Squid Game Season 2 Confirmed By Series Creator
Nearly two months after the Netflix surprise megahit dropped into our lives, "Squid Game" is gearing up for round two! The universe must've sensed that we're all nostalgic for marble games because at long last, someone cornered series creator, writer, and director Hwang Dong-hyuk to pop the big question: will "Squid Game ” return for a season 2? If you binged through the entire season (which the numbers say you did), then you'll probably like his response. Dong-hyuk told the Associated Press:
"There's been so much pressure, so much demand, and so much love for a second season. So I almost feel like you leave us no choice. But, I will say there will indeed be a second season. It's in my head right now. I'm in the planning process currently. But I do think it's too early to say when and how that's going to happen."
COMEBACK SQUID: Hwang Dong-hyuk, the director, creator, writer of #SquidGame says the show will be back with more Gi-hun adventures. pic.twitter.com/uqC1DIdZqy
— AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) November 9, 2021
Dong-hyuk has obviously gotten this question plenty of times within the past few months and though he's openly speculated on what concepts he could explore with a second season, this is the first time he's offered true confirmation — more "Squid Game" is apparently in the works. Though he's still working through the planning process, fans now have more Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) to look forward to!
Even if Netflix itself has yet to confirm anything, it's hard to imagine them saying no to more of a show that became a literal global sensation. The real question is no longer if we'll see more "Squid Game," but what we'll see when it finally returns.
The Possibilities of Season 2
Beware — spoilers for "Squid Game" season 1 are below.
As you probably already know, the first season of the massively popular series follows a group of 456 strangers who compete in a mysterious game for a massive sum of money: 45.6 billion Won. That's about 38 million in U.S. dollars, give or take a few million for exchange rates. Each of the contestants in the Squid Game has a good reason for why they're willing to possibly die in order to get that money, and it goes well beyond greed. Viewers grew attached to the players, like gambling addict Gi-hun, mysterious funny lady Mi-nyeo, and North Korean defector Sae-byeok. We watched as the characters played a series of increasingly difficult and violent versions of children's games like "Red Light, Green Light," marbles, and tug-of-war. And in the end, one player was left standing.
When the season ends, Gi-hun is the winner of the Squid Game. He has a final surprising showdown with the game's secret creator, Player 001, who dies and leaves the Squid Game without a Host.
After leaving his prize money untouched for a year, Gi-hun uses it for good causes before setting off to see his daughter in America. But before boarding his flight, he's stopped in his tracks by the realization that the games will continue, with a new batch of unsuspecting victims. Wherever the second season picks up, we likely haven't seen the last of Gi-hun, who seems determined to bring the Squid Games to an end.
Creator Dong-hyuk has previously talked through some possible season 2 ideas, indicating his interest in the mysterious Frontman who oversees the actual mechanics of the games, as well as the role of the police. He said:
"I think the issue with police officers is not just an issue in Korea. I see it on the global news. This was an issue that I wanted to raise. Maybe in season two I can talk about this more."
While the first season used the games as a commentary on capitalism and exploration of class politics, that just scratches the surface of the social commentary seeded into the show. It's a bit of a cliche, but between the massive success of season 1, the effortlessly intriguing premise, and the creative mind behind this whole thing, the possibilities for season 2 of "Squid Game" feel endless.
The Unanswered Questions
Season 2 will hopefully answer some of the many unanswered questions left in the wake of the season one finale. The most pressing question is what Gi-hun is going to do now that he's taken care of a few loose ends and wants to take down the games. Will he recruit any of the surviving family members of past players? Will he look for past winners, to see if any of them want to help? During the seventh episode, one of the rich, depraved VIPs mentions that Korea has "the best games this year." Does that mean we could see Gi-hun trying to take out Squid Games in another country?
Even if Gi-hun only decides to go after the games he was a part of, there's still plenty of lingering questions. Did undercover police officer Hwang Jun-Ho survive his gunshot wound and fall from the cliff? If so, he could get the police more heavily involved in taking down the games. If not, maybe we'll follow his fellow officers looking for their fallen comrade. Either way, his fate will seriously affect the upcoming season.
The other big question revolves around Jun-ho's brother, In-ho, who somehow became the Squid Game's Frontman, answering only to the Host. Jun-ho discovered that his brother managed to win the Squid Game in 2015, but that doesn't explain why he's become one of the big baddies in charge. With the Host dead, will In-ho step in to take his place?
What We Want to See
While there are plenty of plot questions left unsolved after the finale, it would be great to see the wild world-building within "Squid Game" taken further. What's life like for the employees of the Squid Game, the masked "help" who cook, clean, and execute on the Frontman's orders? Most of the people that we grew attached to in season 1 are dead now, so it will be interesting to see what new characters the series introduces in season 2. Hopefully, some of those characters will be Squid Game employees, who serve as an interesting allegory for the middle class, trapped between the elite VIPs and the poverty-stricken players.
Speaking of the VIPs — season 2 should dig deeper into who exactly the murderous masked money-makers are, and how they get involved in something like the Squid Games. Are any of them political figures, turning a blind eye to the violence because of bribes or blackmail? The first season showed us plenty about the players, but getting to know the other levels of power in this unusual world could really deepen the meaning of its class warfare metaphor.
Hopefully, the second season doesn't repeat the mistakes of "Hunger Games" by doing another round of the Squid Game, just bigger. There's so much else to explore in this rich world, and season 2 could have plenty of surprises in store.