Lee Jung-Jae made an explosive entrance into Hollywood with his stratospheric performance as protagonist Seong Gi-hun in the first season of Netflix’s Squid Game. Thanks to the show’s overwhelming success, the South Korean actor recently found himself learning English for the role of a Jedi Master in Star Wars: The Acolyte, once again delivering a character that resonated deeply with viewers. Jung-jae is no stranger to embodying a kind-hearted but inexplicably anguished persona. Yet, his phenomenal performance in Squid Game Season 2 exhibits an unprecedented talent rarely seen from those outside of the A-List stars, offering a refreshingly optimistic side of Seong Gi-hun that results in an exhilarating, if not mildly meddling, continuation of Netflix’s hit series.
Squid Game Season 1 concluded with Seong Gi-hun as the sole, blood-covered champion of the violently orchestrated games, burdened by the weight of survivor’s guilt and left grappling with the emptiness of his achievement despite the vast wealth accumulated. After losing his mother and confronting his once-thought-to-be ally, Oh Il-nam/Player 001 (O Yeong-su), who is shockingly revealed to be one of the original creators of the fatal tournament, on his deathbed, Gi-hun is tempted to abandon the sad remains of his life in South Korea. But tired of taking continuous orders from the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), the true mastermind behind the games, he finds himself walking away from his flight to America in an unwaveringly heroic fashion.
Seong Gi-hun has taken upon the righteous mission to permanently end the games by any means necessary. However, as seen in the opening of Squid Game Season 2, his quest hasn’t begun so successfully — a montage of failures showcasing his inability to find the individual who recruited him into this death-stricken nightmare. After a 3-year time jump, a plan is manifested to re-enter the games, hoping to break them down from the inside with the assistance of paid hands and the now former, but alive, police detective Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon). Armed with previous victorious experiences and a burning desire for revenge, Gi-hun must pursue his new fellow contestants to work together against the rules to ensure survival.
Yet, Seong Gi-hun’s insistence on the devilish nature of the child-like games is laughed off. Until the now-famous “Red Light, Green Light” challenge brutally slaughters the doubters. Series creator-writer-director Hwang Dong-hyuk once again crafts terrifyingly palatable tension that will leave audiences on the edge of their seats. The events of Squid Game Season 2 play out in intense pulse-pounding form, further cementing this Netflix original series into the television hall of fame while evolving cunning ideas beyond the potential felt in the first season. Although not faultless, the show’s shortcomings are not a result of the creative team but rather a reduction in episode count by Netflix in an attempt to increase the longevity of this dystopian world.
Initially, the new contestants next to Seong Gi-hun feel similar to those of last season: a societal outcast, a young woman competing for someone other than herself, a vulnerable older participant, and a long-forgotten friend. Yet these characters soon blossom into their own vastly unique personalities, sadly because of their torrid circumstances. Each player contributes meaningfully to the narrative and encourages viewers to invest in hope despite the violently selfish mentality and financial obsession prevalent throughout the games. The addition of a transgender character, Hyun-Ju (Park Sung-hoon), is certain to spark some unnecessary online discourse. However, such integration into an intensely volatile storyline adds a heart-warming level of emotional depth to Squid Game that may be otherwise hard to obtain.
Squid Game Season 2 elevates the show’s notorious “no one is safe” approach to higher nerve-wracking levels. Surviving contestants can now vote after each round on whether to leave the games and split the grand prize equally or for everyone to stay and compete for more money, encouraging democracy in an environment stinking with horrifying desperation. Colorfully creative cinematography breathes life into these moments, not to also mention the inventive editing that injects enigmatic tension into the competition. Plus, thanks to this season’s riveting new games, the stakes have risen. Many participants are given more agency to consider the morals of their actions, or perhaps their inaction, as well as the impact of their unforgivable greed on those around them.
Hwang Dong-hyuk’s writing in Squid Game Season 2 deserves great praise, as character indecisiveness is used as a fantastically executed narrative tool throughout. The conflicts of “right versus wrong” and “stop or continue” demand a heightened ability from those onscreen to perform these emotional debates, justifying their respective decisions. No character arc is underwhelming, each carrying an emotionally catastrophic weight that will leave audiences clamoring at their screens for a positive resolution they know is unlikely to occur. While this aspect was delivered seamlessly in the first season, Dong-hyuk has bested himself, delivering 7 new episodes that build upon the anxiety-fuelling suspense rooted into the show’s core.
Whereas Squid Game‘s first season boasted a thrilling 9 episodes, the series length for this second season was disappointingly reduced to 7 episodes. Hwang Dong-hyuk and Netflix decided to split and save the remaining material for Squid Game Season 3. This decision hinders a handful of sub-plots, most notably, the search for the island where the games occur, led by Seong Gi-hun’s new companions and an array of military-trained talent. Navigating the treacherous waters around Seoul provides an unpredictable challenge, leaving Gi-hun’s search party to struggle in a race against time to rescue as many weary contestants as possible, whether they want to be saved or not. Unfortunately, this sub-plot rarely gains any narrative momentum.
Breadcrumbs of mystery are scattered throughout Squid Game Season 2. But from the halfway mark, it becomes apparent that most of these plot threads won’t reach satisfying conclusions this season. Instead, they are used to drive continued interest in the show. At times, this can be frustrating, as these crumbs also take attention away from Seong Gi-hun’s overarching mission and the thrilling excitement of the games. In some scenes, this can appear as a fear of exploring outside the self-imposed creative box. Against all odds, though, the season finale teases this as a deliberate action to lead to an unforgettable conclusion. Nonetheless, the inconclusiveness of Squid Game Season 2 may not be widely accepted, given the 3-year wait for fans.
Squid Game Season 2 is a stellar continuation of an obviously unfinished story that teases even more to come. Being relentlessly deceptive, Netflix subscribers will be unable to predict the twists that unfold, with plentiful heart-in-your-mouth moments and imaginative new games to entertain. Admittedly, Netflix’s insistence on milking the Squid Game cash cow raises a minor cause for concern, as this season fails to conclude any storylines, with many only just beginning. Hence, people are left with a slightly unsatisfying finale that wraps up what feels more like a “Season 2 Part 1” rather than a story with a distinct beginning and end.
Squid Game Season 2 hits Netflix on December 26!
Original Title: Ojing-eo geim.
Created by Hwang Dong-hyuk.
Directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk.
Written by Hwang Dong-hyuk.
Executive Producers: Kim Ji-yeon & Hwang Dong-hyuk.
Main Cast: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-Joon, Lee Byung-hun, Im Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Sung-hoon, Yang Dong-geun, Park Gyu-young, Jo Yu-ri, Kang Ae-sim, Lee David, Lee Jin-uk, Choi Seung-hyun, Roh Jae-won, Won Ji-an, Lee Seo-hwan, Kim Byeong-cheol, Gong Yoo, Park Si-wan, Park Hye-jin, Kim Pub-lae, Chae Kook-hee, Kim Si-eun, Jeon Seok-ho, & Oh Dal-su.
Composer: Jung Jae-il.
Production Company: Siren Pictures Inc.
Episode Count: 7 (Season Two).
