We need to talk about Squid Game or Round 6 again, the series that was a phenomenon during the pandemic, which sparked so much discussion and won so many awards, paving the way for non-English language productions in the global market, and is considered one of the most influential of all time. In December, it returns to close (?) its story with a second season. What can we expect?

When it premiered in September 2021, Squid Game quickly became a global phenomenon, precisely because it has an intense, philosophical, impactful, and unexpected plot, in addition to including strong social commentary. Simple, yet complex. Produced in South Korea and created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, the series tells a contemporary story about the struggle for survival in a deeply unequal society, where hundreds of indebted people are drawn to participate in a deadly competition for a million-dollar prize. What seems to be a children’s game turns into a brutal battle for life, with challenges inspired by Korean games that test both the physical strength and morals of the participants.

Plot of the First Season

The series begins with the story of the irritating Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), a man in debt and in a desperate situation, who is recruited to participate in a series of games with cash prizes. At first, what seems to be the challenge is to beat the other 455 people fighting for the prize, but the first shock quickly comes: the losers of each round are not only eliminated from the game but from their lives. From then on, it is literally every man for himself, with strategic moments of partnerships that will eventually be undone in the most brutal and traumatic way possible. The series explores themes such as greed, ethics, and the cruelty of social disparities, showing the characters’ dilemmas and the cost of their choices to reach the final prize of 45.6 billion won.

Each game in the competition is a challenge inspired by Korean childhood games, but in deadly versions, where one failure can literally be the end. The structure of the episodes gradually increases the tension, leading the viewer to reflect on the reality that the characters face and how far they are willing to go for money and survival.

It is an incredible journey, well-structured and the evolution of the characters is exciting. There is more drama beyond Seong Gi-hun, which I will address in detail in a recap later.

Awards and Repercussion

The repercussion of Squid Game was overwhelming. The series not only broke audience records on Netflix, becoming the most watched on the platform to date, but also became a cultural phenomenon, generating discussions and memes in various parts of the world. The impact was so great that Squid Game became referenced in TV shows, games, and even in fashion. In addition, the series received praise for the innovative way in which it addressed universal social and economic issues and earned a reality show, also on the same platform.

On the awards circuit, Squid Game also stood out, receiving significant awards. At the Emmy Awards, the series made history by being the first non-English language production to win in important categories. Lee Jung-Jae, now part of the Star Wars universe in the defunct The Acolyte, won the Emmy for Best Actor in a Drama Series, while Hwang Dong-hyuk took the award for Best Directing in a Drama Series, cementing the importance of the series on the global stage.

Continuation and Expectations for the Second Season

The first season of Squid Game left several questions open, especially about the future of Seong Gi-hun. After winning the game, he decides not to run away with the money, but instead to seek justice for the other participants and reveal the truth behind the competition. This cliffhanger hints at the possibility of a sequel, in which Gi-hun may return to confront the organizers of the games.

The synopsis for the second season says that three years after winning the Squid Game, Player 456 gives up on going to the United States and returns with a new purpose. Gi-hun once again enters the mysterious survival game and begins another life-or-death competition, with new participants in search of the 45.6 billion won prize.

Hwang Dong-hyuk’s proposal is to further delve into the social themes and mysteries of the plot. Fans’ expectations are high, both to see the outcome of Gi-hun’s journey and to discover new elements and secrets of the dark structure behind the games.

A detailed recap of season 1

In the first season, we follow Seong Gi-hun, a debt-ridden and emotionally exhausted man who struggles to maintain his relationship with his daughter and help his sick mother. In a desperate situation, he accepts an invitation to participate in a mysterious competition where 456 contestants, all in precarious financial situations, have the chance to win 45.6 billion won (about $38 million) in prizes.

The contestants soon discover that the challenges are deadly versions of Korean children’s games, where each defeat means immediate death. The first game shocks everyone when those who do not follow the rules are executed. After this event, a vote allows the contestants to leave the game. However, many of them, including Gi-hun, return voluntarily, attracted by the prize.

As the games progress, alliances and rivalries emerge among the contestants. Gi-hun becomes close to characters such as Cho Sang-woo, his childhood friend and former financial genius; Kang Sae-byeok, a young North Korean woman trying to save her family; and Oh Il-nam, an elderly man seeking an exciting end to his life. These relationships bring emotional conflicts and moral dilemmas as they face the games.

Each game increases the tension and cruelty: the contestants find themselves in challenges such as “Tug of War” and “Sugar Hive,” where the physical and psychological pressure reaches its limit. In one of the most striking moments, the “Marbles” game forces the contestants to betray those close to them to survive, revealing the darker side of humanity.

As the competition progresses, Gi-hun begins to question the brutal system and the morality of the organizers, who treat the contestants’ lives as entertainment for the elite. He manages to survive until the final game, the “Squid Game,” where he faces Sang-woo in a visceral and symbolic confrontation. Gi-hun wins the game, but instead of being happy, he is devastated by the deaths he witnessed and the psychological toll of what he experienced.

In the end, after receiving the prize and returning to his daily life, Gi-hun is unable to spend the money. In a final unexpected encounter, he discovers that the elderly Oh Il-nam, with whom he had formed a bond during the game, is actually one of the organizers of the competition. Il-nam reveals that he created the games to add excitement to his life and test human morality, which leaves Gi-hun even more disturbed.

The season ends with Gi-hun determined not to ignore the existence of the games and refusing to embark to see his daughter. Instead, he seems determined to dismantle the organization, setting up a cliffhanger for the second season, where he is expected to return to confront the cruel system he witnessed.

Also, in the first season of Squid Game, the undercover cop character is Hwang Jun-ho, played by Wi Ha-joon, who is determined to sneak into the game to investigate the disappearance of his brother, Hwang In-ho, who vanished without a trace after receiving a mysterious invitation.

Hwang Jun-ho’s Plot

Jun-ho begins investigating his brother’s disappearance when he discovers an invitation card for the game among his brother’s belongings. Suspecting that the game is the key to finding his brother’s whereabouts, he decides to infiltrate the venue, taking advantage of the organizers’ arrival and disguising himself as one of the masked employees.

As he infiltrates the organization, Jun-ho risks his life to gather evidence about the games and the executions of the participants. He discovers the cruel methods used by the organization and collects information with his cell phone, hoping to reveal the horror of the games to the world.

Discovery and Revelation

As he investigates further, Jun-ho makes a shocking discovery: the masked leader of the game, the Front Man, is none other than his brother, Hwang In-ho. In-ho, who disappeared years earlier, apparently won a previous edition of the game and, instead of abandoning the organization, became the Front Man. This revelation complicates Jun-ho’s feelings and the confrontation between them exposes the differences between the brothers and their choices.

Jun-ho’s Ending

In the season finale, Jun-ho is cornered by In-ho on a cliff. Despite being pressured to hand over the cell phone with the evidence, he refuses to give up his mission. In an attempt to escape, Jun-ho is shot by In-ho and falls into the ocean. Although his situation seems terminal, the series does not explicitly confirm his death, leaving the door open for a possible continuation of his storyline in future seasons. SPOILER: He returns.

Jun-ho’s journey brings an element of suspense and investigation to the series and expands the mystery behind the organization and its leaders, while also providing an emotional and familiar angle to the narrative.

Expectations for a new success

The pressure for Squid Game (Round 6) is huge precisely because after having revolutionized the world of the series, even more is expected from the second part of the story. Since Netflix confirmed the continuation, and a second season, expectations have increased, bringing to light theories and speculations about the fate of characters like Hwang Jun-ho and the role of the Front Man.

Stay tuned for more updates and reviews on Squid Game, here at Miscelana. As it is one of the most impactful series of recent years, we can only expect more mysteries and ethical dilemmas that are yet to come to surprise us.

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