Squid Game Season 2 Review: Murder, Mayhem and a Ton of Fun

After the devastating last season, Squid Game is back with another season and this time, a hardened and weary Gi-hun is back in the game after giving up on his dreams of going to the US. Delving deeper into the operation behind the games, Gi-hun must keep his wits about him and try to stop this madness while doing everything he can to stay alive.

The season has 7 episodes, each with a runtime of 60 minutes.

Squid Game Season 2 Review

For fans of death games and all things murder-y via children’s games, Squid Game 2 is back for some insane games and disturbing times but surprisingly enough, the deaths don’t start till episode 3, which is wild! We are also getting a good look at the enforcers this time around, which adds a layer of intrigue to the madness without taking anything anyway. Writer-director Hwang Dong-hyuk has once again brought an extremely thrilling season that, even though treading similar paths, does a great job of keeping the thrill and mystery alive.

Squid Game Season 2 sees Gi-hun back inside the games, but this time, it’s both by choice and chance. The sheer magnitude of the operation is an interesting and arresting watch, coupled with Gi-hun’s unyielding resilience to see his mission through – bringing down the operation once and for all. While Hwang Jun-ho tries to find the base of the operation from outside, Gi-hun tries his best to stay alive and keep others alive, while inside the game.

There’s a ton of humour in this season, which is shocking considering most of the hopeful/positive vibes that we get are during the death games when people are walking over other people’s blood. Season 2 is truly entertaining and, unlike the first season’s dread and confusion, we are given the opportunity to enjoy every episode, albeit with the dread in the back of our minds. The series meshes these two genres extremely well and we go through a rollercoaster of emotions constantly. One moment we feel shocked and in the very next something amusing happens to dispense the mood.

However, what the Netflix dystopian series gets thoroughly right is its emotions. From sadness, and anger, to the tense anticipation of what’s coming – there will be myriad emotions running through viewers’ minds throughout the runtime of the series. I think this season is better than the last and feels even more tense than the first season. Because of a few characters, whom I won’t name, joining the game, it’s riveting. Although I did miss the evil vibes of Heo Sung-tae’s Jang Deok-su and his insane chemistry with Kim Joo-ryoung’s Han Mi-nyeo, I think the series outdoes itself with the intricacies of the characters and their emotions. I wasn’t much of a fan of some of the antagonists, but I didn’t think it was too big of an issue.

Let’s come to the games – no, we don’t get to see a repeat of the previous ones. New games come with new challenges this season and every game is thoroughly entertaining and nail-biting. The series adds some humour in every game and somehow it makes watching this more intriguing. Its 7 episodes are a bit short and there is a surprising twist towards the end that leaves us questioning things for a bit but you know what – I am here for it. The insane twist makes sense in the grand scheme of things and is very on point for the series.

Unfortunately, the B-lot continues to be depressingly lacking and I found myself groaning every time it came online. It’s half-baked and boring storyline is forgettable and unnecessary and pads the runtime than anything else. We could’ve watched another game or two in that time but alas, that’s not the world we live in. However, it’s the ending that really disappointed me – the open ending is fine in other shows, but in a show like this one, it feels a bit out of place. Although we are getting a final season next year, I can’t help but wish for a more rounded-off ending than what we got.

Also, let’s not forget the fantastic performances this season. Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun face off against one another in an interesting way and leave us mesmerised by their rivalry. There’s something chilling about Byung-hun this season and although he left quite the impression last time, this season has something chilling in store for viewers. The rest of the ensemble cast is equally fantastic, making this an arresting watch that doesn’t disappoint.

Final Thoughts

Squid Game Season 2 leaves us feeling dread, thrill and a host of different emotions. Even though we have gone through this song and dance before, Hwang Dong-hyuk’s storytelling is fantastic and leaves us mesmerised till the end. Whether it be the score, the stunning cinematography or the performances, every aspect of the second season is deliciously shocking and you won’t be able to stop yourself from binging this one.

Also Read: Netflix’s Squid Game Review: Absolutely Thrilling