Squid Game: Season two reviews range from 'Sensational' to 'a letdown'

Player 456 is back for the second season.

The second season of Squid Game has sparked a variety of opinions, much like a holiday assortment of treats. Some TV critics have praised it as "extraordinary," while others have deemed it "disappointing."

According to The Guardian, although the series began rather slowly, it ultimately evolved into "a show that will certainly make you feel an unsettling desire for bloodshed."

The Telegraph referred to it as a "complex and multi-dimensional tale of vengeance and salvation."

Netflix's biggest original series made its comeback on Boxing Day, featuring the main character Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), also known as Player 456. It's been three years since he triumphed in the deadly competition of children's games.

*This article reveals key plot details*

The inaugural season of the South Korean series centered around 456 individuals who, burdened with desperation and financial troubles, competed against one another in a life-or-death struggle for a substantial monetary reward.

This time, the former champion is accompanied by a large number of new participants, whom he attempts to lead to safety.

In the latest episodes, the protagonist is single-mindedly determined to take revenge on the affluent puppet masters who orchestrated the deadly events. This assessment comes from Rebecca Nicholson of the Guardian, who gave the show a three-star rating.

However, she mentioned that the initial episodes seem to drag things out, noting that given it's Squid Game, they come across as quite mundane.

"When the actual games begin, the hugely popular K-drama really starts to shine," she observed. "However, it takes too long to get there, wasting too many episodes with a painfully slow pace."

She concluded that the third season, which has already been approved for 2025, needs to improve.

Despite its inconsistencies, especially as it gears up for the main events, there is one significant plot twist that is quite effective. However, it's not certain if this twist differs enough from what occurred in the first season, according to Nicholson.

"Just when you think you understand the direction it’s heading in, it suddenly shifts course, surprising you and gaining momentum. It’s unfortunate that it takes such a long time to reach that point, though."

The initial series, which Tim Glanfield from the Times describes as a "bleak reflection on the drawbacks of advanced capitalism," turned out to be the most successful launch in Netflix's history, reaching 111 million viewers within its first 28 days.

The Times reviewer gave the second season four stars, stating: "The secret to this impressive comeback lies in its deliberate and thoughtful rhythm, along with glimpses of brightness among the darker elements.”

While it's tempting to immediately plunge the audience back into a world of horror, featuring 456 new players who are being controlled and harmed in increasingly imaginative ways (and don't worry, there’s plenty of that ahead), the initial episodes take a bold approach by focusing on life beyond the games.

He remarked, "This tale revolves around themes of vengeance and salvation: it's deeper, more intricate, and more sophisticated than the original show."

Ed Power from The Telegraph rated the second season just three stars, likening it to the "challenging follow-up album from a suddenly famous pop artist."

"It retains many of the elements that you enjoyed in the original Squid Game from 2021, but it does not show much desire to outdo or challenge its earlier version."

Hwang Dong-hyuk helmed Netflix's biggest hit to date.

"Unmatched Shock: A True Original"

A sequel wasn’t guaranteed. At one time, director Hwang Dong-hyuk was firmly against the idea of creating another series, as the pressure from the first one had caused him to lose several teeth.

Similar to the characters in the series, it appears that he is primarily motivated by financial reasons in the second season.

"Despite the fact that the first season was a tremendous success worldwide, to be honest, I didn't earn a lot from it," he shared with the BBC. "Therefore, working on the second season will help make up for what I missed out on from the first."

"And I still haven't completely wrapped up the story," he mentions.

His sharp critique of wealth disparity resonated deeply with audiences worldwide.

After eliminating nearly all the characters, Hwang found himself needing to begin anew with a fresh lineup of characters and a different set of challenges, all while dealing with heightened expectations from viewers.

Annabel Nugent from The Independent praised the director's approach, stating that she believes he nailed it perfectly. She gave the new series a rating of four stars.

"Season 2 of Squid Game doesn't have the same shock value as the first season – but isn't that actually the idea?" she noted.

"The impact of the first season is unmatched, and writer Hwang Dong Hyuk wisely avoids attempting to recreate it."

Among the newcomers, Nugent mentioned characters like "No Eul, a North Korean refugee who had to abandon her infant," "Gyeong Seok, a caricature artist at a theme park struggling to afford his daughter's cancer care," and "Myung Gi, a once-popular YouTuber and cryptocurrency enthusiast who fell victim to a scam and lost his fortune."

Along with "a young pregnant woman concealing her expanding belly under a loose-fitting tracksuit" and "a transgender former military officer seeking a fresh, more welcoming existence in Thailand".

Nugent noted that while the first season used shocking moments to create fear—each character's death hitting hard like a sudden blow—season two generates its suspense by playing on the audience's familiarity with the story. It puts Gi Hun back at the center, allowing viewers to once again see the events through his eyes.

"He is aware of what will happen next, but despite this knowledge, he is unable to prevent it."

She mentioned, "Taking away the surprise and unraveling the intrigue that defined the first season is a gamble, but it gives Hwang the opportunity to clearly present the strong anti-capitalist theme of his show."

Daniel Feinberg from The Hollywood Reporter described the second season as "a total disappointment."

"While it’s not fundamentally flawed, the second season of Squid Game just doesn't hit the mark."