Park Jin-hai primarily focuses on K-dramas, entertainment shows and actor interviews. Beyond that, she also pens articles covering the broader arts scene, with a particular emphasis on classical music, dance and various aspects of lifestyle. Since joining The Korea Times in 2013, she has made significant contributions in the realms of hallyu (Korean wave), industry news and international affairs.
REVIEW 'Squid Game' Season 2, deja vu of Season 1 with less impact
Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) is seen in this poster for the Netflix series "Squid Game" Season 2. Courtesy of Netflix
By Park Jin-hai
"Squid Game," the Netflix phenomenon that once raked in record profits, has returned. However, by rehashing the familiar characters and settings from Season 1, the much-anticipated series leaves viewers with a sense of deja vu. The new season's loose structure and connection to the overall story feels more like a setup for Season 3, slated to be released in the first half of next year.
The most significant plot change is the transformation of Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae). From a weak and naive character, he has evolved into a vengeful and determined individual. In the first season, he was forced to kill others to survive. However, after winning the deadly game and experiencing its horrors, he is now driven by a thirst for revenge. He seeks to uncover the mastermind behind the survival competition that pushed desperate people to their deaths — and ultimately bring an end to this cruel game.
Actor Lee Jung-jae portrays Seong Gi-hun in a scene from Netflix's "Squid Game" Season 2. Courtesy of Netflix
Gi-hun also reveals his reasons behind returning to the game, determined to prove to the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) that "the world doesn't move only as you wish." The anticipated showdown between the Front Man as an undercover player and Gi-hun was a major highlight of the new season.
However, as the game progressed, the excitement turned into a sense of déjà vu. While the audience had anticipated something new, all the charming characters from Season 1, except for Gi-hun and the police officer Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun), were dead. Although Season 2 introduced a plethora of new characters, there was a strange lack of freshness.
While Season 1 has introduced us to the foreign worker Ali (Anupam Tripathi), Season 2 features Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon), a transgender special forces veteran. Just as we had Sae-byeok (Jung Ho-yeon), the North Korean defector in Season 1, Season 2 brings us Noeul (Park Gyu-young). The dynamic between the gambling-addicted Gi-hun and his nagging but caring mother in Season 1 is mirrored in the relationship between the mother-son duo, Jang Geum-ja (Kang Ae-sim) and Park Yong-sik (Yang Dong-geun), who are both players in this season's game.
Season 2 introduces characters like Thanos (Choi Seung-hyun) and Player 100, who, similar to Season 1's Jang Deok-su, are willing to exploit others for their own gain. While Season 1 was filled with memorable characters like Oh Il-nam (O Yeong-su), the playful grandfather who formed an unlikely alliance with Ali, Season 2, despite featuring the likes of Hyun-ju and Geum-ja, seems to lack the same depth and diversity of characters.
A scene from Netflix's "Squid Game" Season 2 / Courtesy of Netflix
Season 2 also suffers from an overabundance of plot. Unlike Season 1's focus on the death match and its participants, the new season delves into Gi-hun's quest to confront the Front Man, sacrificing depth for breadth.
With only three of the six games fully explored and a significant portion dedicated to the players' counterattacks, the narrative feels rushed. This haste results in less developed characters and fewer opportunities for subtle storytelling, leaving Season 2 feeling more like a setup for the next installment.
While "Squid Game" Season 1 was praised for its unconventional storytelling, delivering a Korean melodrama that showcased the humanity of people in an inhuman death game — Season 2 lacks a similarly powerful punch.
Although Season 2 will undoubtedly cater to your senses in the way that it doesn't allow for a dull moment, it also fails to reach the level of completion of Season 1, leaving audiences somewhat disappointed. In many ways, Season 2 has too many narratives and details that cannot be fully developed within seven episodes, and it seems that we will have to rely heavily on the development of Season 3 to see how things further unfold in the "Squid Game" universe.