After Squid Game Season 1 debuted on September 17, 2021 on Netflix, the internet blew up. People were making their own signature Dalgona candies to see if they could survive Squid Game. Famous Youtuber Mr. Beast even designed his own Squid Game in real life where the winner was awarded $456,000. Three years later, Squid Game Season 2 was released on December 26, 2024. The main character, Gi-Hun, made his return to the game to try to save the other players from their deaths. Unfortunately, he was met with new obstacles to overcome. The games were completely different from Season 1 and there were new enemies who would do anything for the grand cash prize. But the real question is, did Squid Game Season 2 surpass Season 1? The short answer is: No.
Spoilers Ahead
First, the ending of Squid Game Season 2 was a horrible disappointment. The director tried to leave the audience on a cliffhanger, but it just confused viewers even more. It seemed like Gi-Hun’s plan to save the other players had come to a complete end. His best friend Jeong-Bae died because he was betrayed by one of the ‘players’. This unfortunate ending left the audience annoyed because it wasn’t able to capture the whole plot of the thriller-series. Luckily, Squid Game Season 3 is due for release soon, so we have high hopes for a rebound to the standard set by Season 1.
Second, the characters in Season 2 were mismatched to the characters in Season 1. Of course, the audience got to see some iconic characters in Season 2 such as Thanos (played by famous K-Pop star T.O.P), and the all time favorite Hyun-Ju (played by Park Sung-Hoo). But, these characters lacked originality. In Season 1, I got to see each of the character’s loving and dark side. Would they sacrifice themselves for their friends or kill them for the chance of winning the grand cash prize? The best example of this was when Sae-Byeok (player 67), a greedy and introverted girl at the beginning of the game, shared an emotional moment with Gi-Hun about taking care of their families when she was about to pass away.
Finally, the games in Season 2 were a bit different from the games in Season 1. I enjoyed the games in Season 2 because they added a twist to the plot of the story. My favorite game was “Mingle” because this was the turning point that determined the trust between the characters and whether they were going to betray their friends or not. On the other hand, the games in Season 1 appealed to me more because of its simplicity and creativity. There were more scenarios that could’ve happened in each game because of its lenient rules.
Overall, I enjoyed watching Squid Game Season 2. I can not wait for Season 3 (the final season) because I am anxious to know if Gi-Hun will fulfill his tasks as the main character or die with the rest in the game.
