Squid Game Season 2

season 1 shouldve been the end of this series

finished everything bc i skipped a lot... this was mid if not ass, nothing was outstanding nothing was that much interesting and while yes there are new characters and new games, it doesnt compare to season one. also, this is probably gonna get part two which is somehow annoying bc they shouldve released everything in one go. by ep 7, nothing is resolved, no winners and the games arent even finished. even if its a cliffhanger ending, its not even leaving me unsatisfied and anticipating bc nothing was worth anticipating for. if they take time releasing the continuation of this part people would just stop watching and forget about it imo. also, i think this show should've ended with season 1 but thats just meee

Read More

Disappointing, had a lot of questions.

I think this series was just built on what had made season 1 successful, but the show lost it's spark. Everything gets repetitive and I was hoping to see some change. Yes, there were new characters and character development but I could clearly see exactly which season 1 character they were shadowing, which made them lose their individuality.

I was most disappointed by how the show ended. There was no proper closing and felt like it was rushed. Nothing was shown about what happened to the search team, what happened to 456, what happened to the other players, or why there was organ harvesting again. I had so many questions. The last episode was just gun violence and nothing special. The show had so much potential but with each episode, the standard kept dropping. I feel like if they took more time and made a few more episodes, the ending would have been much better. Also the whole X and O thing felt weird and out of place for some reason.

Although there were many areas of improvement in terms of storyline, the casting was absolutely perfect. Every single actor portrayed their character and story so well. Although there wasn't must screen time, I really enjoyed watching Jo Yuri's performance. As someone who watches her perform on stage, this was very different and exciting.

The soundtrack was also very well done. Every single track fit the scene perfectly. The new sets and props were very impressive to see, especially the upscaled stair room and the mingle game room. I also really enjoyed the cinematography.

Overall, the entire show was just to attempt to reacted the hype that season 1 had, but I think this entire show and concept is dead and Netflix can never make the series as popular as season 1 was back when it came out.

Read More

Lightning Never Strikes The Same Place Twice

It's hard to put into words all there is to say about season two of Squid Game. If I had to put it as briefly as possible, it's that season two of Squid Game is just fine. It's not too outrageously bad, but it clearly lacks the magnetism that made season one such a global phenomenon. That is to say - most of what makes season two good is already what made season one good; it doesn't add almost anything. Essentially, you can tell that there was never a plan for a second season of the show to be made, and that it was tacked on afterwards following it's smash success.

There is still a lot to be liked about the second season, although a large part of it (the games themselves, the violence etc..) was already done in season one. If I had to pick unique additions in this season that I think made it more interesting without delving into spoilers it would be 1) the inclusion of a pink solider in the main cast and 2) actually getting to see the the front man as a character. It is always intriguing to get more of a look into the other side of the games and to see who we typically see as minor antagonists as actual characters.

The new set of characters are also quite interesting, although I find that is more for the actors and less the characters themselves. We get to see new people, with new purposes, but a lot of them do not have the draw that the characters in season one did. Maybe it is because there are far more characters that are focused on, but they aren't as interesting for the most part. Likewise, a lot of the extras were way too over the top which broke reality a lot (but we will get to that more later). The acting from the main characters is fantastic, which you would expect of such a star cast. Lee Byung Hun, Park Sung Hoon, Im Si Wan, and Gong Yoo were particular stand outs I felt did an amazing job, especially in playing their characters with nuance and dimension.

That being said, season two has a lot of faults, which I think is largely because it was such a commercial production. Yes, this comes with some benefits like a large budget to hire renowned actors, and fun the technical side of things, but it has no soul. It feels like it was made to make money and to appeal to a large amount of people. There is a *major* tonal shift in this season, to the point that I actually double checked that there was not comedy tag written, which is kinda insane considering this show is about a death game. But a lot of it is played for dramatic and comedic effect. The extras act over the top, TOPs character is 2D and flat (especially in comparison to the 'bad guy player' last season), and the music choices are terrible.

It completely changes the emotion of the show. Things don't feel life or death, the stakes don't feel high. It's hard to care about the characters when the show is portraying things as outright goofy. You could really feel the tension and fear of all the characters in season one, you don't get that here.

Speaking of, I had a major issue with the sound design. Like a large part of the technical elements it is disingenuous . There is the use of what really feels like copyright free music, including canned dramatic stings and boom sound effects you could find on garage band, and a misuse of the music. It feels out of place, and there were many instances where music was used when it shouldn't have been, which really took away form the scenes. Same with some of the sound effects that sounded really out of place (like the applause which was clearly overlaid). It really shows the different between season one and two. In season one the sound design was genius, it made the experience so much more impactful. Here it is generic, like any other Netflix show.

The same can be said of the visuals, which were such a highlight of the first season. The cinematography really lacks this season, and there was only one original scene in this show I felt mimicked the iconic imagery of the first. But again, it's just bland and uninspired. There is also a bit of that in the writing, you don't get the psychological aspect, like slow wear down of morals like you do in season one. (And I won't even go into how this one hardly speaks to what the first one did allegorically or symbolically).

At the end of the day, we never needed a second season, and you can tell the only people who wanted one were executives and not anyone with a creative drive, especially not the writer/director. The things that made season two good are things we already enjoyed in season one, and there is a lot in season two that is downgraded from season one. It feels like a flanderization of itself, where the people who made the show didn't understand what made the first season so good. They thought the audience was there for the action and violence and nothing else, which is of course not true at all.

Overall the season is, as I said, just fine. It's nice to watch just once to get a little more of a look at the other side of the games, but it's not spectacular. It lacks the draw of season one, and practically everything else that made season one good. You are far better off re-watching season one than watching season two, as it's a much better experience. I can't necessarily say I'm disappointed, but you can really tell the commercialization got to the show.

Read More

maybe it's time to wrap it up?!

let me start off with a short rant about this season's writing. this will be an unpopular opinion but most of the new characters left me cold (since they were the replicas of season 1 characters), and so did their deaths. also, they decided to keep junho around but didn't know what to do with him, so every scene we got of him was him searching for the games' location (some of these scenes were insane fillers). the glimmering light of season 2's writing was the introduction of noeul, and complexity of guards. the introduction of new characters was boring to watch. i would have rather learned about their stories during the game. one thing i hoped for was learning more about HIH's background since he's also a previous winner (otherwise, it's hard to explain why he was organizing games in the first place). he even got a replacement, but we have no clue who that is. the cliff hanger of this season was so underwhelming. netflix harassed the hell out of SQ's screenwriter for THIS. overall, acting was great and song choices were fitting. however, i felt like this could've been a final season.

Read More

Pointless season...

Of course, this season was very anticipated after the huge success of the first season. In my opinion, the second season wasn't really necessary, but here we are. Apparently, the director admitted to shooting the second season just for the money, which is honestly noticeable. It also defeats the whole point of the show, which is that money is the cause of all suffering.

This season was very underwhelming and it felt very low effort. The first season didn't feel like a stereotypical kdrama and I think that's the reason why it became so successful outside of Korea, this one however had more of an actual kdrama feel to it. Some parts were even predictable unlike the first season and the cast of this season included a lot of famous and familiar faces, which is also why it felt more like a good ole kdrama.

The music also played a big role in my rating because it made everything seem less intimidating, and at some point, I even forgot they were brutally killing people.

The characters were also nice but because of the side plots we never really got to get attached to them so when people died it wasn't as heartbreaking as the first one (though I do admit I cried to one death).

In the end, you can really just tell how this season was shot just because of money and they ended it on a cliffhanger for season 3, again for money. They could've made this season 9 episodes like the last one and it would've been perfectly enough to wrap it up.

Overall very disappointing and I don't think I'll be watching season 3. And yes a big part of my thoughts on this show were shaped by the fact that the director is only doing this for money and you can really sense it too with the lack of creativity, enthusiasm, and spark.

Read More

Squid Game Season 2 hits on the red light.

Everyone knew that Squid Game was the talk of the town when it first aired, taking the world by storm. Hundreds of millions of people streamed it on Netflix, setting an all-time high record that no show has beaten to this day. So, when the second season was announced shortly after the first one ended, people were ecstatic, eager to have their questions answered when it finally aired.

Just to preface this "review," I personally did not like the first season. I understood why people found it fresh concept-wise, but for someone who has been consuming the "death game" genre for years, the idea was nothing original. It just boiled down to how the creators would put their own spin on it.

My main issue with the first season was its inconsistent writing. You could tell the writer had incredible ideas but struggled to integrate them smoothly into the plot. There were also unnecessary elements that dragged the show longer than necessary (one example being Il-Nam's ten-minute monologue at the end of the season).

That said, I did appreciate the character dynamics and the overall simplicity of the story. I genuinely believe that simplicity was the key factor in its success, especially considering Squid Game served as many people's first experience of the "death game" genre.

When the second season dropped during the holiday season, I decided to give it another chance. I thought perhaps I had been too harsh on the first season, as I only rated it two stars. Maybe the holiday spirit would help me enjoy the new season more.

Trust me, I really wanted to like it. I truly did. I focused on a few good things during the first two episodes, but as time passed, I realized that the one thing I genuinely liked about the first season—its memorable characters—was stripped off from this one.

Although the second season introduced a plethora of new characters, none of them were memorable. They lacked depth, making them utterly forgettable. To be honest, I couldn’t even remember a single name by the time it ended.

Plot-wise, it felt as though the creators sacrificed the show’s core focus to expand the narrative. This season felt rushed, with too many things happening at once, which negatively impacted both the quality of the storyline and the development of the characters.

As for the games, while most were new, they were colorful like those in the first season but lacked the shock factor that made the first season interesting.

Squid Game, like many other series bearing the "second season curse," unfortunately wasn’t safe from landing on the red light. I attribute much of this to the abrupt, and unfulfilling season finale. But who knows? Perhaps what this season lacked might become the strongest element of the next.

Read More

...Bit frustrating at few points but it's alright.

I'll make it short and to the point. Even if they decided to release s2, i guess it was worth it, the story is good for revenge, but all of this mess should have ended in this season. I enjoyed watching this but imo s1 was damn good as this season, also first 2 episodes were really good, i mean the perfect starting...but it got a lil boring by mid episodes. Few deaths by the last episodes were really frustrating and not good but on the other hand few deaths were satisfying 😂😭. And if you ask me to say if it's worth watching, it is if you have watched s1 obviously. I mean it's NOT MUCH frustrating..it's okay, not good not bad...the wait was worth it but they could have ended in a better way. Loved the acting and cast. Episode 7 was not boring it was really good for me but the ending is neither satisfying nor bad bcz they gonna release s3, i never thought it would end like this but anyways, overall, it's good. At some points it was boring but at the end and beginning it was really good. You can give it a try atleast.

Read More

A Fun Ride with Missed Opportunities

Was it bad?? No. Was it that good?? Not exactly. Was it underwhelming?? Kind of.

I wont lie, i enjoyed this season of Squid Game but it still felt underwhelming considering the immense hype surrounding it. This was certainly the best sequel Netflix Korea has produced recently especially after the disappointing Sweet Home 2, Gyeongseong Creature 2 and others. However there are quite a few reasons why it left me feeling unsatisfied.

While it didnt reach the heights of Season 1, it was engaging enough to keep me watching till the end.


Here is what i liked and disliked about it:

What I Liked:
1. Front Man’s Direct Involvement in the Game:
I appreciated Lee Byung hun’s larger role in this season. After his brief cameo in S1, it was great to see him step into a main role. Having him directly participate in the games added much needed tension and intrigue.

2. Hyun Joo & Player 149 – The Heart of the Show:
Park Sung hoon and Kang Ae shim absolutely stole the spotlight. Their characters were well written with depth and emotional weight making them easy to root for. They were undeniably the standouts of the season.

3. Gong Yoo’s Extended Cameo in Episode 1:
I loved Gong Yoo’s performance in the first episode. His charismatic yet paychpathic portrayal left a lasting impression. Honestly his psychopathic energy made me wish he would star in a serial killer thriller. I also hoped his character would stick around longer, at least for a few episodes in S3.

4. New Games:
While most of the new games werent as thrilling, the carousel game in Episode 6 stood out. I appreciate the effort to introduce fresh challenges but i felt they lacked the intensity and depth of S1’s games. A bit more focus and creativity could have elevated them further.

5. Favorite Episodes - E1 & E6:
Although some found Episode 1 slow, i personally enjoyed it because of Gong Yoo. His presence carried the episode. Episode 6, featuring the brutal carousel game was another highlight for me.

6. Solid Acting Across the Board:
Even though several characters were underutilized, the entire cast gave strong performances.



What I Disliked:

1. Wasted Potential of Big Actors:
This was one of my biggest frustrations. Talents like Im Si wan, Kang Ha neul and others were severely underused. This seems to be a recurring issue with Netflix’s survival thrillers, bringing in big names for secondary roles without giving them enough material to shine.

While it wasnt as bad as Sweet Home 2, it still felt disappointing. Some annoying side characters received more screen time, while stronger actors were left with little to do. Im holding out hope that S3 will give these characters the attention they deserve.

2. Slow Start:
Despite enjoying Episode 1, i cant ignore how much the story dragged into Episode 2. I felt the content of both episodes could have been condensed into one allowing the games to start sooner in Episode 3.

3. Flat New Characters (Except Hyun Joo & 149):
Most of the new cast members felt one dimensional. It was hard to connect with them, they were just there. Hyun Joo and Player 149 were the only exceptions.

4. Annoying Characters Getting More Screen Time:
Some characters who should have been explored further were sidelined, while others, like Thanos were unnecessarily prominent. Lee Jin wook’s character arc felt incomplete and since he died in S2, there is no room for his development in S3. This imbalance was frustrating.

5. Gi hun & Front Man Felt Bland:
Gi hun occasionally came across as cringey, while the Front Man’s storyline lacked the twists we saw in S1. The big reveal about the old man in the first season packed a punch but there was nothing surprising about the Front Man here.

6. Lack of Game Exploration:
While the carousel game stood out, the others felt rushed and underdeveloped. S1’s games were meticulously crafted and filled with tension but S2 lacked that same level of care, possibly because more main characters survived diminishing the stakes.

7. Missing Intensity & Seriousness:
The emotional weight and tension of S1 were noticeably absent. The sense of dread when characters faced death just wasnt there.


Overall Thoughts:

I did enjoy S2, it was engaging for the most part and i watched it from start to finish with interest. However compared to the S1, it felt underwhelming. Still it far exceeded Sweet Home 2 and other recent disappointments.

Im hoping S3 will bring back the intensity and depth that made the first season what it is today.

Read More

A whole season to set up for a finale

I wasn't really planning on watching s2 of Squid Game, mostly because I thought the open ending of s1 was satisfactory. I ended up giving it a try and while it had me watching all the episodes back to back to figure out what happened, I was left unsatisfied by the end of it. This review will contain spoilers from here out!

I thought that the concept of Gihun returning to the games to shut it down was great - the first two episodes had me excited to see the plan unfold, and I was hopeful that things would work out. Going into this season, I knew that they were already planning a third, so I didn't expect everything to be wrapped up. However, the first section of the games was frankly underwhelming, with none of the deaths even feeling that meaningful. We spent less time with the characters and didn't get much backstory on them, so it felt like I was less invested than I was with s1. Also, I felt like I was constantly waiting for this big plan of ending the games and it took so long for it to happen. Instead, we just watched Gihun live through another set of games and learn the same lesson that he did in s1: people's greed is not stopped by reason. As I reached the end of the series, I could tell it was going to end on a cliffhanger, and it didn't even end in a good spot! It really felt like this entire season was just to set up for the next. The games felt less intense, the deaths less tragic, and the plot to stop them was nearly nonexistent. Frankly, I wish I waited to watch this until s3 came out so I could just watch them both back to back.

Read More

Squid Game Season 2: Bigger, But Not Better

Squid Game Season 2 had a few issues that made it not as impactful as the first season. One of the main problems was how the show seemed to try too hard to shock the audience. For example, the new games were sometimes cool, but other times they felt forced. Some scenes, like the one where contestants are put through a maze like trap involving extreme physical challenges, felt more disturbing for the sake of it rather than serving the plot. Instead of adding tension, it almost felt like the show was trying to one up itself in a way that didn’t quite hit the mark. The games themselves didn’t have the same emotional stakes as in Season 1. In fact, a lot of the tension was lost because the games felt predictable, and there were fewer moments where I really didn’t know what was going to happen next.

The pacing was another big issue. The beginning of the season felt incredibly slow, and it took a long time before the action really kicked in. I was expecting the usual high stakes and excitement right from the start, but it dragged for quite a while. The first few episodes were so slow that it felt like I was just waiting for something to happen. The lack of urgency in the early episodes was frustrating because, in the first season, the sense of dread and suspense was there from the start. When things finally did pick up, it didn’t feel as intense or gripping as the first season’s moments. I found myself losing interest during some of the drawn out sequences, like when contestants are simply talking or forming alliances, instead of diving straight into the tension that the show is known for. These moments lacked the edge that made the first season such a thrill to watch.

Another big problem was the new characters. They just didn’t leave the same impression as the original cast. I didn’t feel as connected to them, and their backstories or development weren’t as strong. Some of their storylines felt underdeveloped, especially when compared to characters like Seong Gi-hun from the first season. For instance, the character who leads one of the new games felt a bit too exaggerated and one dimensional, which made it hard to take their motivations seriously. Because of this, when emotional moments happened, they didn’t hit as hard. The stakes didn’t feel as personal as in the first season, where each contestant’s backstory was fleshed out and connected to the greater themes of the show. Here, a lot of the characters felt like they were just there to play the games, with no real emotional arc to follow.

Despite these issues, I have to say the show still had its moments. There were scenes that brought back some of the intensity and excitement from the first season, but they were fewer and farther between. For example, the final game in the season, while visually impressive, lacked the emotional weight of the first season’s finale. The show tried to be bigger and bolder, but in doing so, it lost a lot of what made the first season so unique and gripping. It almost felt like the show was more concerned with shocking the audience with graphic scenes, like the sudden violence in a few moments, than delivering a well rounded and emotionally compelling narrative.

There was also a specific scene I didn’t enjoy where the contestants are put through a psychological test that feels out of place. It wasn’t just about the physical challenges; it was also about how they were mentally tortured, and while this might sound intense, it seemed more like a way to add shock value than to push the story forward. The whole ordeal dragged on, and I found it hard to care about the outcome since it didn’t feel as organic to the story or as emotionally raw as previous tests. This scene, along with a few others that relied too much on pure violence rather than tension building, really took away from the suspense.

Overall, Squid Game Season 2 didn’t live up to the hype. While it was still fun to watch and had some exciting moments, it didn’t have the same impact as the first season. The pacing, predictability, and lack of strong character development kept it from being as memorable, and in some ways, it felt like a letdown after the groundbreaking success of the first season. It was an okay continuation, but definitely not a must see for anyone hoping for another season that would blow them away. The magic from the first season was missing, and while it tried to be bigger and more shocking, it didn’t deliver the same gripping, emotional experience. waited 3 years for this and it turned out to be the biggest disappointment

Read More

good plot twists but lame strategy..?

As usual like all other season 2 shows, this season focuses more on the backstories and the crossfire moments between the two parties. They were things the show did well and things that were not so good…

Firstly, there were some really good plot twists. Number 11, number 001 and the initial battle strategy (won’t go into details). The one point that made this s2 different from other shows and their s2, there was some unexpected moments, so it was not all so predictable. I liked the part where they showed the life of the guards as well. They were also just people desperate for money.

If you watch carefully, they dropped so many "hints" or sneak peaks but never covered it in this season...to be honest, having multiple seasons doesnt always mean a good thing. Dragging for so long can get repetitive. Like i felt there were so many filler scenes which they just had to add.

However, the games…were really quite boring. They spent a lot of time on the pre-game and post game situations which showing once is enough but they showed it so many times it got draggy. This time it isn’t has gruesome as last time its very mild actually.

I honestly, did not expect him to reveal his identity that fast which I thought was very lame cause I expected him to have a better plan since he’s been doing this for 2 years…

There wasn’t any memorable character this time it was very lead focused. They spend so long introducing so many new characters but gave then really little screentime in the actual situation.

The plot twists kinda saved the show. The ending was....not good as well. To leave an opening for S3 they of course couldn't just end everything so...

Read More

Precursor to the final season

I will start off by saying the cast was great and it was fun to go back into the story. I enjoyed seeing how they expanded the world.

Overall this season felt like a precursor to the final one. In the end my friends and I found ourselves saying, "Oh, that's it. Alright well..." One of my friends voiced that they should have released this season and the 3rd season as one season in two parts and I agree. It feels to long of a time.

I will save my opinions on the ending since I don't want spoilers on this review.

I would recommend going into the show with no expectations. With that I feel as though you can enjoy the show more. Or better yet, waiting until the next season drops next year.

Read More