Squid Game 2: A Promising Start to an Incomplete Season (Review)

Netflix’s Squid Game Season 2 attempts to build on the breakout success with a promising start in the first few episodes. Unfortunately, while the first season was an engrossing self-contained narrative, Squid Game Season 2 falls down a familiar Netflix path.

Netflix’s La Casa de Papel (Money Heist), which excelled in its initial season with its tightly wrapped story, faltered in later seasons by stretching the plot due to its unexpected popularity. Similarly, Squid Game Season 2 seems incomplete, with unresolved storylines and a lack of significant progression, leaving it feeling like a prelude to another season rather than a cohesive arc. Not to mention it is unfortunately not as memorable, more predictable and features an annoying purple-haired soundcloud rapper who calls himself Thanos SPOILERS AHEAD!

All images courtesy of Netflix.

Seong and the New Cast

Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), in the first few episodes, is thirsty for revenge with a massive two-year plan to dismantle the Squid Game system. However, this ambition unfortunately fizzles out as soon as he re-enters the games. The narrative choice to strip Gi-hun of his agency might make sense—after all, his victory in Season 1 doesn’t afford him much leverage in the games—but it renders him passive and arguably dull up until the final episode.

The new contestants fail to ignite the same emotional resonance as the original cast. Their predictable fates make it hard to invest in their stories, and they lack the depth and intrigue that defined characters in Season 1. New characters such as the "crypto guy," the pregnant woman, the trans woman, and the mother-son duo receive little development, leaving their arcs underwhelming… Hopefully we will get more development moving forward.

Kang No-eul (Park Gyu-young) initially offers promise of something new as a Squid Game officer with a backstory, but her subplot is quickly forgotten about by the show. Her involvement in a half-baked organ-trafficking scheme is disappointing, undeveloped, and unexplained as of season 2. It’s disappointing to see such potential sidelined, though her character might gain more depth in the already-announced third season.

Jun-ho, The Salesman, and The Front Man

Police officer Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon), who was presumed dead in Season 1, makes a dramatic return and plays a significant role in the early episodes of the season. The storyline involving Jun-ho, Seong Gi-hun, and Seong's hired men tracking down the  Salesman and the Front Man sets the stage with a gripping and suspenseful opening. However, once Seong reenters the games, Jun-ho's character and storyline are disappointingly sidelined, leaving his arc feeling incomplete and largely forgotten as the season progresses.

The decision to bring back iconic characters like the Salesman/Card-flip guy (Gong Yoo) and the Front Man (Hwang In-ho) is a double-edged sword. Gong Yoo shines in his brief appearances at the beginning of the season, exuding menace and commanding the screen. He is absolutely phenomenal! On the other hand, the Front Man’s twist—posing as a player to manipulate Gi-hun—feels like a less effective retread of Season 1’s shocking Player 001 reveal. Player 001s reveal in the first season was so shocking as the audience also didn’t know but this time they do, which is unfortunately just not as interesting. Moreover, Gi-hun falling for the same ploy again diminishes his character’s intelligence… making him seem pretty dumb.

Rehash Avoidance?

To avoid rehashing the same games, the series introduces two changes: new challenges and the option to vote to end the games. While the new games are visually interesting, they lack narrative heft and fail to match the original’s tension. Ironically, the reality spin-off Squid Game: The Challenge executes this idea with more creativity.

The voting mechanism, however, is a welcome addition, injecting layers of moral complexity into the players’ decisions. It also fuels one of the season’s standout moments—another “lights out” sequence \ murder spree. Here Gi-hun initiates his plan to trick the workers and end the games once and fall. To initiate this plan he must allow other players to die - ‘sacrifice a few for the good of the rest’. This starts a great question of his morality, offering a glimmer of the moral questions that made Season 1 compelling and could lay the groundwork for richer exploration in season 3.

Final Thoughts

While Squid Game Season 2 starts strong with intriguing setups, it loses momentum as the episodes progress. As it stands, this season feels like a bridge to a third chapter, leaving much to be desired. However, with the announcement that the follow-up third and final season is expected to be released in 2025, maybe this season will be worth it once it is actually complete.

Squid Game Seasons One and Two are now available on Netflix worldwide!