Everything to Remember About Squid Game Before Watching Season 2

As a seasoned movie critic with a penchant for international cinema and a soft spot for dramas that tug at the heartstrings, I must say that the return of Squid Game is a momentous occasion. Three long years have passed since this South Korean juggernaut stormed our screens, leaving us in awe of its gripping narrative and haunting imagery.

3 years have passed since “Squid Game” initially debuted on Netflix, breaking records as their most-viewed television series to date. This Korean-language production took the world by surprise, captivating approximately a quarter of all Americans with its intense narrative about lethal competitions.

Without a doubt, it’s understandable if some details from Season 1 have slipped your mind before Season 2 starts streaming on December 26th. For those who might need a refresher on key points such as the whereabouts of our main character Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), the identity of the Front Man (also Lee Byung-hun), and the fundamental rules of the show’s central game, here is a summary to help you catch up before Season 2 begins.

What to remember about the protagonist Gi-hun, aka Player 456

In the series “Squid Game”, although multiple characters are significant, the narrative primarily revolves around character Seong Gi-hun, or Player 456. At the onset of Season 1, Gi-hun is portrayed as a friendly but financially strapped father who resorts to borrowing from his elderly mother to celebrate his daughter’s birthday. Battling a gambling addiction and the debt that ensues, Gi-hun is essentially a good person striving to support his family and friends, yet he frequently falls short. When The Recruiter, played by Gong Yoo from “The Trunk”, proposes for Gi-hun to participate in a game with potential winnings of billions of won, he perceives it as a long-awaited chance to rectify his life.

What is the Squid Game?

In simple terms, the Squid Game contest is a six-round competition where hundreds of participants play classic children’s games with a deadly twist. The winner receives a grand prize worth approximately $32.45 million, while losing means certain death. This event occurs every year and seems to take place in different locations worldwide. In Season 1, the story follows Gi-hun’s participation in his 33rd Squid Game.

Who are the Squid Game pink suit workers?

The competitions take place in a vast facility located on an isolated island near the Korean peninsula. This complex event involves both participants and staff members. Staff members don pink jumpsuits and masks to hide their identities and roles. Here’s the hierarchy: Circles are maintenance workers, Triangles are soldiers, Squares are managers. Some of these employees also engage in illicit activities, such as procuring organs from deceased or ailing competitors for illegal sales on the black market.

Everything to Remember About Squid Game Before Watching Season 2

Who is the Front Man, aka Hwang In-ho?

The Leader supervises all employees at the Squid Game, ensuring operations run efficiently despite it being a string of violent events. Additionally, he welcomes wealthy spectators who attend the games in person, wagering on the results.

To start off the storyline, the Lead Character initially comes across as enigmatic, but it’s later revealed that he emerged victorious in the 28th edition of the Squid Game held back in 2015. Following his triumph, he was drafted into the organization. His name is Hwang In-ho, and he shares a family bond with Hwang Jun-ho, portrayed by Wi Ha-joon – they are brothers.

Who is detective Hwang Jun-ho?

In Season 1, Detective Jun-ho, known for his kindhearted and resilient nature, embarks on a search for his missing brother, In-ho. Upon learning that In-ho was involved in an enigmatic game, Jun-ho decides to infiltrate the scene by assuming the identity of a worker to uncover more details about it.

In the shocking revelation of the Squid Game’s grim reality, Jun-ho is terrified by what he uncovers and successfully flees from the complex with incriminating proof of the brutal tournament. Interestingly, this escape leads to a reunion with his estranged brother, who tracks him down in his role as the Front Man. When Jun-ho resists being handed over, his brother shoots him, causing Jun-ho to tumble off a cliff and appear dead. However, hints for Season 2 suggest that Jun-ho has miraculously survived and will return.

Who runs the games?

In simpler terms, “The Squid Game” was devised by a wealthy social circle of friends, likely in 1988, who found themselves with too much leisure time. Among this group was Oh Il-nam (played by Oh Yeong-su), an older Korean man who posed as a competitor alongside Gi-hun and others during Season 1. Gi-hun develops a friendship with Il-nam, mourning when the old man seems to perish in one of the games. However, it is later revealed that Il-nam did not actually die; instead, he has been controlling the game all along.

In the Season 1 finale, Il-nam succumbs to a brain tumor, yet it’s assumed that some of the creators behind Squid Game are still living. The ones manipulating events from behind the scenes are unidentified, but the Front Man often serves as their on-ground representative.

How does Squid Game Season 1 end?

In the Season 1 finale, when Gi-hun gets back home following his victory in the Squid Game, he tragically discovers his diabetic mother has passed away. One year on, the ailing Il-nam reaches out to Gi-hun for a meeting. This encounter gives Gi-hun an opportunity to confront someone he believed was a friend, but Il-nam appears unrepentant about designing the game, viewing humans as fundamentally self-centered and undeserving. They engage in a wager concerning human nature’s inherent goodness, which Il-nam ultimately loses, passing away shortly after.

The experience spurs a lethargic Gi-hun into action. He remembers the promises he made to two of his fellow contestants: Kang Sae-byeok (Jung Ho-yeon), a North Korean defector who left behind her little brother, and Cho Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo), Gi-hun’s neighborhood friend who left behind his mother. Gi-hun drops off Sae-byeok’s brother with Sang-woo’s mom, and leaves them half of his prize money.

Later on, Gi-hun intends to travel to Los Angeles to see his daughter. But en route to the airport for his U.S. trip, he unexpectedly encounters The Recruiter playing a game called ddjaki in a Seoul subway station. Although The Recruiter tries to avoid him, Gi-hun successfully takes a Squid Game invitation card from the prospective contestant.

In the storyline of Squid Game Season 2, Gi-hun heads towards the airport with intentions to leave Seoul behind. Yet, as he’s walking along the skybridge to board his flight, a change of heart occurs. He turns back towards Seoul and sets his sights on the Squid Game once more. He dials the number provided on the card and speaks to the person who answers: “Please listen attentively. I am not an animal, but a human being. This is why I need to know who you are, and how you can inflict such cruelty upon people … It wasn’t merely a dream. I cannot let go of the wrongs you have committed.” Here we find ourselves at the beginning of Squid Game Season 2.

2024-12-24 16:06