after the violence he suffered earlier? Ultimately, he won the competition and left the island a billionaire. You would think she would put this away for good and move on with her life. When it comes to the long-term impact of trauma, that's easier said than done.
When the audience first met Gi-hoon, he was aloof and low-spirited with a gambling habit, struggling to pay off some huge debts. In short, he was clearly cut off from any meaningful responsibilities. In the second season, Gi-hoon is a changed man. A hardened shell of his former self, his sole purpose has shifted from paying off his debtors to bringing down the entire mysterious operation completely.
Instead of starting a lavish new life with his competition winnings, he spends copious amounts of money to find people associated with the games. He wants revenge and nothing will stop him from getting it.
Or, to paraphrase Michael Corleone from The Godfather: Part III: Just when we thought he was out, he jumped right in.
This is the part of the review I warn you about Squid Game Season 2 spoilers. If you haven't seen the new episodes, tread lightly or turn back now.
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Lee Jung Jae returns as Gi-Hoon (aka Player 456) in Season 2 of Netflix's The Squid Game.
It's not a spoiler that Gi-hoon returns to the games; that detail was highlighted in the trailer. On the surface, this new installment looks a lot like the first. People in need of money are forced to play childhood games for big bucks while putting their lives on the line. A likeable figure runs the show with an army of hooded, masked henchmen who do his bidding.
Although all the competitors are in this life-threatening situation together, bonds are formed and conflicts arise. Once again, we are presented with a Lord of the Flies style scenario that shows how easy it is for humanity to separate from within.
Gi-hoon's determination to complete this operation and save as many lives as possible pits him against a number of competitors. His tenacity and knowledge of the games also brings new friends along his path, introducing the audience to a collection of new faces, each with their own flaws and nuances.
As expected, Jung-jae delivers another outstanding performance. Every player in the expansive ensemble delivers on all fronts, from Lee Byung-hoon — whose villainous return as frontman brings some unexpected new layers to the villainous role — and Wi Ha-joon, returning as detective Hwang Yun-ho, to the gorgeous Gong Yoo's revenge on his sociopathic Recruiter role, everyone does a fantastic job of raising the emotional stakes. And that is a necessity.
Let's remember where we were three years ago when The Squid Game premiered on Netflix in 2021. through everyday. The Korean series was a hit out of the gate and quickly became the streamer's most-watched series ever.
Emmys were won, and careers were made. Series lead Lee Jung-jae took on Star Wars. Disney Plus series The Acolyte. The spotlights were really well received. But after a three-year wait, we have to wonder if the second season of Hwang Dong-hyuk's global hit is scratching the same itch.
It does. But also no. And that's a good thing.
Squid Game is not the first piece of entertainment that pits people against each other in a bloody fight for monetary gain. Titles like Running Man or Battle Royale come to mind. However, the deadly competition here is not a means of popcorn-munching revelry for a home crowd. No, that would be too easy. This deadly gauntlet of childish games may happen at the whims of a sociopathic man behind a black mask – but most of the trauma is the competitors themselves.
Season 2 gives everyone a proverbial get-out-of-jail-free card, allowing the contestants to vote on whether they should stay or leave. Much like in the first season, however, humanity's greed overrides common sense and once again leads the series into bloodshed. Adding an election theme to the mix creates a violent polarity that feels a little too close to home, given our reality today.
The squid game has changed more than enough with the times to keep it interesting. It is as scary as it is funny, honest and dramatic. Like Gi-hoon, audiences everywhere are already familiar with this bloody competition – Red Light, Green Light is still the scariest game, to be honest. So, to keep our attention, the story needs to enter a new phase.
The Front Man and his henchmen messed up in season 1. Now, it looks like the Squid Game is in the reveal phase and I can't wait to see what comes next.