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A Review of “Squid Game Season 2 (2024)”

 

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In 2021, Squid Game became a cultural phenomenon. I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it was a great addition to the Battle Royale genre. The story does end on a mild cliffhanger that feels like it was tacked on because Netflix wanted to make it a franchise. Now here we are in 2024, with another season of Squid Game. Does it live up to the hype?

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Despite feeling like the creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk was forced to make more seasons of Squid Game, he does not half-ass it. He does push this season in new directions and adds new elements to make the story exciting. For example, they added a new rule to the games by making it so they can vote to leave with the current money after each game. This new rule is a fun addition as it creates an exciting rift between characters who want to go and those who don’t. Turning Gi-Hun from a scummy guy in Season 1 into an all-good hero sounds bad on paper. However, it adds a new layer to the games as Gi-Hun now has new challenges with his knowledge. He faces ordeals such as convincing others to stop, knowing what agendas the higher-ups intend for them and figuring out ways to escape with the others.

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Of course, there are new games in season 2 and they are still very entertaining to watch. I also appreciate that the games this time aren’t as focused on physical strength and more on skill. I also appreciate that there is some new world-building as well. We get to see more about what the recruiters are and how one ends up being a pink-masked guard. The set design and costumes are mostly the same as it was in season 1 but it is great that they were still able to replicate the same feel from season 1. Jung Jae-il returns as the music composer and he continues to deliver a great score.

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Unfortunately, my biggest gripe with season 2 is that the contestants just aren’t as likeable as those in season 1. We got to see how many contestants lives were like outside of the game and even the reasons why they were entering the games. This made us care about them and it was why it hurt when they died. This is not the case in season 2 because the only characters we spend with outside the games are Gi-Hun and the police officer, Hwang Jun-ho. We never get to spend much time with the other contestants and at times when they mention their reasons, it is usually in a small quick dialogue. The show also does a jarring thing where they introduce an interesting character that you want to know more of, only to kill them very anti-climatically. On that note, I genuinely believe that the wrong characters died in this season. These characters would have been more interesting if they were kept alive.

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In terms of story, I do have some gripes. There is a subplot with one of the pink guards which ends up going absolutely nowhere in season 2. Additionally, the police storyline continues to be dull and predictable like in season 1. Furthermore, there is a loss of meaningful messages and themes. Season 1 had interesting social commentary on inequality but season 2 tosses all of that in favour of good guy vs evil corporation. The story in season 2 also feels like half the complete story with an extremely jarring ending. It feels like they split the full story into part 1 with season 2 and then part 2 with season 3.

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Despite it all, I do still find season 2 entertaining to watch. While it isn’t as good as season 1, I do think it is an enjoyable enough sequel. Hopefully, season 3 will be a satisfying conclusion.

 


 

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