Squid Game Season 2 Is (Mostly) Pretty Good

[@hazelcraze]

The ending of this season was the epitome of “ That’s all I’ve got for you today, go away now “ by Netflix.

[@reginaphalange9417]

It's just a cliffhanger, the second part wIll come out in a few months

[@qsttheduck4971]

​@@reginaphalange9417 It's coming out in June , that's half a year

[@reginaphalange9417]

​@@qsttheduck4971as did BB with season 5, it ended on a huge cliffhanger and people had to wait one year if I recall correctly

[@alfredlear4141]

🫰

[@nomdeguerre8464]

​@reginaphalange9417 thanks Captain Obvious

[@amogus5902]

the recruiter absolutely stole the show for me in episode one, i don't think a game of rock paper scissors has ever caused my heart to race like that

[@gatordonttakenoshiat]

Definitely the highlight of the whole season

[@trent11ify]

he is a good actor yeah

[@Alphacuremom55]

I love how they also brought the front man in for a main role, those 2 did fantastic

[@Bruh.Andrew]

this show does tension so well the entire time i was watching it my heart was pumping anticipating what would happen next it sucks that it's just a half season

[@NickM_FirstofHisName]

And the finish with Andrea Bocelli! Mama mia!

[@uafchris]

Gi-hun staging the rebellion despite being massively outnumbered makes perfect sense when you consider his character is a compulsive gambler with extremely poor judgement. That's how he got into massive debt in the first place.

[@melkerhook]

Huh, very good point

[@dieforwenqingliveformengzo3241]

And his first goal is to stop the games forever.

[@misterwhyte]

This. Also, the people complaining about his attempt to storm the place fail to take into consideration that Gi-hun knows the games are made for everyone to die, save for one of them. He'd be crazy not to try and fight back, even if the odds of that working are terribly low.

[@YouCanCallMeReTro]

Their revolution was too drawn out. They spent half the finale screaming about how they're low on ammo while pinned down in the same staircase.

[@jesusloya4771]

I agree, but I would also throw his desperation into account in his mind his life is already forfeit

[@a_person_of_all_time]

Turns out, starring in the Acolyte would make you age like if you went through WW2

[@nomdeguerre8464]

​@thisismyname3928 right? OP thinks he's being novel?

[@A-Grat-A]

WW2 was much worse than that.

[@ParrotsAccount]

Its a joke man... ​@A-Grat-A

[@BrandonScott-mi5pz]

GREAT THE CRITICAL DRINKER SQUID 🦑 GAME SEASON TWO REVIEW,

[@Jonathan-ic9ef]

Maybe that was his plan all along. Man is dedicated to his craft!

[@Thinkcorp]

You didn’t mention the salesman. Awesome performance

[@applecorp]

He was really good to be fair, and what a twist for his character! 😦😦

[@nyx3470]

Gong Yoo has a variety of range as an Actor, I can see him nailing a major Villain role. Probably even better than Lee Byung-Hun

[@seanibarra-loredo7290]

The dad from Train To Busan had a weird hobby lol

[@applecorp]

@@thisismyname3928 Thanks for your really valuable input.

[@unimusha77]

@@thisismyname3928 XD XD XD

[@filipvadas7602]

1. The lead actor aging so much in just 3 years was kind of a blessing in disguise tbh It not only sells what the stress of the games did to him, but also that he's alredy been through it once and so he has experince most of the cast doesn't 2. The salesman was arguibky the best performance in the show and that's saying a LOT.

[@kernelscout3077]

doesnt three years pass in the show? they mention a few times how they've been searching for a long time.edit: nvm drinker's just pointing it out cause its funny. thats what i get for reading comments before watching lmfao

[@tagus100]

The acting between Gi-Hun & the Recruiter when playing Russian Roulette was mindblowing.

[@zuriyel5368]

And that's apparently the first time that the Recruiter's actor, Gong Yoo, has ever played an antagonist.

[@johnderat2652]

@@zuriyel5368 When you combine a great actor with a good director, that's how you achieve quality!

[@captainuseless2120]

@@zuriyel5368He absolutely freaking killed it.

[@CeeJay591]

Best part of this season - Gong Yoo and Gi-Hun crushed that scene.

[@KetsubanSolo]

I see what you did there

[@chance_ondriezek99]

The lead actor aged so much in only 3 years because that’s what The Acolyte does to a person 😂

[@jonathanyaloussa]

Someone watched the last Open Bar 😂

[@tochukwuudu7763]

Osha O Osha, I ruv.....yu.....

[@B1G_WENGH]

The Acolyte wasn’t as bad as Drinker’s short movie Rogue Elements.

[@luigiwiiUU]

​@@B1G_WENGHtrue but still bad watch Skeleton Crew instead

[@gungaloscrungalo8925]

That is literally the joke in the video, yes.

[@johnb3948]

I was surprised that after season 1 where 001 ended up being the inventor of the game that he didn’t suspect 001 this time.

[@yeussean]

Thanks for pointing that out. I didn’t remember that detail.

[@williamrc8887]

I said that out loud thru all the episodes. I really thought he would have realized on the last episode.

[@YanaPetruk]

I thought that too, I would be suspicious of 001 player all the time

[@YourMidTierLava]

When I was watching Season 2, the subtitles said that 001’s name was Inho which was the name of the frontman from Season 1

[@margarethmichelina5146]

Yeah, Gi-Hun is distracting just because his buddy is in there too and he made the same mistake like he did in Season One: "Hey, my buddy is there! I'm sure the other people that I befriend are also good people too!" Also, he should've been suspicious when Front Man said his name even when Gi-Hun hasn't introduced himself. Even when Front Man said that his friend called him Gi-Hun, he wasn't there!

[@mag1ckyle799]

The creator and head writer of the show said that when he was writing season 2, it ended up being 14 episodes. What we got was the first 7, exactly half of that season 2, with the other half being season 3. He said it was his decision to split it up instead of releasing all 14 episodes at once, but I'm like 99% sure Netflix made him do it for the exact reason you mentioned of wanting to make people come back for more later. At least we only have to wait a few months for season 3 instead of 3 years, cause it's already been filmed.

[@wertwert1887]

알본 배툴게임 표절이 다임

[@An8thOfShrooms]

Another good point I saw being made about season 2 being split in two parts is that people will binge watch it in one go, or skip to the last episode just to spoil it for other people online.

[@CatsOverdrive]

@@An8thOfShrooms I also suspect, it could be with the same contractual shenanigans HBO Max did with some of their animation series; Splitting the season into two, so they get the profits of two seasons, while only ponying up a single season worth of budget and talent fees.

[@Domoreyoga_]

​@@An8thOfShroomswhats wrong in binge watching, i dont like to wait weeks or years to finish something

[@plussyplatinum]

Worst fucking decision ever. Season 2 was viewed as the second coming of Christ, to have it split, is so. Fucking. Pathetic..

[@TheodoreBotman]

They clearly made one season and then split it into two.

[@OlYables]

That's sadly going to be the norm going forward. Streaming execs be like: "Oh you have a hit show? Great! Want a second season? You're in luck: you'll actually be getting _four_ seasons! What's that? You say you only have enough story for one more season? That's okay. We'll break that second season up into like three mini seasons and slowly roll them out to maximize hype and ad revenue." (Although to be fair to Netflix, they didn't do that with _Arcane_ but that show never hit the phenomenon levels of popularity that SG or _Stranger Things_ has.)

[@liveac3694]

I feel like a lot of recent Disney+ shows are stretching a really thin story into too many episodes. Squid Game wisely went for a shorter season with fewer episodes (since they are clearly saving some for season 3).

[@arkeshn729]

I'd rather have one episode a week than a six month to a year break between half seasons

[@Shryce]

Absolutely !!! Pure lazy excuse to call it a 'cliffhanger'... it ain't... we just didn't get the entire season, that's the reality of it.

[@Sams_I_Am]

@@Shryceand?

[@alexcruzship3683]

i loved how they foreshadowed how everyone would vote with the first scene with the recruiter with bread and lottery showing how all of the people in desperation who should’ve made the right choice of choosing the bread even while being desperate they still chose the lottery except for 1. just like how all the players had debt and the majority wanted to play the luck game of winning the games instead of keeping their lives even with the ability to walk away with a little bit of money

[@paulchristian1358]

Same thing with the Russian roulette game in the first episode with the two thugs. Started out with 1 bullet, only for the rules to change. Foreshadowed the rule changes in the main games

[@DonnaCPunk]

Still think the Recruiter should've given all the bread/whatever it was to the one guy who chose food over money. At least one bag. Then after he throws his fit and leaves, show that homeless guy sharing the food with everyone else. At least put some bit of hope on humanity.

[@plussyplatinum]

@@DonnaCPunkmaybe it’s an allegory for how theres so much greed/bad in the world/people, that even if the small *good* things people do, still aren’t rewarded much, because the ones who are bad ruin it for everyone as a whole

[@ModpotTheFirst-ye3ix]

Nah. A single bread roll isn't going to do anything for people living on the streets. They could afford that by begging. It isn't going to change their lives. A lotto ticket could. That scene really sent the complete opposite message.

[@plussyplatinum]

@@ModpotTheFirst-ye3ix do you understand what probability is? The scene is saying how people are greedy and would rather take a 1 in a million chance to be rich rather than take food and live a little longer. Even if you still think that a roll wouldnt do that, it is absolutely not sending the opposite message that people are not greedy

[@th3584]

6 legged race was so good to watch Genuinely had my heart pumping when the first group of guys all started having full blown anxiety attacks when they were slowly coming to the realisation they were about to die it was sickening

[@Zylo82]

When Gi-Hun team first started, I thought for sure it was going to play out in one camera run. No cuts or anything with how they went through the first 2 games. Bye sadly they didn't.

[@radry100]

it was cringe to watch

[@plussyplatinum]

Worst part of the show personally, watching it THREE times??? What the fuck 💀

[@plussyplatinum]

@@radry100made the first team seem like they were going to win, killed them off lmao

[@def3ndr887]

Would’ve been gut wrenching if only one team could win making so you’re not only racing against time but also the other team

[@AcshualSnotski]

I know everyone had a problem with Thanos, but I really liked that guy. He was a character born of the modern-day streamer - narcissistic, self-aggrandizing, and willing to do anything for money. I don't think people picked up on that, but I felt like he was a well written character, and great for some momentary, dark comedic relief.

[@z.z.1876]

@@AcshualSnotski I found his character interesting actually as well. The shaman lady was much more annyoing in my opinion.

[@meeep9099]

​@z.z.1876 yeah she was very aggravating

[@sdfried4877]

Him and his pal were so high as balls, they were having a great time. It was funny.

[@officertravis9414]

Me and a homie watched this "season" in discord together and were laughing to tears watching Thanos run in different goofy poses during redlight greenlight - high as a kite living his best life LOL, we both "hated him" but loved him at the same time for what his character brought to the table, an all around POS that was easy to laugh at

[@xSabinx1]

He was meant to cringe and he played it well

[@barnabusdoyle4930]

It was actually pretty easy to determine that they would be running different games in the new season if you actually paid attention in season one. The guys in season one running the organ harvesting didn’t know what game was coming up next when that all fell apart. Plus the VIPs were demanding to know what game was coming up next right up to the glass bridge reveal.

[@paranoidastronaut5792]

You're right, good observation

[@IamHiding24]

Really enjoyed season 2. Probably because my expectations were a bit lower because I knew it couldn't possibly have the "magic" of the first season

[@reshpeck]

Yep! My wife and I were both expecting a severe drop in quality (but didn't say it) and we finished the first episode really excited to watch the rest. It didn't maintain that level but was still engaging enough that we're looking forward to the second half.

[@KenjaTimu]

Alice in Borderland is a better Squid Game. It's based on a Manga that was written before Squid Game. It isn't as flashy but has better writing.

[@ibnaamir9915]

@KenjaTimu it's soo boring I stopped watching after first episode. Lasers shooting ppl from sky? How is that interesting?

[@KenjaTimu]

@@ibnaamir9915 you don't think the entire world suddenly vanishing is interesting? And it gets better. Squid Game peaks in like episode 3. By the end of the season it's actually kinda bad. The writing after the first few episodes is awful.

[@ibnaamir9915]

@@KenjaTimu it's unrealistic as he'll is what itt is

[@MsTenseiga]

I was positively surprised how they kept it fresh. The hunt for the frontman, the new dynamic with Gi-Hun trying to save everyone, the voting, the labeling, the fckn front man infiltrating the games as Nr001? Damm this was way better than I thought.

[@cmiles97x38]

I had the same thoughts. The way this was approached surprised me and then right back into the games with twists.

[@alfredlear4141]

💯❤

[@wertygospiner2245]

front man being Nr001 is nothing new, it's the same plot as in s1

[@Jasepo]

Never trust the player 001

[@Jasepo]

I'll admit the guy took a huge gamble, he could have been killed off in any game. That's how sadistic he is.

[@jack0f4lltrades28]

Cons: - The games aren't as memorable - The characters aren't as strong on characterization, likely because we don't see their personal lives before they enter the Squid Games - The cliffhanger ending Pros: - Progresses the story really well, slowly uncovering new roles within the Squid Game while maintaining it a mystery - Seong Gi-Hun's friend returns and serves as a reminder of who Seong Gi-Hun use to be in Season 1 - Returning characters with minor roles have a stronger presence with more to do, such as the Recruiter and the Front Desk. - The voting system, it comes back and serves as a solid illustration of tension and competitiveness while demonstrating the state of mind for the players. Like the Drinker says, it tells us how everyone is thinking without having to spoonfeed it to the audience. It's a solid sequel overall, not as strong as season 1 but definitely worth seeing. If season 1 is a 10, season 2 is an 8.

[@GunNr-]

Wdym, mingles was definitely memorable

[@jacob4448]

The games were so good? Like both mingle and the pentathlon were unique but also fit in with the other games. They brought amazing moments that really stand out. I can agree with the character development, but we also still have time for the characters to grow. Still some characters stand out like Hyunju and the mom

[@wijny4222]

bro thaz group finding game had me on the edge of my seat

[@jaredr2626]

Can we all admit the Frontman looks like a Korean Mads Mikkelsen

[@reginaphalange9417]

That would explain why I think he's the most attractive guy in the cast 😂

[@iamthedeerman]

He is actually the korean equivalent of Brad Pitt (without any of the drama or whatever)

[@CorporalGrievous93]

Frighteningly so. First thing I said when I saw him on screen lol.

[@edelmantoamendola]

Haha I told my wife I thought he looks like the Korean version of a young Kyle Maclachlan.

[@CharlesBojangles]

That and the Korean Robert Patrick -- he did play the T-1000 in Terminator: Genysis, after all.

[@pauldacon828]

The added layer of duplicity, manipulation, and savagery in the gameplay of forcing a vote after every single game to increase the tension, the stakes, and to divide players into two groups that are then pitted against each other, almost like classism, was brilliant.

[@pauldacon828]

It is interesting but I do think it somewhat detracts from the immersion and believability. I can understand having one single Survivor and if that person wants to go out raving like a lunatic about a game with no one else to support them that's one thing but letting hundreds of people go who will all corroborate each other's story is too much of a liability

[@АлександрБычков-к4н]

They were allowed to vote in season 1 too. Players just never did, it was kinda useless because if you end the game you lose the money, which is not the point in season 2 anymore.

[@bibaolaitan5189]

​@@АлександрБычков-к4нthey were only allowed to vote after the first game in season 1

[@shayandrs]

​@@pauldacon828​ that was the same in the first season tho. After the first game they had the chance to vote to end the games. And they actually did do that. They were all out after watching like 200 people die. But then they came back. So technically for a certain period of time half of the contestants who had seen the other half die were out and could corroborate each other's story

[@pauldacon828]

​@@АлександрБычков-к4н I know, I was just saying the voting system was the only thing about the series that felt unrealistic even though I found it interesting.

[@simtill]

The shaman lady might strike Westerners as weird, but in Korea they are actually quite common and it makes perfect sense to put such a person in the show.

[@edith7747]

i think the problem was more her storyline or lack there of

[@TheRedGuy9]

​@@edith7747this is it. She looks like she was added in just to stir the pot and nothing else. We know nothing of her backstory other than she "talks to the gods". She is like the annoying little sister that you have to bring to your birthday party and tries to fit in with your friends in an extremely obnoxious way.

[@e8u4a8n7]

At first I thought she was the "001" front man character, just new management and a bit quirky but once I saw her freaking out at the 6 legged race it was pretty apparent she was not with the bad guys. She just kind of spewed the same religious stuff that main villains do so I jumped to conclusion lol

[@jenniferblake3224]

To be fair to Gi Hun and his decisions this season, he was never the smartest guy, he was just extremely lucky in the games. So it makes sense that his plan to try to infiltrate and take down the games was pretty half baked. Also the organ harvesting thing was a smaller subplot in season 1 (they used a contestant doctor and gave him info on what the next game was), although it seemed like it was being done without approval under the head guy's nose. In Season 2, it seems like it's an open secret and tacitly approved - make's the front man's (001) a bit more interesting in context.

[@CorporalGrievous93]

Idk. My issue was he still had like 90% of his winnings left. There was no way he could’ve spent more for a better plan?

[@Penelope416]

Did anyone else notice the scene where the gunmen were in the room where they "cremate the players bodies" and one of the gunmen pressed a button that pulled one of the bodies below a secret surface? And then the gunman pressed another button to make it LOOK like the player was creamated?

[@NopeNaw]

@@Penelope416 They did that in season 1 as well iirc.

[@NopeNaw]

@@CorporalGrievous93 Point was that Gi-Hun isn't very smart, so he's been chasing the one thing he knows instead of looking at the bigger picture. Someone absolutely could've spent the money to make a much better plan, just not Gi-Hun.

[@JOSH5000K]

Okay so this is the heart of why I actually didn’t like this season very much after the first couple of episodes… it seemed to me that they positioned Gi Hun as a competent and credible threat to actually accomplish the goal of the season.. which is where the main tension should have been the entire time, at least in my opinion, but as the series progressed I realized that despite them positioning him as such, he wasn’t… hence the disappointing but ultimately “no duh” ending of them being smacked (and if not for plot armor they wouldn’t have even got that far)

[@emperorreign6154]

The frontman, Thanos and the recruiter were the stars of this season.

[@TinyToadSage]

The two marine bros were cool too

[@TestAcct46]

Squid Game's creator was up front that he's doing more seasons for the money. And well, can't fault him for that, considering the cost of living these days.

[@deesmith8576]

they even threw in a dei so that netflix would be happy my glob that dei seemt to know everything and telling everyone what to do at the right place and right time and even knew more about gunts then anyone and look at it who could of gused at the end they would be one of the ones surving shocking picachu face

[@vgjunkie8386]

@deesmith8576 The dei also chose "O" which led to his friend dying in the next game. The DEI was also going to be killed towards the end if the old lady hadn't stopped him from engaging, so he does have faults, too and your argument falls completely short!

[@deesmith8576]

@@vgjunkie8386 wtf are you talking about they chose x later to be included in the main char group. Just ask your self did the whole gunts explanation needed to happen because we all know all korean men have to join the army at age 18. I didnt see no wamen that fought back so what was the point of him just explaning the gunts. Why were most of the gunts fight they were zooming in on him and not the others even the main char didnt get that much zoom in. Go back and watch the show all over again and you will notice they zone in on them a lot in the show more then any other char including the main character.

[@vgjunkie8386]

@deesmith8576 ok, that doesn't change the fact that the DEI initially chose "O," which led to his friend getting killed. If he was so perfect, he would have chosen "X" from the get-go. Also, he would have died if the old lady hadn't stopped him from engaging the armed pink truck guys towards the end of episode 7. So he clearly has faults. Also, he's a tower of a person, so it's not completely unbelievable some of the stuff he pulled off.

[@deesmith8576]

@@vgjunkie8386 ya no 1 round and then all the sudden they are like a best friend means noting

[@Bans94]

Shoutout to my boy Thanos. Having a irl Korean rapper playing himself and spewing random English was legit hilarious.

[@NopeNaw]

Wait, that guy was an actual rapper? ... I hope he was really hamming up the bad rapping then because his rapping in the show was garbage! XD

[@uchihanoname1758]

@@NopeNawhe’s genuinely a great rapper. He was in the group Big Bang. I believe he was the first underground rapper to be in a K-pop group too.

[@lafirecracker3249]

​@NopeNaw His rapping is very good and he is seen as one of the best in kpop. Especially since he was a rapper before ever becoming an idol and loves the craft. One of his most iconic raps is in his song Doom Dada. The live is insane.

[@Anakalia13]

@@NopeNaw Big bang is huge in korea...they paved the way for a lot of other mainstream Kpop artists...they also went through ALOT with their record label YG entertainment...TOP used to have an ED, struggled with weight loss and cosmetic surgery...Ive been a fan of big bang for a long time and they've had a lot of ups and downs in the media...i know TOP was criticized in korea for smoking weed along with Gdragon...Earlier last year they released their last single as big bang bc they left their record label YG....it was a huge blow to kpop fans but ultimately it made sense since they are focusing on solo work...TOP and GD both struggled so hard under YG Entertainment...it was great seeing TOP playing a knock out role...TOP is also an extremely talented rapper...just listen to how amazing big bangs arrangements are....I think YG and the fact that they all came back from military service really changed them

[@Bloodynine606]

Is there a reason he says the random English phrases ?

[@awesomehpt8938]

What I want to know is why didn’t Thanos use the infinity stones to win that fight in the bathroom?

[@Frogjuice02]

His opponent went for the head.

[@lilmoeszyslak4810]

His cringy rap sucked

[@RayBetterThanEvilCanival]

I reckon it’s because he got a fork shoved in his throat

[@tims4502]

Or why didn’t the avengers use a fork to stop him? Now I want someone to edit Infinity War and Endgame, editing out all the heroes’ weapons and replacing them with forks

[@kaelinvictus6039]

He was already stoned to infinity.

[@lexus8018]

Dude spent 2 years finding a guy that slaps people in subway stations and thought he could take on the entire organisation

[@Jarke]

Episode 1 is still my favorite. The intensity of the Russian Roulette games were crazy.

[@rodrigodicandia6932]

mordern audicene didn't like squid game season 2 got 64 percent from audicence

[@ste4392]

Yeh I watched that episode and felt like yeh I'm back in, then it was all just downhill

[@nizmei8052]

What intensity? I couldn’t care less cause knew that main character can’t lose.

[@rodrigodicandia6932]

@@ste4392 why transgender in squid game 2, THE MESSAGE infection squid game 2

[@UntakenNick]

They showed that he put used up bullets to let us know that he was playing a psychological game without having the intention to kill anyone, and by doing so they removed all suspense from the scene. Then all of the sudden the gun fires, giving the viewers a clear message: the producers don't give a fuck about making sense so don't expect anything from the rest of the show.

[@zom8680]

They tried to create psycho lady 2.0 with the shaman lady and it just comes off as this annoying fly you can't shake. At least crazy lady 1.0 had a end game purpose, to make sure gangster guy didn't win 😅 , what's shaman ladys deal? What's her motivation cause she sucks at every game they play

[@jamescarr1265]

The first woman was a better actor in my opinion too

[@HobiAI]

Not to mention the shaman lady gave spoiler how gi hun will die.

[@dzmach74]

If you read up on actual events and news in Korea, you'll see that reality is in fact stranger than fiction ... these shamans have a disturbing amount of power and influence. I suspect the writers are giving a nod to that.

[@michaelramirez4864]

@@dzmach74she knew about the pregnancy, whether she's legit or not is anyone's guess but she at least feels something

[@castleofaargh2093]

She was also particularly hostile toward the trans character. Thought they were trying to paint some kind of metaphor there but it didn't go anywhere in the midst of all the other busy happenings

[@alexanderhs1617]

To suggest it’s got nothing to do with a critique on capitalism and society is blatantly stupid, they make an effort to showcase that - it’s literally all poor, mostly homeless people.. they’re no wealthy greedy people in the game

[@Coroplocs-Chameleon]

Drinker casually trying to misrepresent something again to galvanise his volatile audience.

[@BlackEnigma79]

2:04 lol, I forgot he was in the acolyte

[@darthraider450]

People watched the Acolyte?

[@Nothing-fp7jg]

I watched the drinker's review of the acolyte and the drinker referred to him as 'squid game guy' throughout. It was burned into my brain, no way I could forget! Lol.

[@BlackEnigma79]

@@darthraider450 just the Drinker's reviews. I value my time.... And sanity

[@ocboy5163]

I mean, The Acolyte was pretty forgettable itself

[@DNG99911]

He probably forgot too...

[@darthraider450]

The frontman being last on the six legged race strategically so if his team lost, everyone except him would be shot and nobody would know about it. Calling Gi-Hun by his name at the start of meeting him during the games. 001. Disappearing on one of the roundabout rounds then reappearing randomly. Then in the gunfight clearly leading the others on a bad path. How was Gi-Hun not suspicious of him?

[@Thomas-py6dw]

Also had the #1 like the old dude. That alone would make me suspicious

[@tabletopstudios66]

I’m not trying to be a plot apologist here, but Gi-Hun probably didn’t notice due to so many things being on his mind. Especially after the 2nd game being different and his tooth being taken, he had to rethink his entire strategy.

[@hightechredneck8587]

@@Thomas-py6dw I picked up on that instantly. He should have known.

[@hightechredneck8587]

@tabletopstudios66 I'll agree to that. maybe the shock of him realizing it is a whole new game was too much.

[@Sams_I_Am]

I feel like many of y’all didn’t watch the show… why would he be suspicious of someone with the number #1 just because the old man had that number? The frontman can literally be any number.. if 456 is committed to taking the games down, paranoia might blow his plans. When he called him by his first name, he immediately explained it with a logical answer. Being last for a game could be a matter of coincidence.. him disappearing during mingle was not odd from anyone else who left their group to join the exact number. And, during the shoot out, they went the only possible way. 001’s idea to try to flank them was a smart idea and would have worked if he was truly on their side, but obviously he had other plans. He even later fakes his own death to make them believe it didn’t work.. come on man, yall need to stop watching these shows in hindsight and start putting yourself in their shoes

[@Madararocks33]

The game between the recruiter and Gi-hun was intense..and their acting was superb..

[@ramijkhan2.089]

Shows like Squid Game & The Penguin is why I still have faith in TV shows right now. Squid Game 2 could never have exceeded the shock factor & innovation of the 1st season but it is still absolutely amazing. Netflix surprises me sometimes.

[@hectorfigueroa2294]

You should watch Tulsa King and Gangs of London

[@filipealves77]

Try Arcane, you can thank me later.

[@PrinceFloof]

​@@filipealves77That one is definitely worth a watch

[@MichaelNNY]

I really REALLY hope they go all out with the games in season 2b. I wanna see more intensity and craziness (tho the carousel was pretty hardcore).

[@ramijkhan9038]

​@@filipealves77 I already have seen both the seasons. It’s the best animated series of all time.

[@OrisOsiris1]

for me the games of the 1st season were more heart-wrenching. the deadly tug-of-war was very winner-takes-all and losers-lose-everything. the winners would carry the survivor guilt from this game. in order for them to survive they must made the other team fall to their demise. also the marble-throwing game from season 1, it pitted 2 closest friends against each other and only one would survive. in season 2, the games were more about how well a team works together. this lessens the moral complexity compared to the games of the 1st season.

[@blackjetski555]

The six-legged pentathlon is actually one of my favourite games, as I loved the simple anxiety-inducing concept of a person's life being in the hands of multiple other people. And it made for a compelling transition from a jolly, pumped-up, "let's go, people!" to absolute panic and capitulation. Like a teammate still being stuck on the coloured stones game when there's around 40 seconds to go... you suddenly become aware that the clock is a countdown to your death. The tug-of-war from season 1 was incredible, though.

[@DillsyYourDaddy67]

I mean with the roundabout carousel game they were just starting to get into the moral complexity stuff. I think there will be more games that you're looking for in the next season. Plus I think they wanted to shift the view from moral complexity of the games to Gi trying to save as many people as possible

[@RossGoneRogue]

The glass bridge from season 1 was anxiety inducing too especially after the criminal dude realized you could just push someone into a glass plate to see if it broke or not

[@ei-on4eb]

mingle was great

[@youtubeviolatedme7123]

@@ei-on4eb Mingle was a good game from a narrative point of view, since like the glass bridge game, it gave characters opportunities to betray each other, but from a cinematic point of view, mingle was a bit too chaotic to tell exactly what was going on. It's too many people wearing the exact same uniform all running around in various directions, rendering many shots having no center of focus. I also expected the players to sabotage each other by pushing each other off the merry-go-round since I assume leaving the platform would have been against the rules or else players would just stand near the doors, but that never happened.

[@mikeuuuytffvghjjoopoiytf]

hard disagree with the voting being the most interesting thing, after the first round of voting (which dragged on far too long) it really just eats up screen time when we all know they're obviously going to continue the games. I'm reserving my disappointment of the cliff hanger and seal team 6 side plot going nowhere until season 3 airs. Overall I think it will come together nicely in season 3 and with it only being 6 months to wait i don't mind the decision too much honestly - they have to satisfy netflix and make some money after all

[@GodfreeLouis]

I agree - the voting was boring and not at all surprising after the first round.

[@ScottMaciver]

I get you on the voting, the result is never in doubt. Although I think it’s more of a narrative device after the first one to divide the players into the X and O factions, pitting them against each other. The cheering and mania as each person votes is very tribalistic. All building up to the big fight in the bathroom and the special game, unlike last seasons which was just a random free for all.

[@xshadowscreamx]

It’s a narrative device and a helpful time waster for the writer.

[@LaserRanger15]

I liked season 2 a lot, but didn't realize there were so few episodes. Caught me by surprise. I liked the voting part. Stress inducing.

[@Pepesilvia267]

I disagree. We all knew the outcome of the votes from the beginning or the show would end. For me that meant the voting took way too much screen time.

[@KongQuestCo]

@@Pepesilvia267 why? In the first season they had a vote that ended the game and rolled it back because no one wanted to live without winning more money

[@heloo6101]

​@@KongQuestCo That clearly wasn't going to happen this time

[@Requiem4u]

​@@Pepesilvia267 I held on to a small hope they would actually vote to quit. Would've been interesting to see if the organization would let so many people with knowledge of their existence go. They can control 1 person, but so many? A shame they didn't go that route. Although they could still do it, I don't think they will.

[@sgnox7781]

@@Pepesilvia267 In season 1 they voted out but still went back in so it wasnt neccesarily the end of the show, also it was interesting because of all the betrayals and general character motivitions around the voting, the entire bathroom fight then night massacre all originated from voting as well, so it has escalating conviction when it comes to players votes or the moment with son and mom where him voting that way actually could impact someone he cared about the most

[@reykoranteng9089]

The lead actor aged so much in 3 years because that's what the last 3 years did to us.

[@ibrahimshah3378]

Yeah three years ago i was in kindergarten, now I'm 83 years old in a retirement home

[@jackflash8218]

Or he's been riding the popularity of season 1 & has been partying like a degenerate madman for 3 years. South Korea does have some interesting night-life.

[@MrJC1]

​@@ibrahimshah3378ahahahaha.

[@hubertcumberdale2651]

Asians tend to look noticeably younger than White people while in their mid 30s to mid 40s and then start to play catch up. That's what happened to this actor.

[@1800astra]

Agreed. I'm so sick of my paper-round.

[@TheIrishny]

I think its really an incredible critique of democracy and its failings. Having a system where 51% can ruins 49% of peoples lives isn't the amazing system that we were sold. Thats why the American founders try to enshrine certain rights in the constitution that couldnt just be taken away by voting.

[@misterwhyte]

Yep. And even worse than that, most elections are actually won by a minority, meaning that they're never really the will of the majority.

[@Othillde]

And there's usually more than two options, so 25% get what they want, and the other 75% who voted among 5 other things don't get what they want lol. But I dunno, all systems have their upsides and downsides...the dream situation is 90%+ people in a country actually agreeing with each other, with the leaders agreeing with that 90%+, whether they were voted in through democracy or became leader through other means.

[@Darklight704]

other countries also have constitutional rights that cant be taken away with voting...

[@TheIrishny]

@@Darklight704 Never said they didnt

[@PolitikPolitik-fh2qc]

​@Darklight704 many don't treat them like we do and many of them don't actually have many of the basic fundamental rights we do. In most western countries other than the us people are being fined and jailed for not being woke enough

[@thefanwithoutaface8105]

3:41 I liked the voting addition as it really helps cement that any action past the first game is the contestants own fault. They can leave whenver they want but chose to stick around because of their own greed, showing that it's less the games themselves and more the people.

[@bdnnijs192]

Except the people who opt to leave aren't allowed to leave.

[@lucky2516]

001 (front man) was there to ensure those wanted to leave would never win

[@Barni2212]

@@bdnnijs192 Well that's what you get in a democracy. Majority wins and the minority needs to adept.

[@vgjunkie8386]

​@@bdnnijs192that's kinda the point of a vote, don't you think?

[@vgjunkie8386]

​@@lucky2516 if those that wanted to leave were far more, there's nothing the front man could have done to stop it

[@Amenoxiel]

Yes, it's not as fresh as the first season but I loved it nonetheless. The casting is great again and the new games are just as good as the old ones. With filming (the final) season 3 back to back and releasing this year already I'm hyped af!

[@castleofaargh2093]

Impressive filming with the gun work! No spray-and-pray for anyone who picks up an mp5 like in other movies. I loved how they took the time to show ammo as a finite resource and deliberately showed them looting dead enemies for more clips as they went along. Rare brilliance 👍

[@Cross.Creates]

I heard the director had said he felt as though 10 episodes, (season 2 was meant to have 10 not 7) was "too much" for a tv series and so he decided to extend those last three into a season. Unfortunately, however, that's led to these half developed subplots and/or hardly developed (Jun-ho and his search for the island) and a not as satisfying season finish. I don't want to judge this too much until I see season 3 but, similar to spiderverse, I'm getting a little annoyed with media that's set up to be a part 1 of two without explicitly mentioning beforehand that it was going to be so, instead of being a good standalone season/movie.

[@kristoffereberius2476]

I'm hoping it's because they shot the whole thing and intended to release the whole thing at once. New season in 2025, so hopefully soon. Jan 26 perhaps??? Hoping it's soon

[@Jayden1766-b7o]

@@kristoffereberius2476 They all shot the whole thing at the same time, next part's date is announced

[@cowetascore8476]

@@kristoffereberius2476 Leak said it will be June, which makes sense. 6 months in between so folks can't just cancel Netflix after watching.

[@AtlantaGuns]

The best part of this season was the 6 legged race. That had my heart pumping ❤

[@daniels1485]

The music during that killed all the tension for me.

[@swastikarya941]

Also mingle

[@get_lucky6402]

@@daniels1485 i liked the juxtaposition with the music and the scene but i understand how it could take you out of it. it was my favorite sequence in the season, my issue is that the ending wasnt even an ending it was just the end of an episode. i legitimately thought they were going to release the episodes week to week or do a part 2 in a few months. i was expecting a full story. the story closed no arcs

[@remixisthis]

Last episode shootout was REALLY good. Loved the ammo concerns and smart tactics the contestants used along with shell shock

[@marshallbenjamin5319]

Mine too

[@Zanagash]

Korean shows have seasons with 15/20 episodes. I'm sure this is all Netflix fault, the authors have nothing to do with that stupid decision. They said season 3 will arrive in 2025. It's not a season 3. It is season 2 part2 but they're trying to raise their viewership, first for 2024 with part 1 and then in 2025 for part 2, to please investors. The show is good though ! And I love how the trans person is actually well integrated to the story and the character makes sense. As if making a character with good writing makes a big difference... and well, it does. Take notes Hollywood.

[@justinpatton6996]

I agree I loved their character and their past and situation made sense for the show

[@iamthedeerman]

As someone who has grown up with watching Korean shows...yes it is completely a Netflix thing.

[@dearthofdoohickeys4703]

I had a good laugh when the trans person slapped the shit out of the shaman woman. Western media would never.

[@arish_xo]

Squid game was initially planned to be a 2 hour film actually, but netflix made it a full on tv show. Thats why the showrunner was under constant stress.

[@justinpatton6996]

@ oh, I didn’t know that

[@DonBarracuda117]

I was annoyed that so many of the deaths are caused by the soldiers gunning contestants down not the challenges themselves. Season 1 felt so much more intense, e.g the glass floor challenge I found so anxiety inducing.

[@theworld6710]

Well, we’ve pretty much only seen half the season, so that may be an element. Plus the games are likely designed to engage with the voting element. If the players aren’t responsible for so many losses, and feel they have a more legitimate and fair chance of winning, they may have a better chance of staying. Also the glass bridge was one of the final games, so we may get an equivalent next season.

[@Toliman.]

Knowing that there's people who shot the players does detract from the show's alienation. It's really about the position of guilt / blame. Now, you've shifted the whole moral equation to the gunmen, not the players or the cruelty of the organisers giving orders. Now you know that people are shooting others in the back, etc. it's a very different emotional exchange. When it was a careless killing machine with the Doll, selecting people with AI ... you end up blaming the players for moving. It's cruel, but you don't blame the robot. When it was people choosing to kill poor people because they were playing a game with high stakes ... it's pathological. You can't rationalise how a person would follow that order and shoot people so callously. Instead of blaming the machine, or the player, you blame the person with the gun, not the person calling their number out.

[@DonBarracuda117]

@@vgjunkie8386 why would I

[@rorterpobinson62]

In Season 1, RLGL, Dalgona, and Marbles all had people getting shot. We've only seen half the challenges this season.

[@deprivedofeverything-_-yt4467]

@@theworld6710 the glass bridge is 50/50 game they even shut off the lights to ensure this it was designed to thin the heard and they already did that with the numbered doors game where they could kill a selected amount of people and then repeating with the night riot egged on by giving weapons in the metal fork

[@DonnaCPunk]

I don't know why everyone on Gi-Hun's team thought that they wouldn't find that tracker. These people have shown over and over again they're damn near omniscient and they won't spot a tracker? Gi-Hun choosing to enter the games again, expecting them not to find the tracker, was all on him not being the brightest crayon in the box. Prior to that? When they're trying to catch the Front Man? That L is on the whole team.

[@youtubeviolatedme7123]

The thing is, the mother character was able to smuggle a knife into the game. Thanos was able to smuggle his cross with pills into the game. In the previous season, one of the characters smuggled a lighter into the game. I don't think it was unreasonable for Gi-hun to think he could smuggle a tracker in somewhere as difficult to look as his molar. So how did the Front Man know about the tracker in Gi-hun's tooth? Simple. The fisherman told him.

[@huh8662]

Minion..."The contestants are rioting in the dorm & have firearms." Mini Boss..."Gas the dorm." Organizer..."I knew we forgot something."

[@hubertcumberdale2651]

"But sir! Our doors are wooden!" "Just like Auschwitz?" "Yes!"

[@huh8662]

@hubertcumberdale2651 lol not that kinda gassing...the "in the van/limo otw to the island" knockout stuff

[@youtubeviolatedme7123]

I think the Front Man wanted to give Gi-hun a chance to try being the hero, just so the Front Man could betray him later.

[@RealisticMgmt]

Netflix's decision to stretch it to 3 seasons really showed. The amount (or lack) of progress across the season really held it back from being a truly great follow-up. I just hope the creator is able to deliver his complete vision with the third season.

[@monkeytime9851]

You can see the Netflix influence and more western culture rammed into it. I mean... Thanos? And they make an explicit reference to The Matrix.

[@funtourhawk]

No one mentioning all the transformer propaganda...literally made it into a perfect super solider with 200 IQ, fucking obscene

[@Marcell2aG]

Greatest performance in my opinion goes to the recruiter, aka the dad from Train to Busan. He did an amazing job showing how unhinged he’s always been and how playing games is the only thing the kept him from losing the last mental screw he had. He was essentially Two-Face without the Harvey Dent.

[@ionutcristian9650]

I thought it's kind of meh untill the salesman finaly showed up. That russian roulette was acted so well, with time to say goodbye in the background. It was just chef's kiss.

[@ha-kh7ef]

so it was meh until the 2nd half of episode 1? no patience

[@Terrtail]

In my opinion, the first two chapters were amazing, after that it kinda went a bit down hill cause we had almost no games as we had to have exposition of the numerous side characters. I'm not too excited about Season 3 tbh

[@midgarw6775]

The director/writer said it ended where it did because it ended up being much longer then anticipated. He said the number of episodes required felt to long for a single season. So had to find a break point somewhere. And where that came felt right because its another pivotal point in Gi-huns character after losing his best friend and his coup to bring the games down failing.

[@ChrisCarlos64]

Too long? I hate that we are in a world today where something around 8-10 episodes is considered long enough, and anymore is "too" long. Bring me back to 20-30 episodes being a "season" at least.

[@tjmarx]

Korean dramas normally have 16-20 episodes to a season. Squid game season 1, had 9 episodes. Season 2 had 7. They only have 1 confirmed episode for Season 3. It has nothing to do with length. Some executive at netflix said, leave it on a cliff hanger we want to milk this until it's an empty husk. So they did. Which is why I don't watch squid game. The moment yankvillian network executives get involved in a story, it turns into unwatchable garbage. It's common for Korean dramas to have a single self contained season and then that's it. This is how squid game was originally intended until netflix said otherwise.

[@bake4795]

They're definitely releasing a trailer the day before the season releases in like 3 months

[@deesmith8576]

hey hey at least netflix filled their dei quota that tammy lived at the end and look that tammy was all powerfull knew everything did everyting and told everyone what to do at the right place and right time. None of the other characters were as that special they all failed constantly

[@wal2er862]

@@deesmith8576”tammy” also voted against stopping the games for their own personal reasons but that doesn’t fit your narrative so you ignore it.

[@GoldenChild_jpeg]

"Unspecified virus of unknown origins." never gets old to me because in 2020 is when I started watching your channel.

[@Mognam]

nah, it's old. you can only repeat a joke so many times

[@jean-michel_comhaire]

While I really did enjoy the voting system, I also found it to also slow the pace down a bit. It was interesting to see how everybody played off with the vote at the end of each game - but you also know that they're probably still gonna vote to stay in so it breaks the tension, (a bit like a lead character about to "die" half way through a movie kinda vibes)

[@elitoni672]

Agree with basically everything, however, Squid Game is indeed a critique of capitalism (in S. Korea), the director himself said that.

[@NopeNaw]

The message intended and the message perceived are not necessarily the same thing

[@feliceabbondante5183]

​@@NopeNawthere are literally politicians,hundreds of them working against americans just because oligarchic lobbists paid them

[@Ronin.97]

"Capitalism" SK has never had capitalism hust corporate oligarchy. The large "chaebol" families like the ones who own samsung run the country through corruption. They should be critiquing that. The entire SK economy since it's inception are based around these families. Its literally apart of their economic policies. They are modern day cybperunk2077 esque corps. SK is a literal corporate dystopia.

[@Hungabrigoo]

It was definitely a critique of South Korean society, including it's capitalist aspect.

[@skepticalbadger]

@@NopeNaw Right, so what's your point?

[@Wheelie2077]

Westworld, The Witcher, The Boys, The Expanse, etc etc. How often a good TV series falls below the standards of Season 1. It's almost as if success causes writers to get complacent and lazy!

[@ArmyStrike]

The Expanse was ruined more by the cancellation.

[@MajorKenshy]

The Witcher never was good... I like HC but ppl are coping that this tv show was good.

[@ArmyStrike]

Some series get vastly better .. Tue Detective, Gilligans Island, The View, ..

[@notKevinFeige]

@@MajorKenshy The Witcher was more sad because of what could've been

[@PaulCampbell-mo1vc]

That’s been the case for years. Add “Lost”, “Prison Break” and “Hero’s” to that list.

[@radrobd123]

Season 2 felt a lot like Hunger Games 2 and 3, the games were stopped in the middle for a rebellion, but left on a cliffhanger so you half to watch the next installment

[@manynukes11]

I really wonder who was responsible for splitting this season and then having to drag out some parts. It was solid but can't really be rated as a season because no plot lines were resolved at all. I do think it's good they managed to keep it interesting.

[@darthraider450]

The creator once he realised there was too much content for one season, and Netflix obviously agreed because money.

[@petkokrushev3840]

I've read, that the season 3 will be this July, but nothing confirmed yet

[@daniquemaxwell5070]

I just hope it's not another attack on titan situation

[@chrillex91]

It's netflix bro. You must be pretty stupid to NOT know it's them.

[@Martin_Koepl]

Three seasons generate more interest than two. It is most likely Netflix that decided to publish it that way.

[@obesebird]

I liked it but it was too damn short. A season should tell a whole story, cutting the story in half so Netflix can get more revenue next year is stupid.

[@jackflash8218]

Aaargh, ye matey! Only one way to teach those lubbers their lesson! Yo-ho!! 😉😁👍🏼☠

[@willg3369]

7:30 As a fan. I'm going to disagree with you. Even the director said this was a critique of capitalism.

[@alphacause]

Squid Game has such a large cast of characters and you really find yourself relating to them all. Many times when you have that many characters on screen you can't really sympathize with them all. They just seem more like plot devices than people who you can sympathize with. Hollywood could learn a thing or two about how to do character development from the writers of Squid Game.

[@wingsting9792]

What I didn't get is why on Earth did they let the fake marine guy go for the ammo and keep giving him ammo? Clearly, he was shaking panicking and had no idea what to do. You'd think experienced soldiers would've noticed that and wrote him off pretty quick.

[@slaw1448]

he was a fake marine ?

[@Anima18911]

​@slaw1448 i mean it sure seemed like it.

[@slaw1448]

@@Anima18911 you would think the "real" marine would be able to tell. I thought his mental breakdown might have been an attempt at showing PTSD but with obviously poor result. Now that I think of it, he did waste all his ammo and was the most panicked of the group during the shooting. Strange.

[@Sky_Blaze]

I said the exact same thing

[@Anima18911]

@slaw1448 that's a fair point all the "marines" seemed very un marine. The only real soldier people seemed like the sub characters and the trans character. I guess Gi's friend pulled it together at the end.

[@turbokid8719]

Loved that you made fun of the red hair😂 i thought they were being dramatic with the symbolism of him being angry on the inside. But im glad it’s gone….I wish the season was better but it was okay.

[@TheMorbidHobo]

One thing I absolutely hated with this season was how often everyone said "just one more game" and absolutely no one brought up that the money doesn't scale with the number of games, it only scales with the number of deaths, so what they are really asking for is for more people to die.

[@Dma118]

No shite

[@ali32bit42]

a few people did get annoyed at seeing survivors in a few scenes so i say that was on their mind too.

[@GunNr-]

That’s probably what they were hoping for, continuing the games until enough people are eliminated. I don’t think they knew that killing players directly would also add to the pot until the bathroom scene.

[@Kulodemandril]

Bru, they even explain in the rules that the money scales with more peoples deaths, did you see the show? People dont want to quit because every death means more money for the survivors, that is the point of keep on playing, because if you play just one game the total amount of money is shared among the survivors, because every death adds more money to the total, 0 dewths equals 0 money added, seriously, go watch the show again, you missed the whole point of it 😅😅

[@schneejacques3502]

I mean it makes sense. Most of the people who joined the game said they have no life if they go out anyway. Also most of them look like they are gamblers.

[@GloopTrekker]

Waiting for "The Drinker Recommends: Hundreds of Beavers."

[@B1G_WENGH]

@@GloopTrekker waiting for The Drinker Fixes: Rogue Elements

[@FatsMuffinEater]

Well since you're recommending he recommends it I'll take the hind and watch it. Cheers 🙂

[@grandmufftwerkin9037]

​@@B1G_WENGH Is that the movie about exploring beneath the surface of Uranus?

[@nathangreer8219]

Watched it over the weekend. Very different, refreshing, and funny!

[@LawrenceWhitaker]

Hundreds of Beavers is fecking awesome!

[@esquiredan2702]

Lost me toward the end, there. Drinker basically says that Squid Game isn’t in any way about greed and exploitation, it’s about greed and… how people exploit others? You’re splitting hairs to avoid walking right into the point.

[@7TheWhiteWolf]

The creator of the show specifically said it was a diagram of capitalism too lol.

[@improv6132]

From the perspective of just the first two episodes, the two mini-games the recruiter plays were brutally impactful in my opinion.

[@MisterDuby]

7:23 Drinker sounding like one of the VIP’s

[@igoravonich2013]

Welcome back my friends.🗣 Thanos probably

[@DrTeeth66]

Saving Private Ryan's third act had a plotline where the inexperienced soldier was put in charge of providing ammunition during a firefight, but hid in cowardice instead - resulting in tragedy. You guys remember that feeling pretty... _original_ ?

[@TooMuchToCareAbout2]

Lesson: never send the useless chickenshit to go get more ammo. Send the BA who just won't die with plot armor.

[@DrTeeth66]

@@TooMuchToCareAbout2 Funny how I know _exactly_ who you're talking about, but can't even address them directly ( _every_ comment thread on this post mentioning it has been deleted). This season got all Netflixed to hell

[@keith3761]

He was not inexperienced he was never a soldier! he LIED! you could tell by how he acted and that he did not know how to use the weapons properly. He was committing stolen valor. He was a phoney

[@ibnaamir9915]

So squidg game copied this plotline from saving private ryan?

[@DrTeeth66]

@@ibnaamir9915 Hwang Dong-hyuk lifted the plotline from the third act of Saving Private Ryan - wholesale. I've no idea why the quality of writing dropped so sharply between seasons.

[@bradhackworth5109]

Watching a Drinker video and being in the first 100 views and first 2 minutes of upload?? Not me, it's already at 1k!

[@oshomroni]

4:42 It's been a while since I've seen season 1, but wasn't there also an illegal organ harvesting operation then? Unless I am mistaken, one of the players in the game was a doctor who had his licence revoked for some reason, and he made a deal with one of the guards to harvest organs from eliminated players to sell on the black market in exchange for getting cheat notes on how to win each of the games. Unless I am mistaken, they were both eliminated because it made the games unfair (even in a bloody game of life and death, no cheating is allowed)

[@existenceispain6849]

The Koreans are up in arms about Thanos but honestly I found him to be one of the funnier characters

[@sgnox7781]

Thanos was the mvp for me i wished we explored his character and seen him more

[@tylerghersinich576]

I heard it on Efap so take with a grain of salt. Thanos is disliked in Korea because he is a Kpop start who got involved with magic green leaf. However the boat captain that saved police man he has been or their is claim he SA someone but Koreans do not care

[@kaliimyst7925]

​@@tylerghersinich576 I also saw that on Reddit (fistful of salt) along with a bunch of other accusations about front man, gi-hun and a couple of others.

[@InBetweenMolecules]

Ugh. I hated the Thanos character. And I'm a big fan of the actor's previous career which is, funny enough, a washed-up K-Pop singer. I think it was the poor attempts at English that took away from his supposedly menacing nature.

[@Eris_Norregard]

@@InBetweenMolecules No way did you just call T.O.P. a "washed up kpop singer" 🤣🤣🤣 My dude... Bigbang is literally one of the most succesful kpop groups of all times.

[@TheDefendedOfficial]

The character development and the search for the recruiter and the red light green light episode were all well written and set up for what could have been a great sequel, it’s strange that what we ended up with was what felt like a drawn out, longer than necessary and contrived story that was only 7 episodes long. Feels like Netflix wanted to cash in, hard to blame them.

[@AlgorithmDisruptor]

Happy New Year, Drinker!

[@DJPonko]

the escape plan was most nonsensical thing ever. up until that point the show somewhat made sense but then gi-hun is like yeah sure lets sacrifice a bunch of ppl for a shot in the dark??? the entire show he was against sacrificing anyone then he decides to sacrifice their own side and after they win the brawl he says " dont kill the other side " cus he doesnt wanna murder.. wtf logic?? crazy anime logic

[@Diree]

Absolutely brain-dead. You are up against a heavily armed enemy with an unknown number of guards. On their territory. You don't know where to go, how many guards there are, what other security systems there are or if reaching your goal even accomplishes anything. I initially wanted to say "not to mention, apparently they all know how to operate a gun" ... then I remembered that military service in SK is mandatory. But come on ... an entire episode of cover ducking and shooting.

[@Goochen]

Gi-hun was an absolute waster at the start of season 1 for a reason. He never really was particularly smart or acted out in a planned fashion at any point. I think its totally credible that he came up with a half-baked plan in a desperate situation. Additionally its very much the point. The Frontman even baits him into saying a sacrifice for a greater good is necessary. He wanted that because up until that point, Gi-huns principles were pretty unshakable but his hatred for the games has changed that.

[@theexplosionist2019]

The guards were disorganised when they went in to quell the chaos in the 1st season. It crossed your mind then, why aren't they being rushed? Season 2 realises this.

[@epicshooters1000]

I mean what else could he have done? They weren't going to win the vote and leave, and he didn't want to murder the other participants. Was he just going to keep playing and everyone else dies anyway? This was his best opportunity to rush the guards.

[@jackflash8218]

A poorly written show pandering to a pseudo-mature, hyper-emotional audience that aren't very bright. That's why most stories suck, nowadays. When audiences decide to just turn their fk'n brains off because their so desperate to seal-clap & throw up their pwecious wittle "heart-hands", why would show runners bother to put forth any real skill or effort?

[@MyHam-os4bq]

I’ve seen some genuinely unsettling witch ladies in Korean horror movies. This one was such a weird choice. I thought maybe she’d be eerily correct about random things throughout, and her not fearing death would make her even creepier. But she literally folded into a fraud like the very first game she was about to lose lol

[@Othillde]

I think her only use was that she was able to convince someone to vote to keep the games on. Maybe the person she convinced was superstitious and likely to listen to some witch.

[@valentinli332]

7:30 Squid Game Director Hwang Dong-hyuk stated that "I wanted to write a story that was an allegory or fable about modern capitalist society", so yes this film was intended to be a critique about Capitalism. It could also be an exploration of human nature too, they aren't mutually exclusive.

[@HouseMDLover69]

The selfishness of the characters is directly baked into how corrupt capitalism is for humans in general

[@PolitikPolitik-fh2qc]

Intention and meeting their intentions isn't the same thing. Like many people say the trans messaging isn't in your face and non existent but he explicitly stated he want e d to highlight their struggles

[@PolitikPolitik-fh2qc]

​@@HouseMDLover69maybe if you took a liberal economists course and failed to understand how capitalism actually functions

[@christiaanvorster1988]

The reviews on your movie really had you rethink any of these reviews did it not. Looks as if it did.

[@Wolfuu623]

I kinda wish Thanos made it to the end, it would've been fun to see him go "gangster" on the squiddies

[@glenisterm]

I was a bit annoyed with the organ harvesting subplot. In the first series, the organ harvesting was a small rogue group within the games using a doctor to make some extra money. In this one, it seems like organ harvesting was a larger part of the purpose of the games. A bit like the organizers realized this had missed a lucrative cash grab, and decided to pursue it properly.

[@youtubeviolatedme7123]

I know what you mean. In this season, with the organ harvesting being so systematized, it stopped feeling they were taking creative risks to find loopholes in a seemingly constrained environment to keep their operations a hidden secret.

[@conbroccolli]

Awesome season. Can't wait for part two!

[@DenDave_]

I enjoyed most of it, but goddamn it's slower than a crippled tortoise in quicksand. I shouldnt be surprised cause the creator blatantly said season 1 was for fun, and season 2 and 3 for the money, but jesus christ he sure is milking the hell out of it.

[@lindseyormsbee]

I really enjoyed the opposing ideologies and the Front Man sneaking in to sabotage and attempt to understand Gi Hun.

[@ali32bit42]

4:25 i disagree with your point about the rebellion. at this point the main character is completely desperate since his plan to track down the island failed. also the plan isnt completely nonsense given that the staff were completely unprepared for a rebellion. had {spoiler wall} not happened they would have found the control room and downloaded a whole bunch of evidence and documents. possibly an escape route too. they didnt have to kill everyone just call for help or escape.

[@jondo4210]

I didn't care for the mystic chick in it. I literally stopped watching after her second interaction.

[@deesmith8576]

u lucked out imerson broke real soon as the tammy in the show ended up being all knowing and telling every other person what to do the right place and right time and them living at the end while the rest of the team gets wiped out because of dei reason. Like right when they talked the first time i was like well i know they are going to live the whole time and be all powerfull and i was right

[@acousticpsychosis]

I dont know whats worse, that theres companies out there that would probably try to do something like this if they could, or that theres people that would probably willingly volunteer for it lol

[@Jordi_Llopis_i_Torregrosa96]

I mean, is it really that hard to fathom why people would volunteer? Hell, I probably would.

[@lilmoeszyslak4810]

People volunteered for the jab without knowing what it was

[@MrEsphoenix]

@@lilmoeszyslak4810 Man, that really lives rent-free in your head huh?

[@orbboom6119]

They already made a show based on this lol And mr beast also did it

[@5pointview717]

​@@orbboom6119Yes but imagi0ne it was run by WEF for Depopulation Agenda & Real Bullets were involved. There are some crazy folks out that that will happily become the guards and shoot people ie Gun holding American Mass School/Mall Shooters, plus Criminal Organ Traffickers will be happy for free & easy supply. Most people die so Climate Action people will be happy, Capitalists & WEF will be happy and if somebody survives till the end they will be happy to have the money plus all the trauma unless they are also crazy and emotionless about others dying.

[@emilianoc9261]

Huh? The actual creator said it WAS a critique of capitalism, and it isnt really hard to notice.

[@justhair17]

It rly isnt though. Its a critique of human nature and greed, which is much deeper. Thats literally what the voting scenes are showing

[@emilianoc9261]

@justhair17 No, the author themselves said it was a critique of capitalism. Also the economic sistem we all live in IS a reflection of human nature and greed on a macro scale.

[@justhair17]

@emilianoc9261 except greed is present in every economic system, so its not exclusive to capitalism. It is simply human nature. It could just as equally be a critique of socialism, maybe more so, as thats even more exploitative

[@emilianoc9261]

@@justhair17 ok, so whats your point? That no economic sistem can be criticised because all have things in common? The show is setled in south corea, one of the most capitalistic countries in the planet, the core issue that makes the protagonist and every other participant of the games enter a life or death situation is economic. Capital, money, is the core driving force of everything in the show. In other sistems it can be power or influece. in the sovient union money didnt matter as much if you werent a high ranking officer in the goverment, capitalism is all about money as is this show.

[@christianisbister9839]

Yeah I enjoyed this video and generally agreed but that stuck out as super strange, it's very clearly interested in the distribution of wealth, class, and power among its characters. It can be both a critique of capitalism AND a look at human nature, not sure why it can't be both

[@DanielSzilagyi]

I think it's exactly that, that the show needs to wrap up by the end of the next and last season so we can't really go too far into this one otherwise what else can they do if there is no games? The main character's motives are set so we don't really need to see him too much which makes sense in this season since he's fairly dull outside of the escape plan. Rescue team is too drawn out and doesn't do too much, I think everyone could see what was happening with that early enough that it wasn't needed to take that much time. I think the biggest thing is that this time the audience knows more than the characters so there is less surprises for us in that sense.

[@lichga7205]

I wouldn't know. the "message" started at the beginning of episode 2, the thumbs down happened a few moments later

[@jstos3675]

I'm a big fan of Season 1 but I refuse to watch Season 2 because of this trans trash ideology. I'm so sick and tired of this garbage ruining every show/movie/game.

[@harorider96]

@@jstos3675 once the show got popular the demons at blackrock or whoever else invested in this season saw their opportunity.

[@Unknown-bx1ji]

@@jstos3675dude, what? Cho Hyun is written extremely well and a total badass during the attempted rebellion. “Trans ideology” is never even shoved down the throat of the viewer, as with most western media. bro is complaining about a non issue

[@califilipino]

@Unknown-bx1ji Only if you're completely naive and clueless about the message like you are apparently. The transformer is a complete Gary Stu who had a predictable victim backstory who they couldn't wait to turn into the invincible hero in the end. Anyone who's not an idiot could've predicted his entire character arc from the first episode.

[@PolitikPolitik-fh2qc]

The director literally had an entire interview about how he wanted especially to highlight the hardships and oppression faced by marginalized communities like trans. If he was just a dude. It wouldnt have changed the story and just removed the pointless messaging​@Unknown-bx1ji

[@IanHollis]

From what I've been led to believe by the internet, seasons 2 & 3 were intended as one 14 episode long Season 02, but Netflix said 'No', so they creator cut into two smaller seasons.

[@rennmaxbeta]

Netflix does that to prevent subscribers from dropping the service after a season finishes

[@mattus1gig]

It had exactly the characters as the first season just played by different actors. The organ harvesting was in the first season too.

[@Dhomden]

There is no braindead weirdo witch in s1

[@jackflash8218]

Couldn't help thinking about "The Hangover part 2" while watching "Squid Game s2"... weird.

[@SheldonAdama17]

Meh, season 1 was a good standalone story all by itself. Not everything needs to be a continuous series/franchise.

[@Martin_Koepl]

Netflix contacted the creators/makers : We want a season 2. The creators/makers: It will take a long time, and it will coast at least ten fortunes. Netflix said yes, things got made.

[@kylec8015]

I think essentially anything can have a decent sequel if the writers know what they're doing and make an effort.

[@barakaobama4017]

I think this attempt at a sequel is actually pretty good compared to all the other horrendous unnecessary sequels to hit shows.

[@Martin_Koepl]

@@kylec8015 Squid Games just has a more than decent more than well written sequel. People just were expecting the show having the same impact like back then when season 1 became a surprise hit.

[@atkim122]

Agree. But the reason there was S2 is apparently the Korean creator got absolutely reamed by Netflix because no one thought S1 would be a hit, so he got a tiny upfront fee but no residuals and not even intellectual property rights. Meanwhile it goes on to make Netflix $1+ billion. So he said he came back to actually make some money this time. You can see the difference in the quality. S1 took almost a decade to write and represented his blood and tears as a poor struggling writer. S2/S3 was a cash grab written hastily to make a profit. I don’t dislike S2, but if it feels like S1 is just better, this reason why

[@jarodchen7667]

really like this review, pointed out exactly what was bad. my biggest gripes are that the sideplots were really uninteresting. besides that i did love this season, felt like the games were well paced and interesting and ofc the performances are outstanding.

[@StoicProfile]

All the thrill from season 1 was gone for me. The script seemed too contrived and slow paced. Really disappointing!

[@BlackPrince24]

What I like about this show in season 1 and 2 is that it isn't scared to kill beloved characters and keeps the hated ones alive. It really gives you a shock factor or realize that whoever you root for may not survive, whether they're close to the main character or not.

[@Dhomden]

You say that, but then Thanos

[@deesmith8576]

lamo you say that but the tammy lived and was all kowing and all telling what others to do at the right place and right time even more then the main char. I mean right when i saw them when they talked i was like opppp i know that ones going to livb they have that dei stank on them from netyflex

[@InvestorsHeaven]

I thought it was horrible, pure garbage. Nothing interesting happened, just 2 new games, both super trash. Massive waste of time. Really bad season.

[@davidkeosa1580]

For me it was the actual games: the first season had such compelling and diabolically wicked games with such consequences that death was only half the horror. The games in season two felt too tame, only in comparison. Season one, especially the marbles episode, made you FEEL so much when someone lost. Here, you just loose and die because you weren't "good enough". In season one, the games made you feel that the "winners" were actually the "losers".

[@stephensperr1379]

The overlords want the players to feel like winners so they keep voting to play. They’re just messing with the squids pulling every psychological trick in the book to keep playing or kill each other.