squid game
season 2

by anna jane begley

Squid Game was one of the most exciting original series to grace Netflix – the story of bona fide “loser” Seong Gi-hun and his desperate bid to win some cash by taking part in a fight-to-the-death sequence of playground games captivated international audiences and impressed critics with its aciculate critique of the modern world’s skewed capitalist hierarchy.

So successful was director Hwang Dong-hyuk’s creation, the tone deaf gameshow spin-off Squid Game: The Challenge was rolled out, representing the second largest cash prize in reality TV history – and thereby effectively undermining the entire point of its predecessor. 

But not to worry, we can brush that blip under the carpet for season two has been released with season three on its way this year. While some critics have argued Squid Games is a one-season masterpiece, there’s no doubt the first season left us with a few loose ends: detective Hwang Jun-ho who snuck in the games as a guard discovered – major spoiler alert – that his brother Lee Byung-hun is the Front Man behind the sadistic games – Jun-ho then gets shot by him, and falls of a cliff. 

Meanwhile Gi-hun, after winning the games and donning brick red hair, defies the Front Man’s order to get on a plane to the US and instead turns back with a look of vengeance hard-pressed into his face. The games certainly weren’t over.

And so we fast forward to three years later: hellbent Gi-hun, with the help of his former loan shark, is chasing shadows trying to find the sophisticated operators behind the games (to do what exactly it’s not quite clear). Meanwhile Jun-ho, alive and seemingly un-traumatised by fraternal betrayal, finally reveals his identity to Gi-hun and they team up again in the hope to uncover the people behind games and…nope, it’s still not quite clear what they intend to do when they find them. It’s difficult to determine whether this is a deliberate reflection on wider power structures (we know too well it’s easy to expose corruption at the top, the problem is the inability to do anything about it), or just an oversight. 

These first three episodes mark an interesting shift towards crime drama, adorned with car crashes and chase scenes, but it doesn’t lose the message at its core: in one early scene, The Salesman (a wonderfully Mephastophelian Gong Yoo who carries the first part of the series) approaches homeless people in the park, offering free bread or a scratch card. Should they lose out on the scratch card, he stomps ferociously on the bread in front of them. It’s probably the most poignant scene of the entire show, let alone the series.

The two steps forward Gi-hun seems to make in these episodes ultimately results in 10 steps back. He finds himself back in the games, this time with new insight but also with old stereotypes from the first series: the crazy middle-aged lady; the cringey tattooed alpha-male and his submissive crew; the proud businessman; the couple/family (in this season, a mother and son). 

Other than a couple of new themes introduced (a pertinent note on healthcare is a particular highlight), we are on familiar and sadly predictable territory. As Jun-ho and his gang fade in screen time, some new games and a subplot involving a certain player are not enough to make this feel fresh enough to justify a new series. The twist at the end almost winks at you, thinking it’s left you wanting more. Instead it feels like we’re back at step one: clueless, powerless and wondering what on earth the point was. Hopefully season three will pick up the slack. 

For drinks pairings, we’re going with a game synonymous with the show – so popular, in fact it made it to the second season: Red Light, Green Light (essentially a take on a mojito). For this mocktail, you’ll need: 1 lime cut into quarters, 200ml soda water, 1 tbsp sugar syrup, one handful of raspberries (about eight raspberries) and one handful of fresh mint.

Muddle together the lime, mint and raspberries. Add some crushed ice and top with the soda water. For an alcoholic version, you can also add a couple of shots of soju, a Korean drink traditionally made from rice. Sit back, enjoy and let the mix of raspberries and late-stage capitalism leave a sour taste in your mouth.

Both seasons of Squid Game are available to watch on Netflix.