The Korean TV show ‘‘Squid Game’’ has reached record-breaking popularity worldwide, with Season One reaching 265.2 million views on Netflix. With the launch of its second season in December of 2024, the show became Netflix’s top-rated series in all 93 countries where the streaming service is accessible. This remarkable feat makes it the first ever show to claim the number-one spot simultaneously across the world.
The show features a total of 456 contestants, each driven by the desperate need to win the grand prize of 45.6 billion Won, the equivalent of $30,871,200, in order to overcome their crippling debt. These players compete in a series of children’s games, which may appear simple at first, but the deadly consequences of elimination elevate the stakes significantly.
While trailers or clips from the show might make you think it’s just a gruesome thriller, in actuality, the show includes well-developed backstories for each character. It also explores compelling themes about society and the lengths people will go for survival and greed.
With the release of Season Two, we see that Gi-hun, a past winner of Squid Game has decided to end the games and their unnecessary death several years after his victory. Things don’t go as planned, despite the advantage of having gone through the games already, he fails to anticipate the games’ many changes.
The show introduces new characters who play major parts in Gi-hun’s plans and many characters we have already met return, often creating exciting plot twists. These relationships and experiences push Gi-hun to reflect on his views of humanity and his purpose, which affects his approach to dismantling the games.
The series delves into how the games change the players by forcing them to confront their deepest fears and desires, revealing hidden aspects of themselves they might not have known existed. For some, these transformations are empowering, while others end up worse than before. These changes raise the question of whether survival in such dire circumstances comes at the cost of one’s humanity.
Season Two dives more into why players choose to participate in the games despite the overwhelming risk of death. Many are lured with the promise of a way out of their overwhelming debt or personal crisis, highlighting each character’s deep emotional stories. This desperation is at the heart of the show’s societal critique, as it highlights how hopeless situations push individuals to take unimaginable risks.
While Season One hinted at the roles the workers play in the games, Season Two explores further into their lives and how they are recruited. Viewers are given a behind the scenes perspective as a newly selected guard faces her own set of challenges and moral dilemmas.
Throughout the series, characters clash over their beliefs about humanity. Gi-hun remains a beacon of hope, holding onto the belief that there is good left in people, despite the horrors he has witnessed. Others, however, believe that humanity is inherently selfish and corrupt, seeing no redemption in the world. This tension of hope and cynicism drives much of the conflict and serves as a mirror for the audience to reflect on their own views of human nature.
After watching the Season Two cliffhanger, many fans are trying to predict what will come next. Will Gi-hun manage to put an end to the game? Only the final season, which is set to release later in 2025, can answer these questions.
“Squid Game” has become a cultural phenomenon, captivating audiences around the world with its grim exploration of society through the allure of power, the fragility of trust and the lengths people will go for survival. The stakes are higher than ever, and if the past two seasons are any indication, season three promises to deliver an unforgettable conclusion to this story.
