‘Squid Game 2’: The Same Game, The Next Level of The Story

After the conclusion of the second season of “Squid Game” on Netflix, it’s become intriguing to read reviews from those who haven’t watched a single episode and barely saw the first season. That is, most “film critics” from Reddit and content managers of pirated sites.

Therefore, I’ve decided to provide a disclaimer for those who haven’t yet come to this undeniable masterpiece of television art.

Key Points About Squid Game Season 2:

• The second season is five steps above the first, which is why it garnered a record number of views.
• The protagonist, Gi-hun, is not “addicted to gambling” nor “clinging to dreams of wealth.”
• Gi-hun’s motivation isn’t even revenge for his mother’s and friend’s deaths. It’s empathy for social outcasts, which he himself was before becoming insanely rich and respected. His experience later extends even to people in general.
• The second season is what the series was created for. It delves into profound themes like courage, loyalty, sacrifice (literally in the style of Sun Tzu), the art of managing masses (like a textbook), the possibility of sacrificing the few for the many (and its fallacy), and the transformation of a person from an individual to a social animal and back.

In essence, you realize this is a very significant and deep story. What actually surprised me, and many viewers who were expecting more games, more blood, more adventures, five terminators, and a woke agenda, was how wrong everyone was. This time, Hwang Dong-hyuk decided to tell a story about how people can be driven to the state of animals and what can bring them back from there. I was also pleased by the absence of the Pareto Principle (the conditional division of society into 73% and 25%). The author repeatedly shows that no, society is clearly split exactly in half on one side or the other, which we see in the election results of the last five years, where the democratically inclined part of society is mathematically equal to the part of the lumpenproletariat desiring freebies at the expense of those who earn their wealth through hard work and intelligence.

Such people easily fall for online casino ads offering 500 free spins and ultimately lose nothing because it’s genuinely a good offer. But they want more, thinking luck is on their side, leading to an inevitable conclusion.

Specifics and Challenges of Translation:

In the Asian way of life, there are certain aspects little understood by the average Western lifestyle inhabitant. This includes unconditional respect for elders, equality for women (in the sense of no special privileges), and a strange distortion of the ant colony law, where society demands absolute conformity from its members on one hand but ignores those who deviate from the norm as long as they don’t create security issues and work like everyone else.

Moreover, one must consider the aesthetics of Asian theater, where lower-status characters scream, roll their eyes, and grimace, while the wise and respected speak confidently, calmly, and don’t fall into despair. Those who don’t watch doramas or Japanese films and series might think the actors are overacting, but that’s not the case.

Now About the Actors:

Throughout the season, I felt like I was seeing very familiar faces of movie stars. But no, these actors are very famous in Korea, but completely unknown to European audiences. I was convinced that the role of the shaman was a cameo for Ming-Na Wen, but it turned out to be a different actress. And Player 001, a combination of Ken Watanabe and Mads Mikkelsen, doesn’t come across as a separate individual. Although he is a highly respected Korean film star, Lee Byung-hun.

In this season, among the players, there are many young Korean actors from teenage doramas, even including K-pop star Choi Jin-hyuk in the role of Tanos, the rapper, almost playing himself. Kudos to the actors; they delivered a very good and complex performance.

Meanings and Easter Eggs:

The plot of “Squid Game” is based on real events from the 80s when mafia groups organized underground death games among the underclass. Players agreed to participate knowing the risks, so legally, the issue was never resolved.

But this story is a “wandering plot.” Viewers of the 90s saw this in Kinji Fukasaku and Takeshi Kitano’s “Battle Royale” series, an adaptation of Koushun Takami’s novel. Here, it wasn’t adults playing children’s games but children killing each other in a real war scenario. Adults tried to curb juvenile delinquency this way (and failed). Millennials know this story from the nonsensical and absurd “Hunger Games” film series based on Suzanne Collins’ novel, which lost both the original idea and the sense of everything happening. And lastly, the famous “Money Heist” also used this theme, with the robbers’ costumes being almost identical.

The screenwriter and director added several interesting elements to the story, like the cross with drugs (literally, religion as the opium of the people), leading to crimes and murders of those who think differently. There’s even a subtle hint at Stephen King’s “The Mist,” which in turn illustrates the theory that in a confined space, a cult will inevitably emerge among endangered people. We might see this in the third season as a certain marker has already been set.

What About the DEI Narrative?

You can applaud how the creative team handled DEI. Yes, there’s a representative of another sexual orientation in the group. In any group of over a hundred, they exist. They shouldn’t be focused on since they are an absolute minority, but their presence and specifics must be acknowledged. However, “Squid Game” handles this theme brilliantly. Watching a transgender girl instinctively remember her true reflexes in a critical moment of danger, behaving as her physical gender would, you want to applaud again and again.

It’s like in Spielberg’s portrayal of kids in his teenage films. All propaganda breaks down against nature, whatever it may be.

Verdict:

I deliberately chose not to write another section on the philosophical side. There’s plenty of dialogue in this season, and everyone will take away their own conclusion. Yes, what both sides say is correct. The question is, which side will the viewer take? And will the game with 500 free spins, where you still need to meet the wagering requirements, satisfy them, or will they agree to take another risk?

The detective part of the series in the second season is also top-notch. It’s no secret that Wi Ha-joon’s character survived and continues his investigation. I believe we’ll see a lot of interesting developments in this storyline in the third season.

So, don’t write off “Squid Game” yet. It’s a very high-quality and smart show that many will want to watch again once it reaches its conclusion. Korean television culture has finally gone global and become a worldwide hit. Perhaps now many will discover their cult series.

My personal rating for the second season of “Squid Game” – 5 out of 5, unlike the first season. But understand this is just an interim station for this snowstorm train, and a true evaluation can only be given with the full picture. I recommend watching it. The first season is crucial for the plot; you should watch it first.