مثير لكنه معيب: مراجعتي الصادقة لموسم 2 من ألعاب الحبار

by Bilal Muhammad

مثير لكنه معيب: مراجعتي الصادقة لموسم 2 من ألعاب الحبار

9 Jan 2025

After binge-watching Squid Game Season 1 and feeling like I had found my new favourite show, I was so excited to watch Season 2. But once I had finished it, I was left scratching my head. It picks up a few years after Gi-hun’s win in the original season. This time, he is not just a survivor but a man on a mission to take down the twisted organisation behind the games. Teaming up with detective Hwang Jun-ho, who has his own bone to pick, the story plunges us back into the deadly games, now more elaborate and brutal than ever. Along the way, we meet new players — each with their own secrets and desperate motivations — that add layers to the familiar premise.

What went well

Let us talk about what really worked for me.

First off, the visuals are stunning again — bright, surreal, and haunting in that way that only Squid Game can pull off. The new characters brought a fresh energy; I particularly loved Hyun-ju (played by Park Sung-hoon), whose backstory and arc were incredibly moving. Their performance had me hooked from the start. The focus on the masked guards was another win for me — it was fascinating to finally get a deeper look into their lives and the twisted system they are a part of.

The social commentary is still sharp, diving into power dynamics and what desperation drives people to do. And, of course, the games themselves? Utterly terrifying and inventive. Every time I thought I had a grip on what might happen, the show flipped the script, keeping me glued to my screen.

What missed the mark

That said, not everything landed perfectly for me.

The pacing in the first few episodes was… slow. It felt like the show was dragging its feet a bit before diving into the action. I also felt like the shift towards Gi-hun’s revenge story, while understandable, lacked the same emotional punch as the first season’s brutal survival narrative.

Some of the new characters didn’t feel as fleshed out as I would hoped. One in particular — a rapper named Thanos — felt more like a caricature than a real person, which took me out of the moment. His over-the-top behaviour made it hard to take him seriously in a show that thrives on grounded, relatable stakes. On top of that, there were moments when the dialogue leaned into clichés, especially during the quieter scenes between Gi-hun and Jun-ho.

The games themselves, while still creative, didn’t feel as tightly constructed this time. A couple of them came across as more for shock value than as true tests of strategy or morality, which was part of what made the first season’s games so compelling. Instead of feeling the tension mount with each challenge, I found myself occasionally just waiting for the next scene to move the plot forward.

Finally, there is the tonal shift. Season 2 leans much more heavily into action and revenge than the psychological and emotional exploration that hooked me in the first season. While I enjoyed the spectacle, I missed the raw, stripped-down focus on human desperation and the social critique that made the original feel so poignant.

It is also worth mentioning that the overarching mystery surrounding the organisation didn’t progress as much as I would hoped. While there are some intriguing reveals, the show holds back a lot of information, clearly saving it for a potential third season. This left me feeling a bit underwhelmed, as I wanted more concrete answers and a sense of resolution to balance the open-ended storylines.

In short, while there is plenty to enjoy, some of the creative choices felt like they diluted what made Squid Game such a phenomenon in the first place.

Final thoughts

Overall, watching Squid Game Season 2 was an intense, late-night rollercoaster ride. It is not perfect, but it is still gripping, thought-provoking, and visually unforgettable. If you loved the first season, there is enough here to keep you invested, even if it doesn’t quite hit the same groundbreaking heights. I am already buzzing with anticipation for what they will bring in Season 3.

by Bilal Muhammad