Squid Game’s Lackluster Return

Nearly four years after its first season’s release, the Netflix hit show and cultural phenomenon Squid Game has returned for its second season. Season one was nothing short of legendary, inspiring a wave of memes and skits inspired by its now iconic imagery, including the guards’ triangular masks and the giant red light green light doll. Standing out in a television market oversaturated with reboots and remakes, Squid Game simultaneously offered an intriguing, suspenseful plot and a detailed commentary on capitalist society. From its innovative narrative to its compelling cast of characters, the show was an instant success, drawing the largest viewership numbers in Netflix’s history. This success garnered strong anticipation for Squid Game’s second installment, which only grew in the four years that it spent in production. Ultimately, however, season two is more likely to leave viewers unsatisfied than enthralled. Lacking the strong characterization and new exciting premise that propelled season one to stardom, season two of Squid Game feels like a missed opportunity to expand on the social commentary that season one introduced.

The show follows Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), a former gambler who has acquired enormous wealth after winning the Hunger Games-esque challenges last season. However, overwhelmed with guilt from watching his friends die in the games, Gi-hun decides to track down the Game’s creators and put an end to them once and for all. Gi-hun reenters the games with a new goal: vengeance. Having enlisted the help of former gangsters, Gi-hun’s team set out to discover the truth behind the games. Season two introduces a new cast of characters and explores their reactions to the terror that is the Squid Game. Throughout the season, viewers watch as Gi-hun attempts to not only survive the vicious games once more but take them down for good.

Where season one excelled, season two fails. While season one introduced a cast of compelling, fleshed-out characters, season two creates hollow characters that the audience struggles to connect with. Characters like Thanos (T.O.P), the stereotypical jokester rapper, and the typical feuding mother-son duo of Park Yong-sik (Yang Dong-guen) and Kang Ae-shim (Jang Geum-ja) are closer to cheap caricatures of popular character archetypes than the complex, unique, and beloved characters that audiences fell in love with in season one. It is difficult for audiences to connect with underdeveloped characters, making their deaths less impactful, thus taking away from the intense suspense found in season one.

The second season also loses the novelty factor that originally made Squid Game so captivating by repeating many of the first season’s events and plot points, including the classic red light green light game and voting system. Despite changes implemented this season, including new games and higher stakes, the games seem repetitive. 

Gi-hun’s storyline is also underdeveloped and underutilized. Throughout the season, he merely acts as just another player in the games, rather than a key force intending to take down the games from the inside. Gi-hun’s hired gangsters ultimately fail to discover any new information either, leaving that aspect of the narrative largely stagnant. Ultimately, very little is actually accomplished this season, and it feels like little more than a setup for the finale in season three.

Though this season’s storytelling leaves much to be desired, it’s obvious that Netflix spared no expense in production. The set, practical effects, and soundtrack are phenomenal and keep the audience immersed in the world. While the actual characters lack depth, the cast still gives a stunning performance and captures the true horror of the games. No one is a better example than the character of Thanos, who is brought to life by real-life rapper T.O.P. Despite certain annoying aspects of the character, Thanos adds a much needed comedic element to the show, becoming a highlight of the season.

With Squid Game season one having set a high bar, the second season struggles to live up to its predecessor’s impact. Its lack of character development and repetitive narrative leaves the viewer feeling disconnected from the story. The underwhelming plotlines and unresolved arcs only serve to further highlight the missed potential of the season, making it feel more like filler than a compelling continuation. Ultimately, Squid Game season two fails to recapture the magic of the original.