REVIEW: Squid Game Season Two, The Reckoning

The second season of “Squid Game” was just released on Netflix in late December, and it’s a wild ride that tries to match up to the incredible first season. While it doesn’t live up to the instant cult classic of the original, it still packs some punches and is worth the watch.  

The creator of “Squid Game,” Hwang Dong-hyuk, wanted to explain the unanswered questions from the first season. The first season ended with the main character in the series, Seong Gi-hun, looking at getting vengeance against the game organizers. Also, Dong-hyuk wanted to show Gi-hun’s backstory.  

How It Compares to Season 1
Everyone seem to love the first season. It was very different from any other show that was on during that time. The first season premiered on Netflix on Sept.17, 2021, while production was impacted by the pandemic, including a mandatory stop in filming from June to October 2020. However, the fact that it premiered during the COVID-19 pandemic was good luck and it caught everyone by surprise. This new season is good but does not have as many twists as the first season. The obvious difference is that the first season has nine episodes, and the second season has seven episodes. 

Number 456
Seong Gi-hun, who is player number 456, is back, and this time he’s not just playing; he is out for revenge. After winning the first game, he returns to take down the game because of its deadly competition. The season starts with him trying to figure out who is behind the games. Once he manages to find out who is responsible, he then tries to infiltrate the games. Gi-hun’s goal is to find out who is in charge so he can stop the games for good.  

Deadly Games
The show still has some interesting moments, including some very interesting games, some repeated games but also a few new ones. All the games are still intense, starting with “Red Light, Green Light” returning as the deadliest game ever. There are some new games that are very creative, and they keep things interesting. The end of the series seems more like an action movie, with a lot of gunfights and twists. 

 Lord of the Flies  

One comparison I thought about during the series is how much it reminded me of the book “Lord of the Flies,” by William Golding. The two groups of players split into two sections, one good and one bad, similar to Golding story. The bad group terrorizes and tries to destroy the good group. It shows how people can become mean and brutal really fast when they are in a very dangerous situation where they might die. 

The Bottom Line
The second season of Squid Game”  is like that sequel that tries really hard but can’t quite match the original. It’s still entertaining, it is still violent and still makes you think about how you would act if you were in the same situation. If you loved the first season, you will want to watch this one. Just don’t expect it to be as good as the first season. It is worth watching, but the first season still is much better. Don’t get too attached to the characters because this is “Squid Game.” Looking forward to the third season!