Squid Game 2: No slump, all substance

If you are a reader, you are probably familiar with the term, 'second book slump', where the second installation of a series commonly finds itself slowing down from the highs of the first part. After all, once you start with a bang, it will always be hard to live up to the expectations you set yourself.

When watching the second season of Squid Game, it felt like the creators of the series were very much aware of this concept, or rather a "second season slump," and did everything in their power to overcome it. 

The second season picks up right off where the first season ended, with the winner of the final games, Seong Gi-hun, storming out of the airport. This time Gi-hun is fuelled by his anger towards the games, setting towards a manhunt for the 'Front Man' and, in turn, his way back to the games. 

In a surprising twist, the show manages to match the energy of its predecessor by leaning into its strengths, such as its over-the-top characters and hard-hitting background stories, with plot twists spread throughout the season. 

Characters

Any story can write off a gruesome death for a character; however, what sets Squid Game apart is the real and human stories the show brings forward. Instead of letting the background stories of the players come through in between scenes of the game, the second season lets it take centre stage.

The writers ultimately have to make you feel connected with a whole new set of characters, and after losing a very memorable set of characters in the last season, the stakes of emotional investment are even higher for viewers. 

So, from the very first episode, the show plunges you into the struggles of Lee Jin-Uk, whose daughter is terminally ill; the pregnant Jun Hee, suffering from a bad investment; and Kang No-Eul, a North Korean defector who is looking for her child. 

The show makes an interesting move by connecting many of the players in the game, possibly helping the viewers' emotional attachment to the players. For example, Jun Hee finds Myung-Gi, the father of her child, at the games as well. However, the most bold move was to include the mother-son duo Park Yong-Sik and Jang Geum-Ja in the games. 

The show tactfully plays on the emotions of the audience by creating ties between them, no matter how subtle they are. The previous season was also memorable for its almost caricature-like characters. The show leans back into this with the drug-addicted star Thanos and Nam-Gyu, who lead the violence in the game, just like Jang Deok-su did in season one. 

Although Squid Game avoids the second season slump, it sort of feels like the show cheated its way out of it. Even though the storyline and visuals delivered a season that lived up to its predecessor, the second season does not give it the chance to falter as it stops abruptly, as if stopping mid sentence. It makes sense for fans to be angered by its cliffhanger conclusion.

Chilling visuals

It does not come as a surprise how the visual aesthetics of Squid Game have taken over social media again. While in the first season the playground-like arena was made to instill a sense of nostalgia, this time around it is done to remind you of the darkness Squid Game's classic aesthetic brings. 

For example, in scenes such as when the recruiter (played by Gong Yoo) plays Russian roulette with Seong Gi-Hun, a red light washes over them in the darkness of the motel room. To the side, you can see a splotchy window where the pattern is reminiscent of the arena Seong Gi-Hun played the Dalgona game last season. 

As a result, the scene makes you feel like Gi-Hun never really left the games, which could be a bit of foreshadowing as well. 

Themes

In between the gore and gruesome deaths, this season, the showmakers did not want you to forget what the show really is about—the inequality ingrained in society. In the second season, the theme is much more prevalent, and with good reason. 

Throughout the show, many of the characters repeat lines such as the fact that the players came to the games of their own free will and that they have the choice to leave when they want. Furthermore, there are points when the players who lost the games are referred to as 'losers'—emphasizing how they lost in life. 

The game maker creates a false sense of free will in the very first round of votes, letting the first vote go to the last player, Seong Gi-Hun. However, the deciding vote ended up in the hands of the rat in the game, the frontman, who ironically holds the number 001. While the characters do discuss the fact that half the room voted to play, it ultimately came down to player 001 to decide whether the game would go on or not. 

In a way, this concept hits very close to how the characters in the game come from disadvantaged positions in the first place due to societal and financial struggles. 

Though the show avoids the second-season slump, it sort of feels like the show cheated its way out of it. Even though the storyline and visuals delivered a season that lived up to its predecessor, the show does not give it the chance to falter as it stops abruptly, as if stopping mid-sentence. 

It makes sense for fans to be angered by its cliffhanger conclusion. Even if it does build the anticipation for the upcoming season, it hits the brakes on the show at the most crucial point. Whether this move will work out for the show, only time will tell once the third season comes out. 

Squid Game season 2 is currently streaming on Netflix.