Squid Game is back with Season 2; new games, new players, and one superb (and rage-inducing) change that brilliantly affects the dynamic of the competition.
Gi-hun returns to the games in Squid Game Season 2, determined to find the Front Man (who secretly competes alongside the other players) and stop the contest for good.
However, there are some notable changes. It still starts with Red Light, Green Light, but don’t expect to see Dalgona, Glass Bridge, or Tug-of-War: this year, there’s the Six-Legged Pentathlon and Mingle, two incredibly different but frighteningly difficult challenges.
As you’d expect, things get tense as more players are killed off – but the Front Man has made one big change this time around, and it’s not as kind as it seems.
Squid Game Season 2 lets players vote after every game
In Squid Game Season 2, the remaining players vote after every game to decide whether or not to continue the competition. If they vote to stop the games, they go home with a cut of the prize money so far.
That’s quite different from the first season, where the players were only allowed to vote once after Red Light, Green Light. They chose to go home, but they weren’t given any money: they left alive, but empty-handed, forcing them into temptation again.
This time, the players are asked to decide if they want to continue the games. If they choose yes, they’re given a circle sticker. If they choose no, they’re given an X sticker. On paper, it seems more compassionate than the first season; they’re not being held there against their will, they always have a choice and it’s based on democratic principles.
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However, as the season progresses, the voting causes intense division; the prize pot gets bigger, and those who want to stay resent those who want to leave, and vice versa, leading to inevitable violence.
Speaking to THR, the show’s creator Hwang Dong-hyuk explained: “We live in a democratic society, and everyone has their own right to vote, but the dominant side rules. So I also wanted to pose the question: is the majority always right?
“I was inspired by the sheer fact that everywhere you turn, people are drawing lines, whether it’s by generation, class, religion, ethnicity, or race. I wanted to tell a story about how the different choices we make create conflicts among us and to open up a conversation about whether there is a way to move toward a direction where we can overcome these divisions.
“In Korea these days, we’re seeing much worse conflict between the elderly and the younger generation. And you see demarcation everywhere. There’s no room for debate, only hostility. So I was inspired by the direction the entire world is taking.”
If you’ve already watched it, check out our Squid Game Season 2 ending explained and find out what we know about Squid Game Season 3. You can also read our list of the best TV shows of 2024 and best movies of the year.
