Squid Game (Season 2)
The trick with sequels is, you have to give people what they liked before, yet be innovative enough so they don't feel like they're seeing the same movie — Harold Ramis, аmerican filmmaker.
The new season of Squid Game feels faded and disappointing compared to the first, merely imitating its atmosphere of gloom and inevitability of death.
Seong Gi-hun, the protagonist of the previous season, returns to the deadly games arena. With the support of his allies both inside and outside the competition, he sets his sights on a single goal: taking revenge on the creators and putting an end to the brutal games once and for all. However, his hopes are soon crushed as his plan falls apart, and the supervisors of the deadly competition introduce major changes to the trials.
The new season feels lackluster, drawn-out, and, in some ways, overly dull compared to what viewers experienced before. The first two episodes could have easily been condensed into one by cutting unnecessary dialogue, action, and the prolonged "torment" of the main character. These moments add little to the plot or character development, instead leaving viewers frustrated and questioning, "Why am I even watching this?"
The atmosphere and narrative flow take a hit in the new season. The previous season struck a darker tone, with its grim visuals and well-balanced black humor that complemented the hopeless plight of the main characters. This time, things feel different—some games come across as little more than lighthearted entertainment, and even after characters die, the thought of "Surely they'll come back and try again" lingers, stretching the viewer's patience. The plot often stalls, only to spiral into a chaotic whirlwind of events near the season's end, leaving the narrative feeling jumbled and difficult to process. Why do characters suddenly make blatantly foolish decisions in moments that demand focus? Why do they inexplicably turn into superheroes, while the game organizers seem to develop night blindness and lapse into complete inaction? These inconsistencies undermine the tension and immersion, making it harder for the audience to stay invested.
The main characters (if they can even be called that) fail to inspire any sympathy—only irritation and confusion. Seong Gi-hun spends all his time obsessively pursuing one goal: shutting down the games. His strategy? Relentlessly tracking down a recruiter, day and night, to extract any useful information. Strangely enough, the mobsters who once threatened to harvest his organs become his primary allies. While it’s understandable that he clings to his only solid lead, surely there could have been another approach? Similarly, surviving policeman Hwang Jun-ho spends years scouring the islands near Korea, still unable to locate the site of the games. His baffling lack of progress is matched only by his unclear thought processes, which defy explanation and leave the audience with more questions than answers.
The new characters fail to leave any lasting impression, lacking depth or originality. Many seem to be carbon copies of their predecessors, offering little to make them relatable or worthy of empathy. Some characters dominate screen time, yet the only details revealed about them are superficial—like their massive debts or their habit of having pork for dinner. These characters come across as formulaic and hollow, adding nothing meaningful to the story. To make matters worse, they are often carelessly written out at the most predictable moments, further diminishing their impact and making their inclusion feel pointless.
The musical accompaniment also falls short this time—while the previous season’s soundtrack was dynamic, enhancing the atmosphere and deepening the characters, this season’s music has become just generic pop that adds little to the experience. The overall quality of filming has also noticeably declined. Not only does the visual style lack any fresh ideas or improvements in color grading, but it also makes scenes that could have been visually striking look dull and unimpressive.
In the end, Squid Game 2 turned out to be a rather disappointing follow-up to an otherwise compelling show. The main characters seem aimless in their pursuit of their goals, making impulsive decisions without any real strategy, while the series itself has shifted into more of a spectacle where death feels routine and unremarkable, evoking neither pity nor compassion. Loyal fans may still enjoy revisiting the atmosphere of the violent games, meeting new characters, and witnessing fresh challenges and the continuation of the story. However, for general audiences, the new season is likely to leave a mix of contradictory feelings—especially after the final episode.
3.5/10