A Boxing Day full of games and blood for Netflix subscribers, who from this date were finally able to enjoy season 2 of Squid Game. The Korean series created by Hwang Dong-hyuk was a real phenomenon in 2021, and also featured a show with real people – always available on Netflix – who competed in games. Squid Game 2 picks up where we left off, or rather 3 years after the participation and victory of player 456. However, the vast part of the money accumulated by Seong Gi-Hun was not spent by him, because he wants to use it to put an end to the games once and for all. Here is our review of the season, this time made up of 7 episodes.
You never forget
As mentioned, the season will open with Seong Gi-Hun who, once he has made the decision not to get on the plane that would have taken him abroad, will return to Seoul. This is because, although the elderly Oh II-Nam has now passed away, the games are continuing. Over the next three years he dedicated himself to the search for the mysterious man who acts as a recruiter, or rather “delivers invitations” to potential players. That man would be the key to leading him to the Front Man, now in charge of everything.
However, Gi-Hun is not the only person with the intention of putting an end to everything, because Hwang Jun-Ho, the policeman who in season 1 had infiltrated the ranks of the masked army to look for his brother, also escaped saved by an old fisherman to his death: he too conducted his research during these 3 years, focusing mainly on the island, which however he has never found until now.
Welcome back, player 456
Without giving you unpublished previews of the events to avoid spoilers, just know that after a series of events set in the city, Seong Gi-Hun will decide to participate in the game again, to try to put an end to it from within, while in the meantime Jun-Ho will be out to handle the rest. We therefore welcome back player 456, who once again, and with new companions in misadventures, will find himself risking his life in these deadly games, during which there will never be a shortage of suspense and adrenaline. This time, however, among the hundreds of players on call, there will also be a dear friend of his, but also someone else who we won’t spoil.
This season, however, in the meantime will continue to show us some of the background of the game, as happened in the first (for example organ trafficking): in this case we will do it through the eyes of a new character, a North Korean girl who is part of the row of soldiers in pink. What will be its main purpose?
The surprise is missing, but not the quality
Squid Game 2 certainly cannot be defined as a boring or unsuccessful season: the changes of location, the new situations, and the different dynamics thanks to the new characters introduced, have made these 7 episodes always full of interest, and some moments can hardly be defined as “dead”. It must also be said that, since many things are already known to the viewer, it is difficult to find a real plot twist, so much so that there won’t be many surprises. The real plot twist – even if a little predictable – comes only in the season finale, at the end of the seventh episode: a cliffhanger that will kick off the third season, scheduled for 2025.
The risk of passive viewing is therefore around the corner, given that the “wow” effect is actually missing, however, as already mentioned, the interest will always be high, thanks also to the various secondary events that we will see being created between the characters of side. Among them we find people from different classes, and with different reasons why they participate in the game. Indeed, some might find it slightly forced, but we don’t deny that the connections have been done very well. This allowed the social criticism of Squid Game to be highlighted in several parts (and again), but also the moral.
Speaking of the cast and the performances, we can say that we are once again at very high levels. Again avoiding spoilers, because even by describing the characters we would highlight certain characteristics that we would like you to discover while watching, all the performers were able to give life and color to their roles, especially those who managed to take on extremely delicate roles, such as a transgender woman , a pregnant girl, or people with serious social difficulties.
Obviously the best in class are the protagonists. Lee Jung-Jae in the role of player 456 who turns out to be not only incredibly expressive, but also extremely charismatic, where even his silences can say it all. Wi Ha-Joon, on the other hand, has limited playing time in this season, especially concentrated in the first episodes, and manages to do his job, but without infamy or special praise. The Iceman, Lee Byung-Hun, who manages to shine much more as Front Man than in the first season.
Honorable mention, finally, for the audio sector, with splendid and well-chosen music (including a couple that will sound very familiar to you, as Italians), and a dubbing that proves to be suitable for a large production. However, if you are looking for authenticity, we advise you to watch the series in the original language, which will make you learn the actors’ performances are more genuine.
