Cruel, wintry, yours: how the second season of "The Squid Game" turned out
The second season of the Korean series "Squid Game" - the most popular and watched Netflix project was released on December 26. And although streaming is not available in Russia, all seven new episodes of "The Squid Game" in official dubbing have already appeared on Rutube. In the first season, 456 players competed for 45.6 billion won in the deadly games. The award was given to the sole survivor Song Gi-hoon. He is the central character of the second season as well, now trying to get to the organizers of the violent games. The press once again praised the project for its provocative nature and bold attempt to speak out on topics of concern to modern Korea, but the second season received more criticism. The project is criticized for being secondary, stretched out and unfinished due to the fact that it has already been renewed for a third and final season. Warning: spoilers!
Song Gi-hoon is returning to the game
The sequel to "The Squid Game" literally picks up right where the first season left off. Song Gi-hoon, still played by Lee Jung-jae, is more of a sole survivor rather than a victor in the deadly games. The protagonist is about to board a plane to finally meet his daughter in the United States. But before he does, he sees a familiar business card, calls the number given and is once again drawn into the game.
Three serialized years later, we see that Song Gi-hoon uses his winnings of 45.6 billion won to find a game recruiter and get into a new round. That's how he plans to reach the person behind the organization of the deadly tournament and destroy him. Sung Gi-hoon is no longer the hangdog we remember from the first season. He's darker, more menacing and obsessed with revenge, which makes him... less interesting!
Detective Hwang Joon-ho, who miraculously survived after being shot by his brother and falling off a cliff into the water in season one, is reclassified as a traffic cop in season two. None of his colleagues believe the tale of ordinary people being forced to play childish games to the death. Expectedly, the two heroes join forces to bring Song Gi-hoon back to the trials and figure out the whereabouts of the sinister island. And just as expectedly, their plans fail: the protagonist finds himself back in the game, but with no connection to his sidekick.
- The first episodes follow the delaying tactic. Considering that this is The Squid Game, it looks pretty ordinary. There are chase scenes, car crashes and shootouts. The satirical element is replaced by a quest for revenge. It's entertaining enough, but it leads to an unpleasantly bloodthirsty feeling, wanting everyone to go back to the body count competition. Given that the last episode feels very much like the middle of a story that will continue with the final season next year, this drag is inappropriate, writes The Guardian columnist Rebecca Nicholson.
It's much more interesting to watch Song Gi-hoon as he returns to the island, where he once again becomes Player 456. His co-parties now include a mother and her gamer son, former marines, a cryptoinfluencer, a pregnant girl, a defector from the DPRK and a rapper played by a rapper, a former member of one of Korea's most popular bands, Big Bang Choi Seung-hyun, better known as T.O.P. Perhaps the most annoying character in this installment.
The second season became more philosophical
With new players at the forefront, new issues are also coming to the forefront. Among them is health care: medicine in the republic is of high quality, but expensive. Therefore, a pregnant woman must earn money for her own labor. Song Gi-hoon, like a prophet, tries to warn the participants about the approaching death, but they either don't believe him or see him as a planted duck. Apparently, it's the age of fake news. Human nature is another of the themes that the creators of "The Squid Game" reflect on in the second season.
- The structure, costumes, setting and even Fly Me to the Moon remain the same in the second season. <...> The show's characteristic brutal violence, blood and dismemberment are also present, but it's the other things that horrify us," notes Variety film critic Aramid Tinubu.
That said, the second season gives viewers a look at the games from outside the arena. We learn a little more about the lives of those who hide under the masks of the wardens. The villains turn out to be not geniuses-superintelligent, but the most ordinary people. But the blood and betrayals this season are nothing compared to the scene of the split in opinion when the contestants vote on whether to continue or quit. Once again, people choose money over life and voluntarily raise their hands, but in this case it's more like extending them to their own deaths. It's a sore subject, and it works for the viewer.
The second season of The Squid Game is definitely hostage to the success of the first. That one became not only Netflix's most popular series, but also a global phenomenon - the world is obsessed with "The Squid Game."The director of the project, Hwang Dong-hyuk, even lost a few teeth on set due to the stress of high expectations. But despite the criticism, the drag and the cliffhanger (the bridge to the final part), the second season will once again be a sensation. It's a darker, more violent, but also a more philosophical story with more dialog. "Squid Game" does not give and probably will not come up with any solutions, but against the background of the political crisis in South Korea looks even more impressive and topical. And on the Russian marketplaces for the release of the second season is clearly well prepared: souvenirs with recognizable icons in recent days has become more, although it seems that all of them made back in the days of the first "Squid Game". So as not to get up twice.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
