Netflix
Proceed with caution, spoilers for season 2 of “Squid Game” are ahead.
Landing on the scene in 2021 and instantly becoming a global phenomenon, “Squid Game” is Netflix’s biggest series launch to date. After a three-year hiatus, the deadly and treacherous game is back, promising to be as heart-stopping as before. In the first season, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) emerged as the only survivor of the merciless battle royale, bagging a whopping ₩45.6 billion and sporting a new head of red hair. So, where does the second season commence? How much time has passed since Gi-hun took the game masters head-on, vowing to put an end to their ruthless exploitation of the vulnerable? As revealed in the premiere of season 2, not much time has passed; it’s as if we’ve never left the games behind.
The second season’s opening episode picks up right where we left off with Gi-hun. His hair still vividly red, he’s mid-conversation with the enigmatic Front Man when he discovers a tracking device implanted in his ear, which he quickly removes. The narrative then takes a two-year leap, highlighting an apparent impasse between our protagonist and the masked antagonists.
Time is not an ally for the heroes in Squid Game
Netflix
In a world where every second matters and the right sugar cookie choice can mean the difference between life and death, it’s worth noting that “Squid Game” fast forwards a whole two years after season one’s finale. While Gi-hun’s luck saw him survive, he is nowhere near unmasking the game masters behind his horrifying ordeal, despite hiring a team to scour the subways for the elusive Recruiter who ensnared him into the nightmare.
After all this time, what have the nefarious individuals behind the games been doing? How closely have they been watching our hero, and more importantly, to what extent have they penetrated his life post-victory? It’s great to have a team on the hunt, but who’s to say Gi-hun’s hires aren’t double agents? Each failure in tracing the game’s masters might be an inside job. He needs an ally he can trust, someone motivated to venture back into the terrifying games. Unfortunately, that person is currently occupied on a boat, accompanied by a fisherman.
Jun-ho’s injuries from Squid Game are yet to heal
Netflix
Despite being shot and nearly losing his life in the previous season, Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun), the resolute police officer, is back on the mission. Reassigned as a traffic cop after his unsuccessful attempt to expose the games to the world, he has spent the last two years searching for the vanished island. Every day Jun-ho embarks on a sea voyage with fisherman Captain Park, who saved Jun-ho from drowning after he was shot last season.
Jun-ho and Captain Park have been fruitlessly sailing around in search of the island. Naturally, a shady organization would use two years to cover their tracks, especially Jun-ho’s own brother, Hwang In-ho (Lee Byung-hun), aka the Front Man, who is maintaining the legacy left by Oh Il-nam (O Yeong-su). When they last met, Jun-ho’s older brother shot him, nearly killing him to protect his new role. There’s no guessing the lengths he’d go to keep it that way. For now, the best strategy is to binge-watch the entire series, hoping nobody opts for an umbrella this time.
“Squid Game” season 2 is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
Credit: www.slashfilm.com
