Squid Game Season 2 Review: A Brutal Remix of Netflix’s Biggest Show

In the three years since then squid game It’s become Netflix’s biggest asset, but it’s easy to forget why it was so popular in the first place. Combining iconic visuals, schoolyard games, and a nihilistic view of humanity, the story of unflinching class conflict has been largely buried under ill-conceived reality TV. influencer imitationscartoony mobile games, and all kinds of brand tie-ins. Just before the show returns for season 2, Netflix has outlined an amazing body of work. squid game collaborationWe cover everything from call of duty From Domino’s Pizza to Crocs and Johnnie Walker. If you really want it, just buy it. squid game・Brand beef jerky.

Luckily, Netflix seems to have forgotten what… squid game In fact, series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk says that’s not really the case. The second season doesn’t explore a lot of new ground thematically, but instead cleverly expands on its themes. squid game cosmic while offering a thriller that unfolds like an even more brutal remix of the original.

The new season begins several years after the events of the first season and features Song Ki-hoon, better known as Player 456 (followed by Lee Jeong-jae). squid game gain fame for starring in star wars and his directorial debut), winning the first game. So, although he won 45.6 billion won in prize money, he also had to prepare himself to be the only survivor among a group of 456 people.

Season 1 reveals that not only does Ki-hoon become rich, but also that the elderly Oh Il-nam, Player 001 (Oh Young-soo), is actually the creator of the game, and that he and a group of other super-wealthy people use it. It ended when I realized what I was doing. Murder and mayhem are committed purely as a way to relieve boredom. In the final moments of the season, Ki-hoon was forced to make a choice. Should I get on a plane and reunite with my estranged family, or should I stay and do something for the game? He doesn’t fly.

In the second season, Ki-hoon is in a completely different place. He had spent the last few years isolated and paranoid, plotting how to use his wealth to shut down the game for good. First, find the actual venue. By paying a criminal network to systematically search Seoul’s subways, he eventually locates the salesman (Gong Yoo). This salesman will be remembered as the man in a suit who challenged strangers to a game of tact. Slap is very good. It is hoped that by finding him, you will find the mysterious island where the game ends.

But Ki-hoon isn’t the only one looking for them. Detective Hwang Joon-ho (Wi Ha-joon), who went undercover in season 1 to find his brother who was at the game, is similarly obsessed, working with local fishermen to explore the island’s waters. Eventually, the two work together to carry out their plan, but Ki-hoon ends up being drawn back into the game as a contestant.

The first few episodes don’t really touch on the game itself much, instead offering deeper insights into the rest. squid gameThe mysterious world of That means learning more about the mysterious, unfazed salesman who seems to take unnatural pleasure in terrorizing the poor and needy. You’ll also get some insight into the security guards patrolling the matches. We learn that they are not that different from the contestants themselves. They are desperate people taking desperate actions in a failing financial system.

After a few episodes, the show gets back into the game and starts to look very familiar. There are armed guards in green jerseys, bright pink jumpsuits, and a giant piggy bank that fills up with cash as more people die. But rather than rehashing previous events, these episodes are more like a remix of season one. The game has been changed and has a completely new cast as Ki-hoon is the only returning player. And, like the original, it’s a great mix of engaging stories with characters pushed to the brink and left with few other options.

Among them are a young pregnant mother looking to start a new life, a trans woman who needs money for gender-affirming care, and a mother and son who signed up to pay off gambling debts. But, tragically, I didn’t know that the other person was also in the game. . There are also some great new villains, including a purple-haired rapper who’s having the time of his life in the midst of bloodshed, and a ruthless crypto influencer who’s lost himself, his audience, and all kinds of money. And once again, there is an undercover member of Squid Game Management who is trying to manipulate the game from within.

This time the match feels different because of Ki-hoon who does his best to save people during the match and convince them to leave after the match is over. After each game, all surviving players can vote on whether or not to continue, and the moment when you count hundreds of X’s and O’s becomes very tense. However, greed causes people to make the wrong choices over and over again, and I can’t help but feel disappointed along with Ki-hoon. However, for many players, death in the schoolyard is preferable to what awaits them outside. Ki-hoon does his job to convince the other contestants that their real enemy is not each other, but the system that sent them here over money. The situation eventually culminates in a bloody massacre. squid game A world more frightening than ever.

From there, the show moves toward a conclusion that promises to finally shake up the game itself, but never actually reaches that key moment. Instead, the third and final season is firmly set to arrive on Netflix in 2025. While the cliffhanger (and subsequent wait) may be disappointing, it’s a relief that Huang and his team haven’t lost their sight, unlike seemingly others. of what I made squid game It’s very special to begin with. Season 2 may not have as many surprises as the original, but it makes up for it with clever twists on the formula and storyline, as well as an even bloodier feel. Even better, it promises a conclusion that tells you where you’re going.

squid game Season 2 begins streaming on Netflix on December 26th.