Squid Game Season 2 review: Exciting but also disappointing

In the end, Season 2 of “Squid Game” manages to be exciting and Disappointing. The new season moves at a steady pace, passing through new twists and turns and unleashing even deadlier gameplay. But coming in at seven episodes, as opposed to the first season’s nine, this second season often feels like just a set-up for the third and final season. I suppose you could consider this the “Empire Strikes Back” of the “Squid Game” trilogy, a continuation with no real conclusion, complete with suspense designed to shock you and leave you hungry for more. On the other hand, by the time you’ve finished watching all seven episodes of Season 2 of “Squid Game,” you may find yourself wondering, “Is this all?” It certainly doesn’t help that Hwang loads the season with meandering stories that go absolutely nowhere. Will the series continue them in the third season? probably! But such an approach doesn’t make for very compelling viewing.

As Season 2 begins, some time has passed since the end of Season 1, and Ji Hoon is still haunted and determined. He used his huge bounty to hire an entire team of men to help him track down the people who were still running the Squid Game. Ji Hoon could have taken his money and run, but instead he wants to shut down the organization forever. He is joined on this front by Hwang Joon-ho (Wei Ha-jun), a cop with a direct connection to the deadly games: his brother Hwang In-ho (Lee Byung-hun), who calls him the front. Oh man, he’s the guy running the show, wearing a mask and dressing like a goth Doctor Doom as he takes over the games.

The nature of the show dictates that sooner or later, Gi-hun has to end up back in the game. Certainly this is exactly what is happening. This is where season two starts to run into problems. There’s a real sense of repetition that kicks in almost immediately. In an effort to remind viewers what they loved about the show in the first place, Season 2 of “Squid Game” ended by recycling elements from Season 1. There’s even a big twist involving one of the new players lifted straight from Season 1. Hell, even the organ harvesting subplot returns.

At the same time, Season 2 makes a big mistake by giving us far fewer matches. Part of what made the first season so memorable was the hosting of the deadly games that players found themselves participating in from episode to episode. However, Season 2 only gives us a small number of games, one of which – Red Light Green Light – has been carried over from Season 1. And while Season 1 found something for Joon-ho to do by having him sneak around a mysterious island where the Games are being held, Season 2 puts him on a boat for the entire season, with each episode briefly cutting to him as he sets sail trying to find Gi-hun. It’s, to be honest, pretty boring stuff, and gives the entire season a patchwork feel, as if Hwang was torn in two directions by his desire to advance the story while also being restricted by recycling familiar beats.