‘Squid Game’ Season 2 Review: A Thrilling Journey That Matches The Intensity of Season 1

When Netflix’s Squid Game first came out, I couldn’t get enough. After finishing the last episode, I immediately turned on the first episode, and consumed. Truthfully, I’ve probably watched the first season about four times. The South Korean show is just that good. And many people agreed. During 2021, we all yearned for new content, and Squid Game was a stylish spin on a similar genre. At the time, creator Hwang Dong-hyuk had no intention of continuing the story, but we now have season two and there’s a third and final season on the horizon.

A Compliment to Season One

How does season two live up to season one? First of all, you shouldn’t go into season two trying to compare it to season one. However, it’s just as good. Yes, the shock value of the show isn’t exactly there. We know that these are dangerous games that the contestants play and we know that we probably shouldn’t get attached to anyone. This show isn’t afraid to kill off fan favorites. Even the first game is the same right light, green light from season one.

However, season two does feel different. The main character, Seong Gi-hun; is no longer the happy-go-lucky optimist that he was in season one. He’s determined and he’s back in the game – this time, he’s out to stop the game. At first, you may think that Gi-hun being the sole survivor of the game and returning might dull the suspense, but you’d be wrong. Besides the first game, every other game is different, and they add new heart-racing moments that will have you on the edge of your seat.

We also have a roster of new characters to get attached to, as much as we shouldn’t. With season two having two less episodes than season one, things move at a faster pace – once we get to the games. The first two episodes were a little slower and while they add a foundation for what the rest of the season will be, they probably could have combined the events into the first episode. However, we see what Gi-hun has done with his price from season one and how the revelation that his brother is the Frontman affected Jun-ho. The two are focused on bringing the games down and when they come together, it’s a pretty cool moment.

Crazy Twists!

Squid Game season two is just as stylish as season one and while the true plot of season two is Gi-hun’s mission to stop the games, the games are still entertaining to watch, and the show gives enough of a spotlight on the new characters. There’s some crazy twists in this season and we don’t want to spoil one of the biggest ones of them all, so you just have to watch it to see why our jaws were on the floor!

Let’s Talk About Thanos

Before wrapping up, there is one thing we’d like to touch upon. Season two introduced a character named Thanos – an eccentric rapper who is in it to win it. The actor, Choi Seung-hyun aka T.O.P.; has received backlash for his character. Not only did people dislike his character, but accused the South Korean rapper of bad acting. To the point that some people want T.O.P. to apologize to the audience. Personally, we feel that the actor played the character in the way that he was meant to. Having a character who was a bit off the wall and almost happy to be in the games was a quirky twist on the horror that other characters feel during the games. If there is a character who is annoying, it’s Seon-nyeo, but even then, the actress (Chae Kook-hee) played the character how it was meant to be played.

Squid Game season two definitely lives up to its predecessor and we cannot wait for season three, which is slated to come out this year!