The following article contains spoilers for Squid Game Season 2. If you're not caught up, you can check out all seven episodes with a Netflix subscription.
If you've been caught up with Squid Game, one of the best shows to binge on Netflix, then you're aware of the intense Russian Roulette scene that happens in Episode 1 between The Salesman and Gi-hun. As a viewer, I was on the edge of my seat, so of course, my curiosity peaked when actor Lee Jung-jae was asked about that scene and how intense it was to film.
This isn't the first time that Lee Jung-jae and Gong Yoo (The Salesman) have shared the screen, as they had an intense sequence in Season 1 where The Salesman slaps Gi-hun (which was entirely real). However, when speaking to journalists in the junket prior to Squid Game's Season 2 premiere, Lee Jung-jae was asked about the process of filming this Russian Roulette scene with Gong Yoo, and the real thing that made it so intense was the "psychological warfare" that came with the game rather than the gun itself. He said:
Yeah, that sequence, even on the script, it was so intense and impactful. And you know, Gong Yoo says that to me, and I say it back to him, 'that I could actually just shoot you and I could just kill you with a bullet.' But instead they decide to follow the rules of Russian Roulette. And I think actually the setup of the Russian Roulette is just the cover of the book, and actually, inside the book, it's all about the psychological warfare between these two guys. So they start off with the Russian Roulette and they go into the psychological warfare and there's those ups and downs in that story within the story, which I thought was very impressive. The actor Gong Yoo pulled off that scene so awesomely, that it really helped me as an actor to counter that.
It is interesting to think more about the mental impact on these two as a whole. Both have done their fair share of not-so-great things throughout their lives, and it's like it all comes down to this moment—where their lives could easily be taken. In that way, Lee Jae's description makes that scene all the more impactful, especially knowing what we know as the season progresses.
Squid Game, in general, has always been one of those shows that has intense moments from the beginning. Still, there's no denying that the cat-and-mouse game between Gi-hun and The Salesman was one of the most intriguing parts of Episode 1 – one that almost ended too quickly when Russian Roulette was over.
The worst part is that Squid Game Season 2's games were split up, so we have to wait until the next season to see Gi-hun continue his revenge against every aspect of these games—even if Season 3 will be the last season.
But watching Gi-hun successfully outlive The Salesman after their intense confrontation was really only the beginning, even if it was more mentally taxing than physical in comparison to the other aspects of this season. The creator of the series, Hwang Dong-hyuk, has boldly said Season 2 is better than Season 1, and I fully agree. And now, Season 3 will be released as part of the 2025 TV schedule, which means fans will have even more moments like Russian Roulette to talk about.
Now, all I have to do is figure out how to spend my time while I wait for Season 3 – I suppose a rewatch is in order.
