I loved season two.
Frankly, I'm baffled by some of the lower ratings. I think many of them have to do with the cliffhanger ending. I knew before watching that this would be sort of a part one, so I was not so disappointed.Season one was mind blowing because it was a novel idea at the time. Season two had big shoes to fill. I liked that we start to see from the point of view of the characters who are not part of the games and I'm interested to learn more of their motives and backstories in season three, especially the North Korean defector.
The rock/paper/scissors/Russian Roulette segment was so impactful. Even more so when Gi Hun and the recruiter square up. I really didn't expect that outcome.
A couple of caveats here. When the Front man joins the game (not a spoiler, since it happens in the beginning), the fact that he's number 001 doesn't throw up any red flags to Gi Hun seems a bit unbelievable. Also, with so many top stars, there wasn't a lot of mystery about who would not be eliminated early on.
I think season three is going to totally blow us away. I hope it comes out by summer. Can't wait!
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IF JUST ONE PERCENT OF THE POPULATION ENJOYED THIS SEASON..THEN IAM IN THAT ONE PERCENT!
I wanted to take a moment to share my positive experience with season two of Squid Game, especially since the review section seems to be filled with negativity. Honestly, I’m glad I didn’t let those comments sway my opinion because I genuinely enjoyed this season.Going into it, I had no expectations of closure, knowing there’s a third season on the way. The way the season ended didn’t bother me at all because I understood that the creator wrote both seasons together, intending for them to be one cohesive story. Season one had this intense, dark tone, and I didn’t expect season two to replicate that. Instead, it felt like the beginning of a resolution.
We pick up with Gi-hun, who is determined to find the creators of the game due to his survivor's guilt. The fact that he dedicates his winnings to this search shows his commitment to stopping the games, even if it means taking the long route. It’s almost like a revenge mission for him, and it makes sense that he would rejoin the games to convince others to vote out.
I found season two to be a refreshing change from the first season. While the first season had me holding onto my seat with stress, this one was genuinely enjoyable and binge-worthy. I loved the fun interactions between the characters and the variety of games, even if some were a bit serious. Up until episode six, I was having a blast!
The introduction of new characters was a highlight for me. Although we didn’t get to see everyone's backstories, it felt like a diverse mix of personalities—ranging from annoying to funny, and even the scaredy-cats. I enjoyed seeing new faces and appreciated how the show portrayed characters that weren’t perfect. In life-and-death situations, it’s natural for some to rise to the occasion while others might show fear or trauma. This realism made the characters relatable, and I applaud the writers for that.
The acting was, as expected, top-notch given the talented cast. I even found myself with new favorites! Overall, I see season two as a setup for season three, introducing new motivations for the male lead and laying the groundwork for the finale. It might be a bridge, but it certainly wasn’t useless—it added depth and excitement to the story!
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Better than I expected! Great new characters
I hated it when the season one ended with the open spot for continuity. At first I thought that would be just for the hype but I got surprised that I actually liked this new season. Of course that the mains focus is on the revenge of the main character but I liked the way they brought more things other than that - the recruitment, the story of the new characters and from the front guy. I loved the new characters and the way they got involved with each other easier than in the first season and It got me thinking why is that? I mean, in the first season, if I'm not wrong, the players only got together for the advantage of being in a group, protection.. but now I had the feeling of the people being more open to interact other than just surviving in group. Probably that's because of the possibility of not winning alone and actually ending the game before it was supposed too.I liked the story of the new characters and loved to see other actors that I'm a fan of being part of this big drama.
My only complaint is that the cop survived after all of that in season one and just DID NOTHING THIS HOLE SEASON!!! My man is not so dumb!!! Why they did so bad of him. I hope he will finally get to do something in the next season.
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Underwhelming, but has potential in the future
After watching the season a few times and reading reviews online, I can acknowledge that the second season of Squid Game could be underwhelming and disappointing to many, however that doesn't mean the show doesn't deliver. I believe the third season of squid game is worth the hype and it will all be worth it in the end.The Good:
1. Expands upon the world building/lore
We get to know a little bit about the Salesman (Gong Yoo) and give us some background on the Guards (Park Gyu Young) and how they play into the story. We also get to see how Sae Byeok's brother is doing after her death in season 1.
2. The Cast
As much as I love the old cast, and how iconic they are, the new cast should not be overlooked either. The new cast gives us new perspectives. For example, Cho Hyeon Ju (Park Sung Hoon) who is a man transitioning, but can't afford to pay their debt, which is a very interesting point of view. There's also Kim Jun Hui (Jo Yu RI) who is going through relationship problems, financial problems, and on top of all that she's also pregnant. Another very interesting point of view. Although the new set of characters might not have the same spark as the original cast, they are still worth appreciating and worth recognizing.
Thanos was funny. Wish he stayed around longer so that could participate in the night fight.
The Bad:
Underutilized Characters:
There were a lot of characters introduced in season 2; however some outshine the rest, and they are not properly developed and are basically filler characters (most of them die). However, the characters that survive have potential to develop as the story continues into season 3.
Plot Holes:
Guard 11 (Park Gyu Young), what is her plan? Does she have a secret agenda in mind? Why did she take the job to be a guard? Why was she offered a job? Is she just trying to make a quick buck? These questions weren't really answered in this season but will probably be explored in season 3.
What will be the fate of the father (Lee Jin Wook)? It can be assumed that the guard who shot him was Guard 11, and that she didn't kill him, rather she just wounded him by shooting him in the stomach. If the father did die, then what will become of the daughter?
Personally, I believe Gi-Hun should have warned a few players on the "X" side that an attack from the "O" side was imminent. I understand that some players on the "X" side had to die in order to draw out the guards, but he could have at least given them a heads up so that they could at least defend themselves.
It was pretty obvious that Gi-Hun was being monitored because he was a previous winner. I think he should have had a second tracking implant (perhaps an injected implant) just in case the first one was discovered and removed.
Last but not least, it was pretty obvious the Front Man was going to betray Gi Hun or screw him over somehow. I mean, come on he is basically the person running the games, ain't no way he was going to let Gi Hun get away with stopping the games.
Filler Sequences:
The scenes with Jun Ho (Wi Ha Joon) and his team trying to find Gi Hun (Lee Jung Jae) were kind of meh for me. I know they're trying to find Gi Hun, but like it just felt like filler. However, these sequences with Jun Ho and his team trying to find Gi Hun do lead to an interesting plot-twist which could lead to a greater plot in season 3, so there is some potential in that regard.
What's the deal with the organ selling? This was first introduced in season 1, but not properly explained. When it's introduced in season 2 again it's still not explained in detail. It's basically just a bunch of people taking advantage of the games to harvest the organs of decease players. Are these people just trying to make a quick buck by selling organs on the black market? Or is there a hidden agenda that hasn't been explained yet? Or is this just a common occurrence that happens in South Korea, because in season 1 there are some hints that insist that organ selling is common in South Korea? If that's true, then that's pretty dark. But hey, I still don't know how the organ selling ties into the plot of Squid Game.
Overall, the second season of squid game was a good watch, and was definitely worth the wait. It may be underwhelming to some, but it had me on the edge of my seat regardless if the beginning was mild or not. I can't wait what is in store next in season 3.
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Good, but was never gonna be great.
Overall, I really enjoyed this season! I didn't expect it to be at the same level as the first season. Anytime an unplanned second season is unannounced, it's never as good as the first, especially with Netflix exploiting popular shows for all the money they can get by splitting up a season into two. However, despite the new format, they made some great choices to keep viewers engaged.Story:
Honestly, I thought about giving the story a perfect 10, but the only thing that stopped me was the holes surrounding the investigation and the lack of character development. Towards the middle of the season, it felt like the writers had completely forgotten about the outside investigation. I would get really into what was happening on the inside and then suddenly it would cut to outside investigators for a few seconds as a reminder that they're at a dead-end. Hopefully, we'll see more from the new twist we got at the very end of Season 3. With character development, I wished we knew a bit more about the backgrounds of some characters beyond why they're in debt. Like last season, I felt like we knew the stories behind most of the characters and we got to see them grow and understand themselves. However, I could claim that they're are just too many characters for the writers to focus on. The screentime was so limited for some, but others who died had a majority. However, I feel like I can't say much because this season is essentially filler for the actual story. They're not gonna give us everything in this season. I hope Season 3 can wrap this up well.
Acting/Cast:
As I mentioned above, I think they're are now way too many characters; the writers don't know what to do with all of them. However, this cast is made up of some amazing actresses/actors who are known for being AMAZING. I was really surprised with some of the choices some actors took with their roles! I do want to shout out Park Gyu Young. With such little screen time, her range is so unbelievable. She is just so convincing. Si Wan as well. He is so incredible as well! I also can't wait to see what Yuri does with her character. I felt her character didn't have much to her besides the fact that she's been caring for her baby alone, but I'm hoping in Season 3 that we get to see more from YuRi. Overall, the acting was fantastic!
Music:
I'm not someone who really cares about the OST in any show, but I wasn't particularly impressed by the music in this drama. In both seasons, I do like the use of classical music and jazz and what it symbolizes with the themes of the drama, but I didn't particularly enjoy the remixes. It felt a bit random.
Rewatch Value:
Would I rewatch this? The answer is yes and no. I've rewatched Squid Games Season 1 a plethora of times and sometimes will go back to games I enjoyed watching. However, there were very few moments in this season I would go back and rewatch. I would rewatch this in a sense if I needed to rewatch it to prepare for Season 3, but I feel I can't give a straight answer until Season 3 comes out!
Overall, I really enjoyed this season! I didn't expect it to be at the same level as the first season. Anytime an unplanned second season is unannounced, it's never as good as the first, especially with Netflix exploiting popular shows for all the money they can get by splitting up a season into two. I think it's a good season, but it will never be as great as the first season. If you watch with the mindset that it's going to be as great as the first season, then I think you'll be disappointed. However, I do recommend everyone give this season an open mind.
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Season 1.5
Given the premise is already known, there isn't much the author could do aside from introducing and setting up new characters, as well as give a new character journey for the main character.In terms of setting, it's the same; and the plot more rushed; the author favoring direct exposition than spending the time for it to become clear as the story progressing. I guess the choice there was to avoid making it boringly long, or changing the genre of the show.
Thematically it's a much stronger more coherent critique compared to the first season. While people think it's a critique of capitalism, it's actually more a critique of liberal democracy, from a liberal who won't sacrifice it for something post liberal. It's more a lament for the Korean soul in certain respects but is also hopeful.
It's anti-conservative, anti-religious, anti the shift within Korean youth culture influenced by American Urban culture and the embracing of the Halyu wave within the West, fueled in part by Korean expression of "urban music" (Urban in the American context). A liberal dissatisfied with liberalism. Highly individualistic, but as with the first season, unable to bring things to a proper resolution.
Given there was going to be little shift in terms of setting. More has been poured into the plot, and characters. We are given more time with other Characters; I imagine since, their reasons would be more compelling than that of our main character. Many mysteries from the first season being resolved makes this feel more like an add on. Ideas from the 1st season being made clearer. The ideological conflict being given a bigger stage.
So, this season is more of a character study far more than the first one. Giving it a feel of clarifying ideas from the first, and its individualistic conception of human motivation, and coping strategies. It's a competent an anti-morality tale, which will struggle to meet the expectations of the fanbase that loved it for the gore; but has opened new doors, promising more about those who make the game work, not just those desperate enough to participate.
I give it a 7.5 or an 8 as a piece of entertainment. Those familiar with death games (more common in anime and manga) will not find anything really new. "Liar Game", "Tomodachi Game", "Btoom". It's more of the same. What fans of death games can appreciate is how the author weaves common struggles into his narrative, and how he updates it with his characters.
Most people will like this, except for horror fans. (Specifically, those who hunger after gore). A good watch for those who liked the first season. This is more for the Character-narrative fans, and "theorycels" who enjoy figuring out the author's critique.
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A second season that is too mediocre.
Since I'm a fan of survival series, I watched the first season.Although I didn't like it because it didn't bring anything innovative other than children's games, I didn't think the first season was so bad. But this second season... ugh, there's nothing I can rescue by being honest.
Firstly the protagonist had already played this game before he should have learned that no one can be trusted in this game. His own best friend betrayed him and yet he was stupid enough to fall into the 001 player trap again? There were strange things about him, he must have caught the signs. But it was too stupid and he fell again. At the beginning of the first season, it seemed to me that he was a character with too much innocence to think that people in a game like this have no limits when it comes to greed and morality, but when he saw the first game past, he must have been more intelligent and cautious. He changed my mind about his character and I think he's just a stupid person who shouldn't have come back in if he wasn't prepared for this.
There is also no surprise factor as happened with the old man in the first season. We already knew that player 001, who is part of who runs the game, was not a surprise factor. We knew he would come in to play, even so he was not as clever as the old man, I don't even understand how anyone suspected him since he had attitudes that anyone would realize he was an untrustworthy person.
The games were almost the same so he didn't bring anything new in this installment either.
Speaking of players in general, I thought that by having more heartbreaking stories they could bring something new. However, they were too weak compared to the players of the first season.
The soundtrack that wanted to introduce forced humor seemed irritating to me. It seemed like he was watching a poorly done Slam Dunk game.
TOP's character was completely unnecessary, it wasn't funny or scary enough. I know they wanted to parody his personal controversies but it didn't work for me at all, I never laughed at his stupid jokes.
The old woman who had survived the Second World War had potential because of her past. But in the end she was a very cowardly woman. She clearly had good intentions, but a character of her caliber must have been more fearless and cunning.
The North Korean girl was completely missing, I didn't really understand her intentions or what she intended either. I think they wanted to add a North Korean character like the first season, but her character is too weak compared to the North Korean girl from the first season. She lacked a lot of the cunning of the girl from the first season.
I can continue talking about the characters but they were all so weak and forgettable that I will honestly save myself from talking about them because they didn't bring anything new.
The policeman? Meh, it completely disappeared compared to the first season.
Honestly, there is nothing redeemable, not the soundtrack, not the suspense, not a surprise factor and not the performances, which surprised me a lot. Because while the first season didn't catch me enough, the quality of acting was top-notch.
Everything here is wrong. When you do a second part you must keep in mind that it must be better than the first, not worse.
But I think the producers didn't even put in the effort. They spent more money promoting the second season than making a decent second season at least.
Honestly, since the protagonist is so stupid-minded, I don't think he's going to see the third part. Since I think it's going to be even worse than it is, and that's saying a lot.
The message? There is no message. Point.
Honestly, it bored me so much and everything seemed so stupid to me that I didn't feel the need to want to see the third season and how all this will end.
I think the squid game only had to have a single season because there wasn't much else to indigest in the story but Netflix was greedy and that greed made them run everything wrong.
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A new vision of the game
"Squid Game 2" continues the story where it left off in season 1.Gi Hun is trying to end the game, looking for the Recruiter (Gong Yoo's character), to use him as a way to speak to the Leader and force him to stop everything once and for all. This plan doesn't work and Gi Hun has to go into the game again, there he tries to help the people and make them want to give up.
I understand Gi Hun's purpose, the game ruined his life, made him see all those people died, even his friend Sang Woo and all of that just for money, but we need to remember that Gi Hun the first time voted to end the game and then entered again, he was never forced to play. This is one of the main points of the game, it does everything to complicated things, but it always gives the chance to stop. This time, it had even a difference, a vote in the end of every game, but people's greed was too big.
The Recruiter's death was the best scene of the season for me. Gong Yoo only appeared in a few scenes, but it was amazing.
The drama, instead of focusing in the rounds of games, focused more on the relationships that was made between the characters, the three distinct groups. The main one has Gi Hun, Jeong Bae, In Ho, Jun Hee and Dae Ho. The second one has Yong Sik, his mother Geum Ja, Hyun Ju, Yeong Mi and later in the game, Gyeong Seok. The last group is the crazy ones, all following Thanos. Speaking of him, it amazes me that people didn't know T.O.P, he's the one of the most famous rappers in South Korea. His character here, Thanos, is really fucking crazy, hating him and laughing at him, was one of my favorite things to do. HAHAHA'
No Eul's character was a surprise, I never thought we would be able to see the side of the guards in the story.
It ends with an open ending, since the show was renewed for a third season, it makes sense to end it like this, because Gi Hun's plan didn't work and everyone will probably have to continued to play until the end. Basically all the main characters are still alive and we know that sacrifices will be made. The story was more light probably already thinking about the next season, to put all the action and death scenes later.
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STAYING TUNED FOR THE NEXT AND FINALE SEASON OF THE SERIES IN 2025
SEASON 2 AT THE LEVEL OF MY EXPECTATIONS !Watched the whole thing in a day and honestly I was afraid to be disappointed by everything after the long wait (due to the fame the series has gained, I thought the writers aiming for too big would mess things up) but this season satisfied my expectations and will have me waiting for the new one.
Now let’s get to the core of my review :
The casting, the decor, the OSTs, the scenography everything was epic (btw can someone tell me the name of the song used in Season 2 Episode 3 around 27 minutes from the end of the episode ?)
About the new characters, I really loved the writing and the plot twists as well as the new games. Now only problem would be the protagonist as he keeps getting dumber and acting carelessly. Because tell me why the dude isn’t thinking strategically once he gets the chance to get in the game? Why is he straight up revealing that he was in the game before ? Cuz bro that’s what changed everything and even made the master of the game (the one with the black mask, In-ho ?) infiltrate it and managing from the inside. That’s also what made the annoying old (the player with 10B debts) stand up during the first vote and influenced everyone into vote for to stay in the game as he thought gi-hun (player 456) would be helpful being a former winner of this.
Now I REALLY hope Jun-hee, the pregnant girl will NEVER get back with this pos that is MG coin because he doesn’t deserve her and still doesn’t seem trustworthy. A manipulator that scammed and ruined people’s lives including his and hers, got her pregnant and told her to abort without asking what she wanted to do, then left her doesn’t deserve to be the father of their child. Now, as I saw her starting to trust him again in the last episodes, I hope in Season 3 she won’t get back to him !
Also I gotta say objectively MANY rew roles were hella cliche and some plot twists predictable. The Master (funny how he took the number 001, the same as the other chef, the old man, the traitor) and his fishy acting, how he would switch up the upcoming games etc… Like bro be a bit more unpredictable and creative.
Thanos the rapper really gave me second embarrassment during the whole season, blatantly and uncomfortably hitting up on girls, acting like everyone was one of his minions and switching up to english randomly and only to say useless lines. T.O.P’s acting was fire though cuz I felt strong emotions everytime his character would appear on screen. It’s just the character the problem, the rapper and how he acts is just too cliche. (Jo Yuri and Im Siwan also did a great job in their acting !)
Then another cliche character, Min-sun, the typical coward till the end and I’m not even saying I wouldn’t have done the same. His character is just not as interesting as I thought he could’ve been.
Then honorable mentions of good characters go to : Jung-bae, Dae-Ho (I wanna know more of his background because he seems to have some ptsd but they’ll never make me hate you 😞), Hyeon-ju (the effort of depicting a transgender person and the prejudices over them was although being a bit lacking in execution already a good step forward especially for a mainstream series like Squid game), the old mom and her son, Jun-Hee, the girl with the vertical labret percing.
Player 246 and young-mi’s deaths had me in tears just like I cried so much for Ali, Sae Byeok and 001’s deaths in season 1 (before learning 001 was a traitor)
Now the gangsters esp the boss and his associate and best friend. RIP the boss and I hope his best friend will make it out alive and that they’ll understand that the captain of their boat is fishy (pun intended) tho he always had that bad aura tbh.
011 I love you. Thanks for messing up the organ trafficking business. Hope she’ll find her child and be able to help the little girl that has blood cancer !
On a side note I wanted to add something I really “appreciated” : The way the series was filmed and directed really made me feel like during season 1 as I was induced to feel like one of those VIPs that watch the games like an actual source of enjoyment. I surely worded it wrong but I meant seeing it I had that feeling that I was actually acting like one of those VIPs, yearning for this or that character, hating on this and that person etc…
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Very Entertaining and GREAT acting from full cast
As someone who has actually not watched Squid game s1... I really enjoyed season 2. It was fun!Sung Hoon aka Hyeon Ju was the AMAZING. Best acting and powerful character!!!
Thanos was overall my favorite. I hope T.O.P gets more acting projects. ❤️
You can slowly see Gi Hun lose his sanity in the season, leading him to ultimately leave his humanity in the final episode. He wanted to 'win' against the front man and beat the game more than just saving lives. In Ho's realization seeing it... felt like he won. He broke Gi Hun that instant.
I really loved In Ho... the best villain ever! He's so sweet, handsome and charming as 001... his bond with every player close to him was endearing, even if it was fake. His smile is melting my heart. His friendship with Gi Hun was the best. Only we was viewers know he is OBSESSED with Gi Hun at this point... his eyes study Gi Huns every movement. The whole psychological aspect was great.
Grandmother and son were great. I liked seeing grama's bond with the women. I also realised her flaw - she lies to herself about her sons faults... it is sad.
I actually want 222 to die in S3... let it not be cliché.
Min Su is gonna lose his goddamn mind and go beserk in S3... he will one of the most deadly. You can tell from the signs.
I want dad to survive. It would be nice if dad and guard have a love storyline in S3 or dad and Hyeon Ju love story... I see the potential very clearly... hopefully the writers see it too.
Si Wan aka 333 and Dae Ho 388 got no business looking so fine. Semi was also very very fine. I really loved them.
Bro... WHY WAS THAT GUARD SO HANDSOME?! and why did he have to die?! He's tooo freaking hot like whyyyyy 🥲
I liked this season overall and looking forward to next season! :)
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“The game will not end unless the world changes.”
I really liked how overtly this season was about class solidarity and collective action. I didn’t like how incomplete it felt. I wanted more Gong Yoo. I would’ve rather had s2 and s3 released together, maybe as weekly releasesMy predictions after finishing episode 4 were: - Boat captain is a traitor - Soldier 011 runs away with 222’s baby - 456 and 001 homoerotic fight to the death - 120 final girl The first one was obvious but I guess I’ll wait and see for the others
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Slow start, too fast of an ending
I don't think I agree with most of the people here, this wasn't bad at all, nor was it just a filler season for the conclusion in Season 3 (it was kinda tho). It was clear from the start, though, that the story was complete in the first season, although it was exciting to see a new development for this story. One could say the new games are even better than the first season ones, in my opinion they really were, but that weren't many of them (only two new rounds), so it was upsetting. New characters aren't as iconic as the first season ones, but you still get pretty attached to (some) of them... Acting was a bit cringey (won't give spoilers), though we did get some nice memes. Lastly, for me, what happened in the last episode compensated everything! Lots of plot twist, lots of action, lots of edge-of-your-seat thriller, but lots of things left completely unanswered. Yet-to-come Season 3 seems more like "Season 2 Part 2" than anything. They literally just forgot to film the rest of the series hahahaWonderful to have this as my last watch of 2024, so I'm really looking forward to Season 3!!! Hope it comes earlier than we expect
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