Squid Game is still the most popular show on TV...or at least it was for the week of January 6-12, where it remains on top of the Nielsen's streaming ratings for the third week in a row, according to The Hollywood Reporter. (Landman and American Primeval came in second and third, if you're wondering.) The third and final season of Squid Game is cued up for June 27.
In the meantime, fans are still dissecting the events of season 2, which saw Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) return to the Squid Games after winning the grand prize in the first season. He met a whole new group of cash-strapped competitors willing to do just about anything for make it to the end, including put their (or someone else's) lives on the line. One of the most memorable newcomers is Cho Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon), a trans woman who is in the games to pay all the debts she incurred after transitioning.
“I was quite amazed at the opportunity — I felt like as an actor it was going to be quite the challenge,” Park Sung-hoon told Variety. “I did have concerns about portraying a trans woman because I am a cisgender man, so I really wanted to approach it as cautiously and thoughtfully as possible.”
The fact that Park Sung-hoon is a cis man was the subject of some controversy when the show came out; creator Hwang Dong-hyuk essentially said that while he wanted a trans woman to play the role, transphobia is so rampant in South Korea that it was "near impossible" to cast one. “I really hope that Hyun-ju will play a part in maybe getting rid of some of those biases," Park Sung-hoon said. "I hope that people who belong in those communities will no longer feel discriminated against or experience disadvantages within society. I hope that everyone can be true to who they really are and feel confident in doing so.”
Expect "even more of Hyun-ju’s charms" in Squid Game season 3
Trans rights remain a very contentious topic, so having positive representation in a show as popular as Squid Game can only help. And Cho Hyun-ju is one of the more sympathetic characters on the show; she's an army veteran who helps during Seong Gi-hun's failed rebellion against the orgainzers of the games, and something tells me she'll be crucial to whatever happens in season 3.
According to Park Sung-hoon, he wasn't limited to only what was on the script, but also added little flourishes of his own. “I was the one that came up with her having short bangs,” he said. “And in the scene where she explains to the others how to use the MP5 submachine gun, I suggested the idea of adding the last ‘Understood’ line, because I felt like when she asks that, it really makes her strong and fierce. It shows you that she’s an ex-Special Forces soldier.”
Park teased that we'll “get even more of Hyun-ju’s charms” in Squid Game season 3. The actor recently got in some hot water for his social media activity, but his performance as Hyun-ju has been received so well — he's been flattered by all the complimentary messages from fans — that it might just see him through. “Honestly, so much that I can’t read every single one of them,” he said. “They thanked me for portraying Hyun-ju, for being loyal to her and doing her justice. And I loved comments saying that they had never seen a trans character like this before and how it was empowering for them. So reading these comments, part of me feels relief and a lot of pride.”
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