The following article contains SPOILERS for Squid Game Season 2, which was released as part of the 2024 Netflix schedule. If you're not caught up, you can check out all seven episodes with a Netflix subscription.
When Squid Game was released in 2021, it took the world by storm and ended up becoming one of the best shows to binge on Netflix. It was only a matter of time before Season 2 was confirmed. After three years, the long wait is over, but only the first half of the infamous deadly playground games were shown this time around – and the creator of the series explains why he decided to split it up into the third (and final) season.
For those who need a refresher, the first season of Squid Game showed the full six games (not including the recruiting game) that Gi-hun had to participate in to win the entire prize pool of money, but Season 2 only featured three throughout its seven episodes. When I had the chance to speak to creator Hwang Dong-hyuk about why he decided to end it in the middle rather than continue the games like he did last season, his answer actually made total sense – the story became too detailed to keep it all in one contained season this time around:
No other particular reason than that I originally envisioned it as a single series, so both seasons two and three as a single series when I was writing it. But then, as I wrote the story along, it became to be too many episodes and too long of a story because you see Gi-hun's journey where he returns to the game, but also he goes through a revolt, and that is actually the climax of that storyline, where he tries to create an uprising, but then that all goes to failure. And I also saw that aspect of it as yet another game as well, and so I thought that we would divide it into two seasons to have that – Gi-hun's revolt going into a failure, him ending up losing his best friend, that itself being yet another important climatic event in the first half of the season, so into season two.
As one of the best Korean dramas out there, Squid Game was praised for its tight storytelling and intense games in Season 1. This season is no different with Gi-hun, who throws himself back into the competition, staging a revolt with fellow contestants, only for it to fall apart dramatically. As Hwang Dong-hyuk commented on, something that is going to lead to "another character arc" for the Gi-hun in Season 3:
And to put a stop there, I thought that would just be the right adequate moment to rest and have it continue on in the further season because after Gi-hun experiences that event, based on the failure, as well as that immense sense of guilt, you're going to get yet another character arc from Gi-hun. So I thought it would be better to divide that for another season.
The creator shared a bold take on Season 2 in November 2024, stating that he felt this story could surpass Season 1. Honestly, I believe in many ways it does. It puts Gi-hun, his morality and so much more to the test after he is pushed to do these games again to take down the Front Man -- even if it does end before the next three games.
And now, Hwang Dong-hyuk says we're going to see another side to Gi-hun? I'm not sure how much more pain this man can go through after how much he has lost, especially in Season 2. But all I know is that it makes me pumped for Season 3 of this show, which, thankfully, is releasing as part of the 2025 Netflix schedule.
When exactly that will be, I'm not sure, but all I know is that when the second half of these games comes around – and the next phase of Gi-hun as well – I'm going to be sitting and waiting with bated breath and popcorn in hand, ready to have my heart broken all over again.
