Opinion

‘Squid Game’ season two missed the mark

Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar

In 2020, the world found itself shut inside in fear of the Covid-19 epidemic. Boredom running rampant, many of us resorted to our screens, finding refuge in any piece of media we could get our hands on.

One of the most acclaimed shows of this time was Netflix’s “Squid Game, a gory Korean survival drama that quickly rose to the top of the platform’s rankings.

While season one has been lauded as a masterful creation in just about every aspect, some viewers found themselves disappointed by season two, and with good reason. The 2024 installation of the series fell short in several ways, to the discontent of fans.

To give some background on the first season, it follows the story of Seong Gi-Hun, a divorced father with a gambling problem that has led him to financial ruin. One day he’s approached by a man who offers him a way out of his troubles.

Unfortunately, this is more than Gi-Hun bargained for, and he’s thrust into a battle where players are made to fight through games in order to survive and win a large cash prize. Orchestrated by masked guards and wealthy spectators, the games are gruesome, and the show leaves nothing to the imagination with its consistent bloodshed.

The season was a thrilling political commentary, fit with just the right amount of side stories that made its characters feel truly human, begging the question of whether anyone could truly be labeled “good” or “bad.” It was beloved for its compelling character arcs and riveting narrative that kept viewers emotional and on their toes up until the end.

At the tail end of 2024, season two finally released, picking up right where the first left off. Gi-Hun has survived the games, and as he’s about to move on with his life again, he finds himself caught up in the same sinister plot.

This time, though, he has no intentions of winning. This season’s narrative takes a turn as Gi-Hun hatches a plan to capture the orchestrator of the games. Now, he’s forced to live through a similar nightmare as he does everything he can to get everyone out alive and end the games for good.

A simple, intriguing plot that lends itself space to pull the audience in.

Unfortunately, that space was not utilized as it could’ve been.

Where the previous season achieved endearing character plots that got perfect amounts of screen time, the 2024 installment lacked what made the beginning of the series: Ambiguity.

What season two lacks is the comprehensive characters it began with. There is a clear divide between personalities viewers are meant to sympathize with, and ones they’re meant to hate, completely discarding any humanity certain players could have had. We hardly see anything about what the players are going through this time around, being told smaller snippets of their struggles as our focus remains on Gi-Hun.

The basic premise of the series is a reminder that capital ruins people, making the poor use each other as stepping stones while the rich divide them and treat it as entertainment. Many characters could hardly hold full blame for their actions. They were people who were beat down and disadvantaged, desperate to the point of putting their lives on the line just for a chance at bringing themselves back from the brink.

The real enemy was the people who had taken advantage of their hardships, and this was an incredibly powerful message.

This brings forth another issue with the season, which is its lack of comprehensive concepts. Of course, there’s still the blatant divide between the rich and poor, but the new episodes tend to give more focus to their action and sadistic violence than integral commentary.

Truly, it is difficult to compare the two seasons, as the beginning of the series was something no one expected a perfect follow-up to. However, it can certainly be said that the second edition was not what it could’ve been, and audiences can only hope that the third will find its footing and restore the show to its former glory.

Parker Hodges-Beggs is a journalism sophomore who can be reached at [email protected]

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