Squid Game: A tale of two seasons

The first season of Squid Game was electrifying; it kept you on the edge of your seat, wondering what would happen next. My family and I watched Squid Game together, and we couldn’t stop talking about it. Finding things to bond over with your family can be tough, which is why we were so excited for season 2. We gathered in the living room and practically watched the entire thing in two days. While watching, we could already feel that it didn’t have the same impact as the first season. However, we believed it would pick up as we watched, so we kept going.

(Season 1 and 2 spoilers ahead, continue at your own risk of ruining a great first season)

I’ll give some background info so fewer people get confused, hopefully. The show takes place in present-day South Korea, and the main character, Gi-hun Seong, is your average loser dad. He’s in debt and constantly gambles; his only saving grace is his genuine love for his daughter, Ga-Yeong Seong. Later, he meets a guy who challenges him to a Korean children's game for money. The stranger gives him a card saying that if he wants more money, he should call the number on it.

After calling the number, Gi-hun is taken to a mysterious island where you must play children's games, and if you lose you die. The winner and sole survivor will receive 45.6 billion Won (approximately $32 million US Dollars). After many twists, turns and heartbreaking deaths, Gi-hun emerged as the victor. At the end of the first season, he swore to end the Squid Game once and for all.

With that out of the way, I’m going to be doing a more in-depth comparison of the first season and season 2. One of the core aspects of the show in both seasons is the desperation of the people participating in the game. It takes people who are at their lowest point and gives them a way to turn it around completely. The cost of this chance is to betray every moral standard they were ever taught. This is a Faustian bargain in every sense of the word.

The first season had characters whom you could sympathize with. The characters were in difficult situations where you could understand why they made the choices they did - maybe you'd even do the same. One example would be Sae-byeok Kang, a North Korean refugee trying to feed her younger brother. The desperation in season 2 had a different flavour to it. The characters were more selfish on average and not very sympathetic at all. One character got into debt, and his elderly mother also joined the game to help pay it back. There are still sympathetic characters, but fewer of them.

Something I enjoyed about the new season was the introduction of new games. I don’t know much about Korean culture, so it’s always interesting to explore a different culture. The game that amazed me the most was Gonggi. Gonggi involves catching multiple combinations of 5 small stones. The sheer amount of dexterity and hand-eye coordination mesmerized me. The first season had more recognizable games, but in this one, I got to experience more variety.

The new season also had an interesting cast. There are two cast members in particular whom I actually remembered from other shows. Jin-uk Lee plays Gyeong-seok, a father to a terminally ill daughter, trying to get money for treatment. Sung-hoon Park plays Hyun-ju, a trans woman who needs money to cover the medical costs of her transition. Jin-uk’s performance really made me believe his role as a desperate father. Sung-hoon gave many great subtle physical cues to express his character's loneliness. They both gave excellent performances. I definitely think they’re great actors.

The character dynamics shown in season 2, if properly utilized, could lead to some engaging scenarios. A North Korean refugee, searching for her daughter, is invited to the game as a guard and enforcer. She recognizes Gyeong-seok because they both work at the same amusement park. She knows he has a sick daughter and secretly helps him in the game. I always like it when the characters can make an ally without even knowing it, just by being good people. It shows that even in a hellish environment, human decency can be more beneficial than immediate gain.

Even with the positive aspects, the show didn’t live up to my family’s and my expectations. The plot twists they had in season 2 were less than stellar. The characters that you weren’t supposed to know were bad guys were pretty obvious. They also reused one of the twists from the first season as suspense. (Major spoilers) The main antagonist of the show joins the games as a contestant and partners with Gi-hun’s group. The new main antagonist even used the same contestant number. The suspense was supposed to be the audience knowing and wondering when Gi-hun and co were gonna get backstabbed. But all I could do was mentally scream at Gi-hun, “How have you not figured this out yet!!!?”

One element that I find very dangerous to put into movies or TV shows with death is pregnant women. In season 2, they added a pregnant woman to the leading character group, which stressed me out. My logical brain tells me, “She’s pregnant, there’s no way they’ll kill her.” However, if they do end up killing her off, I will immediately turn off the show and never watch it again. It’s a double-edged sword that feels unnecessary to develop the plot. I just don’t like seeing pregnant women in mortal danger, especially in media where it’s an actual possibility. It’s a forced way to raise the stakes, which won’t necessarily make the show better.

I think the direction they are currently taking the show is natural, but the way they’re doing it feels rushed. It’s like the original idea was cut up and re-stitched together, just so that they could get it out the door. Perhaps Netflix is having some disagreements with the creator, I have no idea if that's the case, though. There are times when I ponder, “Maybe they should have left it at season 1 and ended on a high note.” I would be insanely frustrated for a while, but I would ultimately be left with the memory of an incredible show, with nothing to sour it.

Then again, another thought I have is, “At least it’s something I can tolerate watching.” To me, being watchable is enough to make me want more. I’m a person who, like many others, likes to consume content far too quickly and frequently. I can complain for days about a mediocre new season or sequel to a movie. At the end of the day, though, I’m still gonna put my feet up and watch it. As long as it’s not terrible, I’ll be there.

To end my ramblings, I believe Squid Game season 2 had some interesting elements, but it didn’t bring anything genuinely great to the story. There’s nothing wrong with using a formula; the best shows and movies usually follow one. But this just felt like a copy and paste with some new things added and a few changes. The kind of thing your high school teacher or College professor would flag you for. Still, with the release of season 3 coming this June, I'll give the show the benefit of the doubt and see where this season takes us.