A conflict within the group blinded by money and the 'just one more game' mindset hoping for a reversal in life.
The core message thrown to the world by 'Squid Game Season 2,' which was released on the afternoon of the 26th at 5 p.m., is this. Season 2 consists of a total of 7 episodes, all released on this day.
Can 'Squid Game,' which returned after three years, surpass the success of Season 1? Released in 2021, 'Squid Game' Season 1 surpassed 2.2 billion hours of cumulative viewing, making it Netflix's biggest hit. At that time, Bloomberg estimated the value of 'Squid Game' at $900 million (about 1.3 trillion won).
Season 2 depicts the story of Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), who participated in 'Squid Game' three years ago and experienced the deaths of all participants except himself, participating in the game again to end it.
The most common question from those who watched 'Squid Game' Season 1 was, 'Would you participate in the game?' It asks whether one would risk their life to win the prize money of 456 million won.
Season 2 first addresses this point. Before participating in the game, Gi-hun speaks with the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), who oversees 'Squid Game.' Of course, the Front Man's face is hidden. The Front Man says, 'Those who participate in the game are trash who lost in the competition of the world,' and adds, 'The Squid Game is the last chance we give to them who are burdened with unmanageable debt.'
In response, Gi-hun replies, 'Don't wrap it up as an unavoidable choice for people on the edge. I will show you that the world does not move just the way you want it to.'
Thus, 'Squid Game' begins again. Gi-hun desperately tries to save the game participants in every game. It is to the point that even his longtime friend Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan) cannot understand. However, the participants blinded by money continue to fight and compete.
Season 2 portrays how groups divide, hate, and confront each other based on ideology, origin, gender, etc., during the course of each game. Those who do not think like me are thoroughly excluded. They also betray their own team without any hesitation to survive. The weak, such as women and the elderly, are ignored.
Especially as the game format changes from a 'cooperative game' where participants form teams and work together to a 'competitive game' where they must fight each other, the conflicts and confrontations among participants explode.
In Season 2, participants can decide whether to continue the game or halt it through voting after each game ends. Participants wanting to earn more money can choose O, while those who want to stop playing and leave with money can select X.
At each voting, Gi-hun persuades the participants, saying, 'Continuing the game will get you killed,' but the participants wanting more money continue playing. As groups split into O and X factions, the conflict among participants deepens, leading to murders.
In particular, participants constantly shout, 'Just one more game,' as they move on to the next game. They believe that this next game will truly be the last, and they will earn a larger sum and then quit.
Yong-sik (Yang Dong-geun), who has accumulated significant debt from gambling, continues with the game despite the pleas of his mother (Kang Ae-sim), who coincidentally participates in the game with him, saying, 'If I just finish this next game, I can pay off my debt completely.' Transgender Hyun-joo (Park Sung-hoon) votes O, stating that they need more money to complete their sex reassignment surgery.
Myung-ki (Im Si-wan), a YouTuber who caused losses not only to himself but to his subscribers due to incorrect investments in cryptocurrency, tells his ex-girlfriend Jun-hee (Jo Yu-ri), who is pregnant with his child, 'Just trust me this once. Let's leave here and start over.' He further states, 'I will invest in stocks, not cryptocurrency.'
'Just one more game' is what people addicted to gambling often say. They believe that one more game will allow them to win money, but the result is usually not as desired. Those who keep making the same mistakes also say similar things like, 'Just give me one more chance.'
What kind of conclusion will those who participated in 'Squid Game' to pay off their debts arrive at? Can Gi-hun end the game?
Unfortunately, the conclusion cannot be confirmed in Season 2. The anticipated confrontation between Gi-hun and the Front Man is not properly depicted. The Front Man, disguised as a game participant, helps Gi-hun but betrays him in the end. Even at this point, Gi-hun is unaware of the Front Man's identity.
Netflix is expected to release 'Squid Game' Season 3 next year.