The second season of Squid Game is in the can, and while it doesn't wrap things up the way the first season did, it was definitely a good watch, not to mention another huge success for Netflix. In a world of deepening wealth inequality, this story about heavily indebted people being willing to fight each other to the death for a chance to win a huge cash prize has struck a chord.
Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk definitely had those sorts of issues on his mind as he wrote the series. You can see it in the way the Xs and Os — those who vote to leave the Squid Games and those who vote to stay — fight each other towards the end of the series, rather than fighting the sickos who are organizing these games in the first place. "I believe that juxtaposition really reflects our current reality," Hwang told The Hollywood Reporter. "There’s so much conflict, division and war going around, all around the world, not only just between ideologies… we’re coming up with so many ways to divide us. We think everyone’s our enemy. Everyone’s someone you’re against. On the other side of that, I think we ask less questions about our fundamental systems that have made us behave this way, and have created this kind of environment. I wanted to have the fight between the people reflect that."
That said, former Squid Games winner Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) does mount a rebellion against the guards in the season 2 finale...but he's thwarted by the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), another former winner who ended up running the games on behalf of whatever shadowy billionaires are financing it. The Front Man, real name Hwang In-ho, embedded himself in the games as player No. 001, and sabotaged Gi-hun's efforts from within.
"The Front Man — or, rather, In-ho — is just like Gi-hun: someone who entered the Squid Game with very similar purposes," explained Hwang Dong-hyuk. "He experienced all of the cruelties, saw the rock bottom of humanity, was extremely disappointed, which led to him giving up humanity altogether. That’s how he became a host."
Hwang likens the Front Man's journey to Darth Vader's in Star Wars, although I'll let you decide if that tracks. "At the same time, what he feels toward Gi-hun is hatred," he continued. "He looks down on him and wants to win above him. However, deep inside, watching Gi-hun having gone through the same experience he first had in Squid Game, and seeing how Gi-hun is genuinely believing in humanity, is persisting to protect humanity… I believe the Front Man harbors a very strange inferiority complex, or a sense of defeat, when he sees Gi-hun."
"Even deeper down, I suspect he harbors a bit of respect for Gi-hun as well. That’s something Lee Byung-hun, the actor who plays the Front Man, had a lot of discussions about while we were preparing for the season. Because it’s based on that kind off character interpretation, there are times where that mentality peeks through the character. He really sees what he let go of and what he lost when he sees Gi-hun. Secretly, he might even want Gi-hun to fight on."
But at least for now, the Front Man has decisively crushed Gi-hun's rebellion, which is where we leave things at the end of season 2. "I wanted to end the second season at that very moment — then begin the next season from that space where he’s ridden with a huge amount of guilt and defeat," Hwang said. "I wanted to see where that would carry Gi-hun further on."
Thanos will be gone but not forgotten in Squid Game season 3
The third season, which will come out sometime this year, will bring the show to an end. "Personally, I see the third season as being the finale to this story," Hwang said. "That’s because I believe I’ve had closure to the story I wanted to tell about society through the character of Seong Gi-hun."
Obviously Hwang can't share anything explicit about what's coming in the third season, although he did weigh in on the post-credits scene where we see a giant male doll standing across from the giant female doll who ushers contestants to their doom during the Red Light, Green Light game. Apparently his name is Cheol-su, and I'm sure he'll be involved in something horrible whenever season 3 gets here.
"That's actually a [sneak peek] of Cheol-su, who, like Young-hee, is a new giant doll that we're going to be showcasing in season 3," Hwang told Entertainment Weekly. "And that's also a hint at the most exciting game in season 3 as well. So, while it hasn't been shared yet, I hope everyone will be excited to meet Cheol-su and the new game."
Finally, Hwang spared a few words for Thanos, played by South Korean pop star Choi Seung-hyun, aka T.O.P. Thanos was a morally bankrupt monster, a smug little s*it, and easily the breakout character of the season. I was surprised when he died during the fight between the Xs and Os in the penultimate episode of season 2; I figured Hwang would keep him around longer so he could keep stirring the pot.
"As for Thanos… he’s one of my favorite characters, too!" Hwang said. "I believe that was the right time to see him off. Although I will admit, I do think the death was sudden. It was very intense, which was the right way at just the right time for him to go. The way he leaves the story, if you watch until the third season, it will almost feel as if he’s still there in some ways in terms of how he affects the plot."
Like I said, the third and final season of Squid Game will come out sometime this year; the episodes are already shot. So we probably have some months to wait, but at least that's not nearly as long as had to wait to see season 2.
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