Squid Game Season 2 series review: Netflix’s dystopian, bloody world of mayhem and greed gets a worthy sequel

In 2021, when Netflix Play octopus first dropped, with a fraction of the fanfare its new season now has, everything was shockingly new. Every new game, new rule, new character, and new revelation about the dystopian games that satirized capitalism with truly deadly stakes had us on edge. After a three-year hiatus, the show is back for a second season and manages to tackle its biggest challenge yet – ensuring the cases are just as tense, shocking and horrifyingly new.

Show creator Hwang Dong-hyuk picks up where he last left us. Seong Gi-hun/Participant 456 (Lee Jung-jae) decides to abandon his plans to fly abroad for his daughter and circles right back to Seoul, determined to track down those responsible for the deadly games , he became a billionaire winner of. Three years later, he’s putting money to good use, having set up base in a shady motel and scouring train stations with a battalion of thugs for the elusive salesman (Gong Yoo in an all-crushing and thankfully longer appearance this time) recruiting people for the games . Not too far away, ex-violent crime detective turned traffic cop Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun) is also on his own mission to investigate the deadly games he witnessed on the island and seek answers to his brother’s ‘disappearance’ .

It takes a few episodes to get to the actual games, and this deliberate writing choice pays off. We spend a few episodes following Gi-hun and Jun-ho trying to track down the men behind the games, all the while learning about some potential contestants. It doesn’t take long before Gi-hun finds herself on the dreaded island, in the middle of hundreds of participants in green and white tracksuits. Chase Kyung-sun’s production design is once again outstanding, and we’re back to the eerie pink and yellow stairs (inspired by MC Escher’s Relativity), the haunted dormitory with a glowing piggy bank hanging from the high ceiling, and of course, the much-dreaded playground for the game with red green light, complete with the giant creepy motion sensing doll.

Not surprisingly, as Gi-Hun soon realizes, greed born out of desperation is consistent. His valiant efforts to dissuade the contestants from advancing to the Games are in vain. The contestants themselves are a smartly assembled bunch of characters, and very telling for the time. There’s disgraced rapper Thanos (an over-the-top yet entertaining Choi Seung-hyun), a crypto-influencer (Im Si-wan), his pregnant ex-girlfriend (Jo Yu-ri), an ex-Marine (Kang Ha-neul), mother-son duo (Kang Ae-shim and Yang Dong-eun), a trans woman who wants to complete her transition (Park Sung-hoon) and Gi-hun’s friend from the outside world (Lee Seo-hwan). All are saddled with debt for reasons ranging from the need for life-saving treatments to gambling debts, and the desperation has meant extreme measures were taken.

If you thought watching the same game a second time could be repetitive, think again. The game of red green light this time is just as nerve wracking as a desperate Gi-hun tries to get more people to cross the finish line. As the games progress, the show continues to push boundaries with creative twists on seemingly harmless children’s games. However, none of the remaining games match the brilliance of the tug-of-war or the glass bridge from Season 1. Apart from physical, raw strength, the show this time dwells quite a bit on mind games, right from the start, when Gi -hun confronts the front man (Lee Byung-hun) about , how manipulative and exploitative all of this is. There’s an extra layer of tension here with a surprise entrant, as well as with all the contestants separated into two factions, adding to the constant sense of unease; you know it won’t be long before the dorm descends into bloody mayhem once the lights are out.

It’s the coming together of a near-perfect ensemble cast, superb production design, sharp storytelling and a brilliant musical score that makes this sequel stunning. Lee Jung Jae and Lee Byung-hyun are excellent as the two leads, one trying to play the hero and the other a silent, manipulative observer. Just seeing a slew of other K-Drama stars make an appearance feels exciting enough, and Kang Ha-neul, Kim Ae-sim, Park Sung-hoon and Netflix favorite Park Gyu-young are special stand- outs.

As the pink-clad soldiers march with comic precision to strains of ‘Blue Danube’ and lullabies play loud and clear in the dormitory after a bloody and chaotic altercation between the contestants, you can’t help but laugh when Shin Hae Chul’s ‘To You’ (remember Answers 1988?) plays loudly over the speakers during a particularly challenging game where contestants act like they are at a school sports day.

Over the past few months, there has been a global promotional blitz leading up to the show’s release and a Play octopus collaboration is seemingly everywhere. Over the past few years, we’ve seen a video game based on it, as well as a reality show spin-off (the irony!).

While sequels rarely falter or buckle under the weight of the pressure, Play octopus mostly manages to live up to the hype. There’s a lot that’s new, and creator Hwang Dong-hyuk explores not only the psyche of the contestants, but also the masked, pink soldiers. However, we are left with more questions than answers, a conscious decision likely given that a third season is imminent. While many shows and movies embrace sequel-baiting, earning the wrath of fans, Play octopusThe second season feels satisfying, despite the cliffhanger ending. While the contestants themselves continue to disagree on whether or not to continue, I’d like to see what happens either way – either in bright pink and yellow dystopia or the equally terrifying real world.

Squid Game Season 2 is streaming on Netflix