Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Squid Game season 2, episodes 1-7.Squid Gameseason 2 repeats a major part of Seong Gi-hun’s story from the first outing, andI’m not buying the Netflix series' big coincidence.Gi-hun’s return to the Squid Game tournamentis nearly as messy and chaotic as his first time around, despite the show’s lead knowing what to expect from the competition. Many elements ofSquid Gameseason 2 mirror aspects of season 1, fromepisode 3’s Player 001 twistto Hwang Jun-ho searching for the island the tournament is held on.
These commonalities make sense within the context of season 2’s story, butthere’s one likeness to season 1 that I don’t find all that believable. While Gi-hun needs connections in the Games to make them more emotional, alliances withSquid Gameseason 2’s new characterscould have accomplished that. Bringing Jung-bae into the tournament undoubtedly raises the stakes for Gi-hun, and it makesSquid Gameseason 2’s endingmore tragic. However, it also feels like a massive coincidence, repeating a season 1 story that was already a bit unlikely.
Squid Game Season 2 Repeats Its Sang-woo & Gi-hun Story With Jung-bae
Gi-hun Runs Into Another Old Friend During The Tournament
Gi-hun running into Jung-bae at the Squid Game tournament repeats season 1’s storyline with Cho Sang-woo, another one of Gi-hun’s old friends who reunited with him at the competition. Sang-woo’s history with Gi-hun is a bit different from Jung-bae’s, as Sang-woo andSquid Game’s lead are childhood friends. By contrast, Jung-bae is more of a gambling buddy to Gi-hun, though the two still share a bond that continues throughout the tournament. Connecting with both characters gives Gi-hun someone to lean on in the Games. It also gives him more to lose.
Is Squid Game Season 2 Better Than Season 1?
With all episodes of Squid Game season 2 available to stream on Netflix, debate has begun about how the new season compares to its predecessor.
And that last part is likely whySquid Gameseason 2 brings someone from Gi-hun’s personal life into the competition. Arguably, it isn’t as necessary during the second outing, as the stakes are already high with Gi-hun trying to topple the tournament. But Jung-bae’s presence gives the Front Man leverage, something that becomes apparent duringSquid Gameseason 2’s finale.It also puts even more pressure on Gi-hun to actually end the Games— something he, sadly, fails to accomplish before Jung-bae’s death.
Gi-hun Running Into Old Friends At Two Separate Squid Games Feels Unlikely
The Secret Competition Doesn’t Seem To Be All That Secret
Although Jung-bae’s inclusion inSquid Gameseason 2 makes sense from a storytelling perspective, I’m not sure that I buy the coincidental nature of his reunion with Gi-hun. Despite the Squid Game tournament being extremely secretive,Gi-hun runs into familiar faces both times that he plays the Games. This feels unlikely even once, but having it happen twice borders on being unbelievable. In fact, the number of people who just happen to run into one another during the competition in season 2 seems unusually high — unless the organizers plan for it.
Gi-hun just happening to meet old friends both times he joins the tournament feels like a massive coincidence.
And I suppose it is possible that the organizers recruit in similar circles with the purpose of making the Games more entertaining for the VIPs. It also helps that family members are likely to share the burden of debt, and friends who bond over gambling will face similar financial struggles. Even so, Gi-hun just happening to meet old friends both times he joins the tournament feels like a massive coincidence.It makes me think the organizers are pulling the strings to make that happen, or that the writers are leaning too heavily on coincidence to raise the show’s stakes.
Gi-hun & Jung-bae’s Ending Copies Gi-hun & Sang-woo’s But With 1 Major Difference
Jung-bae being at the tournament isn’t the only way his story inSquid Gameseason 2 mirrors that of Sang-woo.Both of their arcs also end in tragedy, leaving a massive impact on Gi-hun. Sang-woo’s death at theend ofSquid Gameseason 1is part of the reason Gi-hun is so bent on destroying the tournament in season 2. He nearly sacrifices his humanity by fighting his own friend during season 1’s final game, and he’s forced to watch as Sang-woo takes his own life instead. The guilt and grief push Gi-hun to seek vengeance against those behind the tournament.
Squid Gameseason 3 is confirmed for 2025.
Jung-bae’s death is likely to leave Gi-hun with even more guilt, which is exactly what the Front Man wants. That’swhy the Front Man lets Gi-hun liveafter his uprising at the end ofSquid Gameseason 2: to break him using the death of his dear friend. Gi-hun is likely to be far more reluctant to push back against the Games inSquid Gameseason 3, setting up an even more tragic path for his character. It’s a big coincidence that Jung-bae plays the Games at the same time as him, but the outcome has the desired effect.
Squid Game
Cast
Squid Game is a South Korean series released in 2021 that follows numerous financially struggling participants who are invited to partake in children’s games with deadly outcomes. As they compete, they vie for a substantial cash prize, all while navigating lethal challenges orchestrated by mysterious figures.
