Squid Game Season 2 Series Review: Netflix’s dystopian, bloody world of chaos and greed gets a worthy sequel

When Netflix in 2021 squid game Dropped for the first time, now with somewhat of a fanfare for its new season, everything was surprisingly new. Every new game, new rules, new character, and new revelation about dystopian games satirized capitalism with truly deadly stakes. After a three-year break, the show is back for a second season and has managed to meet its biggest challenge yet – ensuring that the proceedings remain as tense, shocking and frighteningly fresh as ever.

Show creator Hwang Dong-hyuk picks up where he last left us. Seong Gi-hun/Contestant 456 (Lee Jung-jae) decides to abandon his plans to move abroad for his daughter, and circles back to Seoul to track down those responsible for those deadly games. He is determined and has emerged as a billionaire winner. Three years later, he’s making good use of the money, setting up his own hideout in a shady motel and hitting up train stations with a battalion of goons to track down that elusive salesman (Gong Yoo, who this time makes an absolutely brilliant and thankfully lengthy appearance. Is in) is looking for, who recruits. People for sports. Not far away, former violent crime detective turned traffic policeman Joon-ho (Wi Ha-joon) also sets out to further investigate the deadly games witnessed on the island and seek answers for his brother. Disappear’.

It takes a few episodes to get to the actual game and this deliberate choice is beneficial. We spend a few episodes following Gi-hun and Joon-ho to find out the people behind the game, while also learning about some potential contestants. It’s not long before Gi-hun finds himself on the dangerous island among hundreds of competitors in green and white tracksuit uniforms. Chez Kyung-sun’s production design is, once again, excellent, and we’re back to the eerie pink and yellow staircase (inspired by MC Escher’s Relativity), the foreboding dormitory with the glowing piggy banks hanging from the high ceiling, and Of course, an extremely dangerous playground for red light green light games, complete with giant, scary motion-detecting dolls.

It’s not surprising that Gi-hun soon realizes that greed born of desperation is persistent. His valiant efforts to stop the contestants from progressing in the games went in vain. The contestants themselves are a clever set of characters, and tell a lot about the times. There’s disgraced rapper Thanos (an over-the-top but amusing Choi Seung-hyun), a crypto influencer (Im Si-wan), his pregnant ex-girlfriend (Jo Yoo-ri), a former marine (Kang Ha-neul). , a mother-son duo (Kang Ae-shim and Yang Dong-yoon), a transwoman who wants to complete her transition (Park Sung-hoon) and Gi-hun’s friend from the outside world (Lee Seo-hwan). They are all in debt for reasons ranging from the need for life-saving treatments to gambling debts, and desperation means taking extreme measures.

If you think seeing the same game a second time might be repetitive, think again. This time the game of red light green light is just as nerve-wracking, as a desperate Gi-hun tries to get more people to cross the finish line. As games go, the show continues to push the boundaries with creative variations on seemingly harmless children’s games. However, none of the remaining games match the brilliance of Season 1’s Tug of War or Glass Bridge Hopscotch. Physical, brute strength aside, this time the show focuses heavily on the mind games right from the start when Gi-hun confronts the front man (Lee Byung-hun) about how manipulative and exploitative it all is. There is an added layer of tension with all the contestants being divided into two factions, along with a surprise contestant, which adds to the constant feeling of unease; You know it won’t be long before the lights go out and bloody chaos begins in the dorm.

It’s the coming together of a nearly perfect ensemble cast, excellent production design, a sharp story, and a fantastic musical score that makes this a sequel so worthy. Lee Jung Jae and Lee Byung-hyun are excellent as the two main men, one trying to play the hero and the other a silent, manipulative observer. It’s quite exciting to see a long line of other K-drama stars, and Kang Ha-neul, Kim Ae-sim, Park Sung-hoon, and Netflix-favorite Park Gyu-young are particularly stand-outs.

While pink-clad soldiers march ridiculously to the tune of ‘Blue Danube’, and the lullaby plays loud and clear in the dormitory after a bloody and chaotic brawl between the participants, when Shin Hye Chul’s ‘To’ is heard If she does, you can’t do anything except laugh. ‘You’ (remember Reply 1988?) plays loudly over the speakers during a particularly challenging game where the participants behave as if they are on school sports day.

Over the past few months, a global promotional campaign has been carried out ahead of the show’s release and squid game Collaboration seems to be everywhere. Over the past few years, we’ve seen a video game based on it, as well as a reality show spin-off (ironic!).

While sequels rarely leave a mark or buckle under the pressure, squid game Most of the time they are successful in living up to the hype. There’s a lot that’s new and creator Hwang Dong-hyuk explores the psyche of not only the participants, but also the masked, pink soldiers. However, we are left with more questions than answers, possibly a conscious decision considering that a third season is imminent. While many shows and movies are embracing sequel-baiting, much to the chagrin of fans, squid gameDespite the difficult ending, the second season feels satisfying. While the participants themselves are divided over whether to proceed, I wanted to see what happens either way – either in the bright pink and yellow dystopia or in the equally scary real world.

Squid Game Season 2 is streaming on Netflix