Netflix has officially announced the return of three of its most popular series with a trailer showcacoming seasons for 2025. The streaming platform confirmed that Wednesday, Stranger Things, and Squid Game will all premiere new seasons within the year, with specific release dates spanning from summer through late fall. k4h62

The announcement was revealed by DiscussingFilm and comes as Netflix continues to leverage its most successful original programming to maintain subscriber engagement. All three series have achieved significant global viewership and cultural impact since their respective debuts. The trailer provides glimpses of what viewers can expect from each returning show.

Wednesday Season 2 will arrive in two separate releases during August 2025. The first part premieres on August 6, followed by the second part on September 3. The series continues to follow the titular character as she navigates supernatural mysteries and personal relationships. The season appears to maintain the gothic elements and dark humor that characterized the first installment.

Netflix schedules three major series returns across 2025 1j51r

Squid Game Season 3 has been scheduled for release on June 27, 2025, making it the earliest return among the three series. The show will continue its exploration of the deadly competition format that made the series a global phenomenon, and hopefully, it can avoid the mistakes of season 2. Characters return to face new challenges within the established game framework that defined the previous seasons.

Stranger Things Season 5 will conclude the series with its release on November 26, 2025. This final season promises to resolve the supernatural storylines and character arcs that have developed throughout the show’s run. The series has been building toward this conclusion since its debut, with the Upside Down mythology reaching its climax.

The three series represent different genres within Netflix’s programming strategy. Wednesday focuses on supernatural comedy-drama, Squid Game delivers thriller and social commentary elements, and Stranger Things combines science fiction with coming-of-age themes. Each show has established dedicated fan bases and generated significant cultural discussion during their previous seasons.

Netflix positioned these releases strategically throughout 2025 to maintain consistent content flow. The spacing allows the platform to capitalize on audience anticipation while avoiding direct competition between their own major properties. All three shows will be available exclusively on Netflix. 

Pretty much every show Netflix puts out these days is hit or miss, but season two of the streamer’s mega-popular Squid Game is most certainly a hit.

Related: ‘Squid Game 2’s violence feels more brutal. What’s changed, ‘Squid Game’ or me? on The Mary Sue

Season 2 saw a slight decline in popularity from season 1, but the series remains a uniquely gripping commentary on the wealth divide and oppression that’s relatable far beyond the borders of South Korea. Less recognizable than the near-universal maltreatment of the poor are most of the games featured across Squid Game‘s two seasons, many of which originate from South Korea.

Red light, green light — also known as Statues — and tug of war are familiar to most viewers, but several of the show’s games, including the first one introduced to fans, are far less known. Games like Ddakji, the trial posed by recruiters to find good candidates for their killer competition, were relative unknowns ahead of Squid Game, but they’re exploding in the wake of the show’s success.

Unfortunately for most westerners, we can’t suddenly dive into a Ddakji obsession. The game isn’t really sold in the States, and — while its rules seem pretty uncomplicated — actually obtaining the tools to enjoy the game is much harder.

Unless, of course, you simply make them yourself. Put those DIY skills, developed over years of unaffordable living, to good use, and construct a set of Ddakji for yourself. Think of it as an investment — this way you’ll have plenty of training before Elon Musk launches his own IRL twist on the games, set in our own United States.

How to make your own Ddakji 33t1q

When most westerners think of the game Squid Game made into an international fascination, we call it Ddakji. While the term is related to the game, it doesn’t actually reference the match itself, but the pieces. You use Ddakji — those colorful folded toys — to play neomgyeomeokgi, which has become a starkly popular game thanks to the Netflix show’s prominence.

The game we see Seong Gi-hun play in that introductory episode is neomgyeomeokgi, and the Ddakji they play with were provided by the recruiter. Since we don’t have any well-dressed psychopaths lining up to offer us cash for our dignity, we’ll have to make do with the handmade version — but don’t fret, they’re not complicated to construct. Check out my extremely rushed recreation if you need any proof.

You’ll want to start with two pieces of strong paper — construction will work, but origami would be best — trust me. They should be different colors, but don’t have to be red and blue if you’d prefer an alternate combo. Collect some scissors or a paper cutter as well, and you can get to work.

You’ll now want to cut each piece of paper in half, making for four pieces of paper in total, all cut into even squares. Then fold each piece into thirds, leaving you with four long strips of folded paper in total. Now take the corner of each piece and fold it upward, putting the outside edge flush with the top. Do the same to the other side but downward, so that your paper makes an almost diamond shape with an empty square in the middle . Repeat this process with the remainder of your folded paper.

Now take both pieces of your first color and lay one over the other, so they make a four-pointed star, with the folded corners facing outward. Then you simply take the two flaps belonging to the bottom piece of paper and fold them into the middle — they’ll make a nice tidy square — and really line down those edges. The next two folds are then pulled in as well, with one side tucking underneath the fold on one side, and the other fully securing the Ddakji by sliding over the corner of one fold and under the next. This will make a nice tidy square with all corners tucked in.

Repeat the process with your other color and you’ll be left with two colorful Ddakji to enjoy. You can use them to play neomgyeomeokgi, the flipping game featured in Squid Game, or any other number of ddakji chigi.

Back in the early aughts when the Harry Potter books were all the rage and Warner Bros. was desperately seeking a director that could bring the J.K. Rowling stories to life, several names were considered including Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park) and M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense).

In a recent interview with Variety, renowned filmmaker David Fincher (Se7en, The Social Network) talked about his experience pitching his idea to WB. Fincher, who isn’t exactly known for handling warm and fuzzy stories, revealed that his approach to the Harry Potter film series was a lot darker and creepier, but he quickly realized that it wasn’t the direction that Warner Bros. wanted to go. He also mentioned which movie served as inspiration for the kind of story that he wanted to tell at Hogwarts. He stated:

“I was asked to come in and talk to them about how I would do Harry Potter. I saying, ‘I just don’t want to do the clean Hollywood version of it. I want to do something that looks a lot more like Withnail and I, and I want it to be kind of creepy. They were like, ‘We want Thom Browne schooldays by way of Oliver.'”

The filmmaker also commented that when it comes novel adaptations, studios usually have an idea of what they want to see on the screen when they approach a director, meaning that it boils down to similar visions matching together. That’s how he ended up involved in the adaptation of international best-seller Gone Girl, by author and screenwriter Gillian Flynn.

“Those books get sold to movie studios when it’s shown that there’s a built-in audience, so I’m usually coming into the food chain after it’s been decided that this is something tasty. I was interested in Gone Girl in spite of the fact that it was a bestseller… I liked the idea of punishment for our narcissistic leanings as it relates to finding a mate.”

Even though Fincher didn’t get to exercise his vision in the Harry Potter franchise, he’s proven time and again that he has a talent for adaptations. Fight Club — which is arguably one of his most famous movies — was adapted from a book by Chuck Palahniuk, while The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo hailed from the novel series by the late Swedish author Stieg Larsson. For one of his next projects, Fincher also has an adaptation in sight, but this time hailing from South Korea.

Back in October, rumors started swirling that Fincher was attached to make an American version of Netflix’s hit show Squid Game. While Fincher himself is yet to comment on the development, it’s not a wild assumption that the streaming giant would want to continue capitalizing on the succcess of the series, since season two became the most-watched season on the platform in less than a week. Having someone like Fincher at the helm would mean that Netflix will at least try to match the quality of the original show with the remake, as opposed to just being a cash-grab.

We probably won’t hear much about Squid Game USA for a while, though, since the original show is still running and with a third and final season is in line for a 2026 premiere. Fincher has previously worked with Netflix on the short-lived thriller series Mindhunter, long-running political drama House of Cards and animated anthology series Love, Death + Robots.

After years of waiting, the follow-up to Netflix’s socially-conscious drama Squid Game has finally been released. Airing in December 2024, the series follows Seong Gi-hun’s attempts to bring down the system.

Related: ‘Squid Game 2’s violence feels more brutal. What’s changed, ‘Squid Game’ or me? on The Mary Sue

When it first premiered, Squid Game was a break-out success that left fans hanging for a couple of years. The same will not be the case for Season 3, which creator Hwang Dong-hyuk confirmed to Variety would be imminent.

“At this point, anything I might say is going to be a spoiler, so I want to be cautious. But what I can say is, after Season 2 launches, I believe we will be announcing the launch date for Season 3 soon. I probably expect that to launch around summer or fall next year.”

The writer revealed that these seasons fall so close together because they are part of one overarching story. Season 1 of Squid Game could have easily concluded with Gi-hung’s winnings. Instead, he comes back in the sophomore season because of the extensive story Hwang laid out. Initially, when the writer originally conceived of the second season, the story became too large for itself. Clocking in at 10 episodes, Hwang decided one season would not be able to contain that number. Instead, he split it to give the second season a satisfying conclusion and simultaneously create a third. The next season of the attention-grabbing series will air in 2025, a stark difference from the years that fans had to wait previously.

Squid Game season 3 will raise the stakes even more 153h1n

Scripted television series have been in flux lately. In contrast to the dependable airing structure of a season once a year, many shows have to wait to get greenlit before making it to audiences again. Squid Game season 2 took a long time to get to the airwaves, arguably losing its initial momentum. Season 3 will avoid this mistake and put the main character into even more dire straits. During Gi-hun’s crusade to find the makers of the game and take down the regime, he of course finds himself in the thick of it again. But by the season’s end, he has encountered a myriad of mistakes as well as losing a loyal friend. Hwang Dong-hyuk teases this is where Season 3 will pick up in 2025.

“As for the storyline of the third season, Gi-hun having lost everything, including his best friend, and all of his attempts going to failure, it’s now, what is he going to be like? What state is Gi-hun going to be in? And what will he choose to do? Will he continue on with the mission? Is he going to give up or persist? And so you’re going to meet our character Gi-hun at a very critical crossroads as we begin the third season. Gi-hun will not be the man he was in Season 2.”

Viewers may agree that this is an understatement. After surviving the first game and getting his winnings from all of the people who perished, Gi-hun has to go through it again. He has an insurmountable task of taking down a titanic foe. When Squid Game season 3 airs in 2025, he will have his work cut out for him.

The second season of Squid Game continues to make its rounds on the Netflix charts, and Hwang Dong-hyuk has quite definitively proven that his show’s success was no matter of luck. Indeed, with the show’s anti-capitalist thesis continuing to fire on old and new cylinders, it seems like only a matter of time until the third and final season completes a near-perfect trifecta of dystopian storytelling.

One of these aforementioned new cylinders is the character of Cho Hyun-ju, the 120th designated player of these Squid Games, and a transgender woman who’s hoping to use the money to fund her gender-affirming surgery, having lost her entire professional and personal network after coming out.

As with most every fictional trans character, though, it didn’t take long for Hyun-ju to become the center of an internet firestorm. Key to this debate (for lack of a better word) was the fact that the character is played by Park Sung-hoon, a cisgender male actor who was reportedly cast because the production team was unable to find a South Korean actress who was also a trans woman.

As a trans person, I have a number of thoughts on this, the majority of which stem from one, single, extremely cultivated sentiment: “I am exhausted.”

From a purely utilitarian perspective, you’re doing yourself a disservice by not casting trans actors in trans roles. The specific strain of dissonance with which gender dysphoria can ravage someone is near impossible to embody for even the sharpest actors, and it’s senseless for a show or film to deprive itself of that depth of insight by casting a cis actor in trans roles. Beyond that, narrative media is in a unique position in that it can readily make trans bodies and actors more visible to thousands upon millions of people, thereby demystifying a demographic that such audiences have little to no experience engaging with.

But Hwang, on some level, already knows all of this, as he did seek out a trans woman for the role, and only opted for Park when he could not find a trans actress. This has nevertheless drawn a lot of ire, as casting a man in the role of a trans woman can reinforce the idea that trans women occupy the exact same social space as cis men, which is incredibly harmful.

And as I was watching, I noticed several scenes in the season that could very easily be read as feeding into harmful stereotypes; Hyun-ju threatening to kill Seon-nyeo during the six-legged race, and her violent anger towards Myung-gi after he ostensibly causes the death of Young-mi both run the risk of affirming the notion that trans women are just violent men looking for new ways to be violent.

And yet, I fell in love with the way that Hyun-ju was written and performed, as did so many other people. Why should her violent anger define her to a greater degree than her comion, which is much more prominent, especially in a space full of violent anger from men and women alike? Why should we chalk up her aforementioned threat towards Seon-nyeo as a decidedly male impulse, rather than the action of a lucid leader of any gender who has the guts to take control of a horrible situation? Why should Park being cisgender overshadow Hyun-ju as an absolutely fantastic trans character, one who has, at least partly, disrupted cultural boundaries that need to be disrupted?

That’s why I’m exhausted. I’m sick of the onus being placed on storytellers to tick all of these delicate boxes to make up for the irresponsibility and intolerance of those who demand proof of trans people’s humanity. I’m sick of a world where my acknowledgment (and dare I say love) for my pre-transition form (much like Hyun-ju’s AMAB body that looks a lot like Park Sung-hoon’s) is such a precarious, politicized nuance that it could make or break someone’s acceptance of trans people.

I’m sick of a casting controversy — which exists only because the cultural vocabulary surrounding trans people is so thin — staining the celebration-worthy occasion of having such a wonderfully nuanced trans character lighting up Netflix queues all over the world. And I’m sick of how the scarcity of trans acceptance has made life so difficult for the existing and would-be trans actresses that, in some alternate dimension, could have lined up for the role of Hyun-ju.

I for one will be eagerly awaiting season three to see how the rest of Hyun-ju’s arc plays out in Hwang’s sensational mythos, and I’ve no doubt that Park is going to do a damn fine job of bringing it to life. Now if only the world could do a damn fine job of normalizing the existence of trans people.

As Squid Game returns for its second season, the series continues its tradition of transforming innocent childhood games into deadly challenges. This time, a traditional Korean pastime called Gonggi takes center stage in a nail-biting team competition.

Related: ‘Squid Game 2’s violence feels more brutal. What’s changed, ‘Squid Game’ or me? on The Mary Sue

In episode 4 of Squid Game season 2, contestants face a unique pentathlon where teams of five players must compete while physically bound together. Each team member must master a different traditional game, with no help from their teammates, while maintaining perfect synchronization as they move between challenges. Among these games is Gonggi, an ancient Korean game that combines juggling elements and quick hand-eye coordination. The challenge becomes even more intense as teams must complete their circuit within a five-minute limit, making every second count.

Including Gonggi in the show’s deadly repertoire is particularly significant as it represents one of Korea’s most beloved traditional children’s games. While Western audiences might draw parallels to jacks or marbles, Gonggi has its own distinct rules and cultural significance, having been played for generations across Korean households and schoolyards.

How Gonggi transforms from playground fun to deadly game 6n5g4i

In its traditional form, Gonggi is played with five small stones or marbles about the size of grapes. While modern children often use colorful plastic pieces, similar to the ones from Squid Game season 2, the game historically used smooth pebbles called gonggitdol. The game’s widespread popularity has led to regional variations, with different names and slight rule modifications across various Korean provinces. In North Gyeongsang Province, it’s known as jjagebatgi, while South Gyeongsang Province calls it Salgu, and in South Jeolla Province, players know it as Datjjakgeoli.

The game progresses through five increasingly difficult levels, each requiring more precise timing and dexterity than the last. The first level begins simply enough: players scatter the stones on a flat surface and must throw one stone in the air while quickly picking up another from the ground before catching the airborne stone. This pattern continues until all stones are collected. The challenge lies in the physical coordination required and in maintaining a steady rhythm and focus throughout the sequence.

As players advance through levels, the challenge intensifies. Level two requires picking up two stones simultaneously, demanding increased spatial awareness and quicker hand movements. Level three ups the ante by requiring players to gather three stones together and one separately, testing their ability to plan and execute more complex patterns. By level four, players must demonstrate masterful control by collecting all four stones in one swift move while keeping the fifth stone airborne.

The game’s final level provides the ultimate test of skill, where players must toss all five stones into the air, flip their hand palm-down, and catch as many stones as possible on the back of their hand. Then, the player must throw all five stones in the air again and catch them before they fall. Usually, the number of rocks you catch defines your score at the end of the game. However, in season 2 of Squid Game, players must achieve a perfect score to progress. Missing any stone forces the player to start the game from scratch, redoing all five difficulty levels. No wonder this particular game eliminates so many teams from the competition.

Following the pattern of the first season, season 2 of Squid Game has transformed more innocent playground activity into something sinister. Luckily, the inclusion of Gonggi alongside other traditional games helps showcase the rich tapestry of Korean childhood experiences to a global audience, even if it’s through the series’ characteristically dark lens.

The second season of Squid Game might as well win an imaginary award for the most anticipated South Korean show of all time. From the moment it premiered on Netflix, Squid Game quickly ed the ranks of South Korea’s most globally recognized exports — alongside BTS, PSY, and Parasite.

Its widespread popularity is also incredibly well-deserved: the show is truly one of a kind. With its unique premise critiquing an increasingly capitalist and hierarchical society, it struck a chord with audiences worldwide. Now that season 2 has finally arrived on Netflix, we’ve been introduced to a slew of new characters, including Player 120 — the first trans character on the show, and possibly one of the first trans characters in mainstream South Korean entertainment. But this raises the question: Is the actor playing Player 120 actually trans?

Is the actor playing Player 120 actually trans? 5q361c

No, Park Sung-hoon, the actor portraying Hyun-Ju (Player 120), is not transgender. However, this casting choice is not solely about opting for cisgender actors over transgender ones — it also reflects the scarcity of trans actors in South Korea. Unlike the United States, where diversity among emerging actors is more commonly fostered, South Korea’s entertainment industry does not prioritize such representation.

Openly gay or queer actors are rare in South Korea — a fact that TVGuide appropriately labeled as “heartbreaking,” and a sentiment that we share. A quick Google search reveals only a handful of openly queer celebrities in the industry, including Hong Seok-cheon, a celebrity chef and variety show host; Holland, the first openly gay K-pop idol; and Harisu, a transgender singer and actress. This highlights a stark contrast: while South Korea is a leader in technological advancement, its progress in human rights and societal acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals remains very limited.

Squid Game‘s popularity, however, might just spark the conversations and awareness needed for South Korean society to evolve and start normalizing diversity.

While Park Sung-hoon is a cisgender man, his character, Hyun-Ju, is competing in the game to pay for her gender-affirming surgery — a topic that, dare we say, has rarely been explored in the Asian country’s mainstream media, especially in a global phenomenon as massive as Squid Game. As of early December, Variety reported the first season of Squid Game had drawn an astounding 330 million viewers on Netflix, and it’s almost certain that season two will replicate, if not sur, those numbers.

To our surprise, South Korea remains a surprisingly conservative country, especially compared to some of its neighboring East and Southeast Asian nations. Same-sex marriage, for instance, is still neither legalized nor recognized under South Korean law. In contrast, Taiwan and Thailand have emerged as leaders in the production of queer media. Thailand, in particular, has long been a source of some of the most popular BL (Boys’ Love) and GL (Girls’ Love) dramas, while South Korea only began producing BL series in 2020 with the release of Where Your Eyes Linger. Even so, these shows typically do not air on major TV channels or during prime-time hours, for obvious reasons.

LGBTQ+ rights are not the only area where South Korea lags behind. The status of women’s rights in the country is another clear indicator of the significant progress still needed in advancing human rights. That said, Squid Game is making strides in the right direction with Hyun-Ju’s character. It’s a small but meaningful step toward broader representation in South Korean media and beyond.

Season 2 of Squid Game wastes no time introducing viewers to yet another deadly variation of a childhood game. This time, the seemingly simple game of Rock, Paper, Scissors receives a twisted makeover that proves fatal in the very first episode.

Related: ‘Squid Game 2’s violence feels more brutal. What’s changed, ‘Squid Game’ or me? on The Mary Sue

Squid Game’s second season happens three years after the events of season 1. Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) is still consumed by his mission to take down the organization behind the deadly games. His vast fortune from winning the first tournament has allowed him to secure unlikely allies, including Mr. Kim (Kim Pub-lae), the loan shark who once threatened to harvest his organs. Operating from the Pink Hotel, Gi-hun’s base of operations, the champion continues his relentless pursuit of The Salesman (Gong Yoo), the mysterious recruiter who lures desperate individuals into the deadly competition.

The series’ commitment to transforming innocent games into instruments of death is showcased when The Salesman turns the tables on his pursuers. After being cornered by Mr. Kim and his associate Woo-seok (Jun Suk-ho), The Salesman captures them both and forces them to participate in a deadly version of a childhood favorite. The following contest scene perfectly encapsulates the psychological tension that Squid Game has become known for.

Squid Game adds a deadly twist to Rock, Paper, Scissors Minus One 3s486l

Rock, Paper, Scissors Minus One adds a complex layer of strategy to the traditional game. While Western audiences might be familiar with the single-hand version, this Korean variant traditionally begins with players using both hands. Each participant must start with two hands down, displaying any combination of the three symbols they choose. Then, players must simultaneously lift one hand, leaving their final choice behind. This variation creates an intense psychological element to the luck-based game, as players must consider their initial choices and anticipate which hand their opponent will withdraw.

In the show’s characteristically dark fashion, The Salesman raises the stakes by adding a revolver to the game. Following the rules of a different game, Russian Roulette, the Salesman puts a single bullet into the revolver’s chamber, rolls the barrels to randomize the bullet’s positions, and promises to shoot whoever loses the Rock Paper Scissors Minus One match. At first, losers have a one-in-six chance of death, but the odds become increasingly deadly as more bullets are added after each round. The Salesman’s sadistic enjoyment of the game adds another layer of psychological torture as he smiles and relishes each pull of the trigger, savoring the players’ terror between rounds.

The psychological toll of this deadly version becomes painfully evident when Woo-seok makes a mistake and makes the tactical error of showing rock symbols with both hands. Mr. Kim finds himself in a position of terrible power with his combination of paper and scissors. Depending on which hand he removes, Mr. Kim can seal Woo-seok’s fate. 

The paralyzing weight of holding someone else’s life in his hands proves too much to bear. Despite having a clear path to victory, he freezes, unable to decide which hand to lift. The Salesman, maintaining his twisted sense of order even in this brutal game, declares this hesitation a “disqualification” and executes Mr. Kim, adding another victim to the growing list of lives claimed by the organization’s deadly games.

This innovative yet horrifying take on Rock, Paper, Scissors demonstrates how Squid Game continues to excel at subverting childhood games into vehicles for exploring human nature under extreme pressure. Plus, adding the “Minus One” Korean rule transforms a simple game of chance into a complex psychological battle, forcing players to engage in strategic thinking while facing mortal danger.

Squid Game season 2 is finally available, following Gi-hun’s (Lee Jung-jae) one-man-war against the deadly competition. The season is filled with unexpected twists and shocking deaths. However, there are still unanswered questions by the time the final credits roll.

After the surprising success of Squid Game, Netflix has ordered two more seasons of the show to wrap up all loose threads. That means season 2 is only half of the sequel story writer and director Hwang Dong-hyuk has crafted. So, instead of wrapping things up and leaving a single cliffhanger for the follow-up season, season 2 ends in the middle of the action, raising many burning questions that season 3 has to answer.

What is Dae-ho lying about? 1t94o

Squid Game season 2 introduced new characters, including Dae-ho (Kang Ha-neul), who quickly becomes an ally for Gi-hun when the former champion res the games. Dae-ho’s entire identity revolves around the time he served in the Marine; however, the season hints that the young man might be lying about his past. The biggest clue comes at the end of Squid Game season 2 when Dae-ho feels forced to Gi-hun’s revolution. Dae-ho can’t shoot properly, doesn’t know how to handle firearms like other former soldiers, and the battle is so intense to him that he goes back to the dormitory and freezes. Season 3 of Squid Game has to clear up Dae-ho’s past, explaining what he has lied about, how much, and why.

What’s the fate of Gi-hun? 5w49e

At the end of Squid Game season 2, In-ho (Lee Byung-hun) fakes his death, reclaims the role of The Front Man, and snuffs Gi-hun’s revolution. He also shoots Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan) in front of Gi-hun, forcing him to witness the murder of his longtime friend; however, we still don’t know what will happen to Gi-hun. Since Gi-hun has decided to sacrifice other players’ lives in the name of his revolution, the Front Man has already won their ethical battle. Still, the Front Man lets Gi-hun live, meaning he has something more terrifying than death in store for the former champion.

Will No-eul help to put an end to the games? 403b6l

One of the most curious characters introduced in Squid Game season 2 is No-eul (Park Gyu-young), a former North Korean soldier who shot her superior and defected to South Korea. No-eul is trying to bring her son across the border, which leads her to get a job as a masked soldier in the competition. No-eul follows orders and helps kill the players who lose the games, but she also seems to have a heart. After all, she pities Gyeong-seok (Lee Jin-wook), a single father who becomes a player to pay for his daughter’s expensive cancer treatment. 

No-eul and Gyeong-seok have worked together in an amusement park, so the soldier knows the man’s despair. Yet the second season doesn’t give her character a whole arc, and her presence is still unjustified for the overall plot. Since Gyeong-seok died during Gi-hun’s revolution, No-eul might turn her back on the games’ istration and help Gi-hun defeat the Front Man. Otherwise, there’s no reason why Squid Game season 2 spent so much screen time on her and Gyeong-seok.

Why did Captain Park betray Jun-ho? 2c3p7

Squid Game season 2 explains that Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun) has survived being shot and falling from a cliff after getting rescued by a fisherman, Captain Park (Oh Dal-su). In the years following his recovery, Jun-ho created a bond with Captain Park, who helped the former detective scour the sea in search of the island where the games happen. However, the final episode of the second season reveals Captain Park is tampering with the equipment Jun-ho’s mercenary team uses to find the island. The fisherman even kills one of the mercenaries to keep his secret. Season 3 of Squid Game has to explain if Captain Park has been working for the Front Man all along or if his betrayal is more recent.

What is the second giant doll for? 5v6u4l

The mid-credits scene of Squid Game season 2 shows the courtyard where competitors must play “Red Light, Green Light” at the start of each competition. In the original game, a giant doll equipped with motion detectors scans the players, telling snipers who have moved, lost the game, and must be put down; however, in the mid-credits scene, a second giant doll is in the courtyard. Since the players have already faced “Red Light, Green Light,” they might play a different game in the courtyard in season 3. Or maybe the courtyard will be used to punish the players for Gi-hun’s revolution. One thing is clear: The deadly competition is far from over.

Squid Game season 2 changes the stakes of the competition by having Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) infiltrate the games to tear them from the inside. That means the second season is filled with twists and turns that shock the audience until the end.

In the second season, Gi-hun allows himself to be captured by the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) and put back into the competition. It’s all part of his complex plan to tear the games down from the inside. Of course, things don’t go as expected, and by the time the credits roll on the final episode, Gi-hun might have lost more than his life. That’s because, when the dust settles, the Front Man comes out on top.

What were In-ho’s, aka the Front Man’s, goals? 6j5x4h

The first season of Squid Game explains that the Front Man running the competition is In-ho, the brother of former detective Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun). In 2015, In-ho played the games and became the champion, taking a lot of money home. However, instead of buying himself a quiet life, he ed the organization as the successor of Il-nam (O Yeong-su), the creator of the competition. In-ho believes wholeheartedly in the game’s philosophy, which claims humans are perverted by nature, and given the opportunity, they will put other people at risk for their personal gains.

After Il-nam’s ing at the end of the first season, In-ho is now at the top of the food chain. That’s why Gi-hun tried to track down the Front Man — to convince him to stop the games once and for all. Instead, Gi-hun ends up in the competition again, fighting for his life in a gauntlet of deadly traps. Surprisingly, In-ho also disguises himself as a player to the games. 

Under the guise of Player 001, In-ho befriends Gi-hun. Together, the two champions survive the first three games of the competition. All the while, In-ho tries to tempt Gi-hun to abandon his ideals and recognize that human beings are trash and it’s better to look out for yourself. Even though he’s unaware of the mind games he’s playing with In-ho, Gi-hun still sticks to his ideals, putting himself in harm’s way to help people survive the games. Sadly, by the end of Squid Game season 2, Gi-hun breaks.

Did In-ho win the mental battle against Gi-hun? q4c3a

After three matches, players are perfectly divided between those who want to keep the competition going and those willing to vote to end the games. Either group gets what they want only if at least one person from the other side changes their mind. It doesn’t take long for a few bodies to drop, showing that killing your adversaries is allowed in the competition.

With tensions rising, the greedy players plan to attack and murder the others in the middle of the night. After facing so much death in the game, Gi-hun convinces other players to hide beneath their beds, wait for the soldiers to break the fight, and then steal the guards’ weapons. In short, Gi-hun is willing to let many people on his side of the voting die just to get a shot at defeating the guards and reaching the command center. The way he sees it, these deaths are a small price to pay for the termination of the games.

In-ho is one of the people Gi-hun enlists for his revolution, and the Front Man plays his part in the battle. He helps Gi-hun kill dozens of guards until he can fake his death, retake his place as the head of the competition, and subdue Gi-hun. By then, In-ho knows he has won, as Gi-hun abandoned his ideas of solidarity and allowed other people to be murdered just to get what he wanted. If even Gi-hun accepts that the ends justify the means, In-ho can be ethically assured that the games are fair and just, so he doesn’t need to risk himself by remaining a player.

What happens after the revolution? 4g3q5t

Once In-ho’s betrayal squelches Gi-hun’s revolution, the Front Man shoots Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan) in the head, forcing Gi-hun to witness the death of his longtime friend. The other players who ed Gi-hun are also slaughtered by the soldiers, including Gyeong-seok (Lee Jin-wook), a single father who s the games hoping to pay for his daughter’s cancer treatment.

The only revolutionaries who survive are Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon) and Dae-ho (Kang Ha-neul). Dae-ho returns to the dormitories to find more ammo, but he freezes and can no longer move. It’s implied that his background in the marine might be false, and he was never ready to take on arms. Since Dae-ho never takes ammo back to the battlefield, Hyun-ju checks what happened to him. She is still in the dormitories when a battalion of soldiers arrives so she can pretend she wasn’t part of the revolution.

Since the Front Man keeps Gi-hun alive, it’s fair to assume the games will continue after the revolution in the series’ third season. To underline that, we get a quick mid-credits scene in which we see the courtyard where competitors play “Red Light, Green Light.” There are two giant dolls in the courtyard instead of just one, but we don’t know what the second does.

Is Captain Park a traitor? 63t19

Outside the games, Jun-ho leads a group of mercenaries in the search for the island where the games are played. Squid Game season 2 reveals that Jun-ho survived being shot in the shoulder by his brother and falling from a cliff. Jun-ho is found half-dead by a fisherman, Captain Park (Oh Dal-su). Since then, Jun-ho has spent every weekend aboard Captain Park’s boat, searching for the mysterious island.

At first, it looks like Captain Park has developed a genuine friendship with Jun-ho, which is why he helps the police officer in his quest. However, in the final episode of Squid Game season 2, the captain is tampering with the mercenaries’ drone, a critical tool in their search for the competition’s island. Captain Park is caught by one of the mercenary soldiers, and when questioned about his suspicious actions, he kills the man. Then, Captain Park throws the man’s body into the ocean. The storm raging when the murder happens is enough to cover his tracks.

It’s clear now that Captain Park is working with the Front Man to some extent. Maybe he was always part of the games’ crew, even when he rescued Jun-ho. Or perhaps the Front Man enlisted Captain Park after learning his brother had survived the fall. Either way, season 3 of Squid Game will explore the cat-and-mouse game between the fisherman and Jun-ho.

The second season of Squid Game brings back Netflix’s deadly competition with higher stakes. While Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) is forced to play the games again, his goal is to end the vicious cycle of violence once and for all, so he’s taking the fight back to the Front Man. Unsurprisingly, a lot of blood gets spilled in the pursuit of victory. Now that Squid Game season 2 is available let’s discuss every major death.

Mr. Kim, the loan shark 361s4z

Three years after the first season’s events, Gi-hun still uses all his money to track down The Salesman (Gong Yoo), who is responsible for recruiting desperate people in subway stations. Gi-hun’s fortune has allowed him to buy the loyalty of Mr. Kim (Kim Pub-lae), the loan shark who threatened to steal his organs in season 1. The first death in Squid Game season 2 happens in episode 1 when Mr. Kim and Woo-seok (Jun Suk-ho) are forced to play a deadly game of “rock, paper, scissors” by The Salesman.

After being cornered by Mr. Kim and Woo-seok, The Salesman knocks them out, drags them to the Pink Hotel that Gi-hun uses as his base of operations, ties them to a chair, and forces them to play “rock, paper, scissors.” Mr. Kim loses the game and is shot in the head as a punishment.

The Salesman, aka the recruiter 2q6u37

After killing Mr. Kim, The Salesman awaits Gi-hun in the hotel to play Russian roulette with the former champion. During the game, each man tries to make the other one betray their principles by ignoring the rules in the name of survival. Both Gi-hun and The Salesman refuse to it they are wrong, so they keep playing until the last bullet. Unfortunately for The Salesman, he loses the game.

Young-mi, player 95 4q41q

Hundreds of people die during the first two games of the new championship, but they are mostly strangers in the background. Young-mi (Kim Si-eun), aka Player 95, is the first named player to get killed. Two teams have been formed when the contestants have to play Mingle. Some wish to stop the games and go home, led by Gi-hun, and some are so greedy that they don’t care about other people’s lives, led by Thanos (Choi Seung-hyun). Young-mi is part of the protagonist’s team.

During Mingle, players must form groups with a specific number of people and hide inside tiny rooms before the clock runs out. Those left on the outside are killed, as are those inside a room without the correct number of players. Since the number changes each round, the good guys try to split so everyone is safe. However, in the chaos of the game, Young-mi is separated from her group. The group is saved when Myung-gi (Im Si-wan) enters their room and closes the door. But Young-mi is trapped on the outside and shot dead.

Thanos, player 230 3s1q2z

After Mingle, the survivors vote to stop the games or keep playing. Since the result is a tie, the players must take the night off before voting again in the morning. Thanos and his troupe try to convince Min-su (Lee David) to change his vote so the games may continue. Myung-gi steps up to protect Min-su from Thanos’s bullying. A brawl brews in the toilets, and of both groups start attacking each other. Myung-gi uses the fork he got with his meal to stab Thanos, killing the deranged rapper.

The Drone Soldier 1u6p38

While Gi-hun plays the games for the second time, Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun) leads the rescue operations outside. Since he was found half-dead after being shot off a cliff by his brother, The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), Jun-ho has been working with a fisherman, Captain Park (Oh Dal-su), to find the island where the games take place. After the Front Game takes Gi-hun, Captain Park takes Jun-ho and a team of elite mercenaries to see the island. In the middle of the night, one of the mercenaries catches Captain Park sabotaging their surveillance drone — the fisherman is part of the games, sent to keep an eye on Jun-ho. To hide his cover, Captain Park kills the mercenary and drops his body in the ocean so that he can blame a storm for the disappearance.

Se-mi, player 380 3h3u2z

After the bathroom fight, the players willing to continue the games decide to attack and kill the others. That way, they eliminate the competition and ensure the subsequent voting favors them. In the middle of the battle, Thanos’ second-in-command, Nam-gyu (Roh Jae-won), tracks down Se-mi (Won Ji-an), who he thinks betrayed them. Min-su throws Se-mi a bottle so she can defend herself. However, she’s cornered by three adversaries and murdered by Nam-gyu.

Gyeong-seok, player 246 k6rc

Among the named characters who follow Gi-hun during his attack on the soldiers’ headquarters is Gyeong-seok (Lee Jin-wook), aka player 246. Gyeong-seok ed the game so he could have enough money to pay for his daughter’s cancer treatment. However, after witnessing the horrors of the games, he s Gi-hun to try to end the competition.

Gi-hun’s revolution fails after the group is betrayed by the Front Man, who poses as a player to force Gi-hun to betray his principles. Once Gyeong-seok realizes the battle is over, he decides to surrender. Sadly, the soldiers execute him on the spot. Every other player who s Gi-hun suffers the same fate, except for Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon) and Dae-ho (Kang Ha-neul), who return to the dormitories to find more ammo when the revolution is squelched.

Jung-bae, player 390 2t2d1w

Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan) is Gi-hun’s longtime friend, who appears in the first season of Squid Game. He becomes a player in the second season, ing Gi-hun when the time comes to rebel against the system. The frontman shoots Jung-bae in cold blood to punish Gi-hun for his transgressions against the games.

After Squid Game broke Netflix’s audience records, the streamer decided to bring writer and director Hwang Dong-hyuk back for two more seasons. Three years later, season 2 of Squid Game finally premieres, trying to catch lightning in a bottle twice in a row.

From a commercial perspective, expanding the story of Squid Game makes sense. However, the sequel had the risk of diluting the powerful anticapitalistic message of the first season. Aside from its final episode, Squid Game’s season 1 tells a self-contained story in which children’s games get a deadly twist for the amusement of the wealthiest 1%, who enjoy betting on which poor player will die next. The games are spectacular, partly explaining Squid Game‘s success. Still, if the series resonated with millions worldwide, it’s because of its character-focused approach and universal discussion of the soul-crushing experience of financial despair.

It wouldn’t be enough just to create another tournament for season 2. At the same time, the sequel season had to get back to the games somehow, as they are at the core of the show’s identity. It’s a tricky balancing act, but Hwang did it again, delivering a season that stays thematically relevant while crafting breathtaking set pieces revolving around the games. It’s not all good, as season 2 has pacing issues that were absent in the first season. Yet, in its sophomore season, Squid Game proves its success was no mere accident, and the show remains one of the best of its generation.

Set three years after season 1’s championship ends, Squid Game season 2 follows Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) as he uses his money prize to find the people running the games. While the logistics of tracking down the most influential humans on the planet is a challenge in itself, Gi-hun’s goals make the task even harder. Gi-hun doesn’t want to kill the people on top, as that would unlikely end the game — as long as there’s profit involved and a moral justification for the barbaric competition, there will always be people willing to exploit other’s misfortune. Instead, Gi-hun is out to convince the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) to end the games.

As Netflix’s market campaign betrays, Gi-hun’s quest will put him back into the tournament, as he s 455 players to survive six trials in a blood-soaked gauntlet. However, things are not the same this time around. From the inside, Gi-hun is willing to use his champion expertise to save as many people as possible, convincing other players that solidarity is their only tool to beat a rigged system. Meanwhile, the Front Man mixes up the game’s rules to prove to Gi-hun that humans are inherently selfish and people don’t care about each other if they can make some money.

What makes season 2 of Squid Game so enticing is how it revolves around Gi-hun and the Front Man’s psychological warfare. For Gi-hun to win, he has to stick with his principles and show the istration of the games human life is priceless. The Front Man, in his turn, keeps pushing Gi-hun so he will finally put a price on other people, accepting that the ends can justify the means. It’s a powerful concept that’s explored their ethical limits, giving renewed meaning to the competition.

The return of the games also offers Hwang the opportunity to introduce new characters, each exemplifying how the hegemonic economic system is designed for people to fail. Despite moral inclinations, personal beliefs, or even intellectual acumen, every player is a prisoner of their personal tragedy, carrying the blame for their condition even if the odds were stacked against them from the start. 

It doesn’t take long for the players to be split into two large groups, each unaware they align with Gi-hun and the Front Man. There are clear underdogs written to win the audience’s heart, like Geum-ja (Kang Ae-shim), an elderly mother who accepts the invitation to pay off the debts of her son, Yong-sik (Yang Dong-geun), who also gets drafted into the games. Then, there are the characters people will love to hate, such as the junkie rapper Thanos (Choi Seung-hyun). 

Apart from the players, season 2 of Squid Game also has new and returning characters that help explore the function of the games from the istration’s perspective. That’s a welcome angle that helps understand how such a complex scheme can function. Meanwhile, the people Gi-hun enlisted on the outside serve to exemplify how far-reaching the tentacles of the wealthy are. Regardless of their role in the Hwang’s master plan for the Squid Game, season 2 keeps the show’s impeccable acting streak, with the whole cast committed to delivering layered and credible characters.

Unfortunately, not every character gets enough screen time. With so many faces to handle in seven episodes, instead of the nine the first season had, some characters drew the shorter stick, getting removed from the games before leaving their mark. Meanwhile, the season’s abrupt ending leaves almost every survivor with incomplete and unsatisfactory character arcs.

The biggest flaw of season 2 is how it’s just half a story and not the whole thing. There’s nothing inherently wrong with cliffhangers, especially in television. Still, season 2 of Squid Game ends before any of its main plot points get resolved. Season 1 of the show still left enough threads hanging, but by the time the credits roll, it’s clear that’s the end of one story and the beginning of another. However, season 2 suddenly stops, leaving everything for season 3 to resolve. The second season feels frustratingly incomplete without a denouement, souring the awe it instigates for most of its seven episodes.

Understandably, Hwang is thinking ahead, given that Netflix greenlighted two seasons at once. However, each TV show season needs to have a purpose in itself, lest it risk alienating the audience rather than keeping people engaged for multiple years. Or, if the goal is to tell a single story and split it in half, it’s essential to put in place a release strategy that tells fans exactly when they will see the ending of the current narrative.

Season 2’s pacing issues are not only due to its sudden ending but also to how it starts. The season takes almost two full episodes to set all the pieces on the board before the games begin. This slow-paced approach allows Hwang to invest some necessary time into worldbuilding, fleshing out the nature of Squid Game’s central conflict. Nevertheless, given the shortened season and the lack of a proper conclusion, it becomes evident how some episodes are better than others.

Credit where credit is due, Squid Game is still eye-popping in its second season, with the competition giving birth to even more impressive set pieces. Because of that, Netflix’s hit series can be socially relevant while highly entertaining, keeping you on the edge of your seat watching innocent children’s games warped into a depraved contest. All things considered, the good vastly compensates the bad, and season 2 of Squid Game is fated to ensnare the public’s imagination just like the first season once did.