In September 2021, season one of the Netflix original show Squid Game took the world by storm. The Korean drama became the most-watched non-English show on Netflix with 265 million viewers (Netflix). The only show on pace to break that title? Squid Game: Season 2. Released December 26th, 2024 on Netflix, the world was engulfed by the cultural wave created by the series. Although the series is originally Korean, Netflix offers a substantial amount of subtitle and voice-over options that allow nations around the world to immerse themselves.
Students here at Ramapo took time over break to sit down and watch both the new season and catch up on the first, “I watched both seasons while I was sick and liked the second season more than the first.” Senior Danny Aylward shared. Danny continued to say,
“I also thought the games are very interesting to watch with lots at stake.”
Without spoiling the first season of Squid Game, the second season takes what the first season did and doubles the stakes. Before, the audience was inexperienced and shocked watching the animalistic tendencies of participants within the games. Now, the audience knows what to expect, at least somewhat. Continuing, Season 2 opens the door to new world-building and character development. Our own English teachers here at Ramapo picked up on the thematic elements of the critically acclaimed show. Mrs. Manzo shared how she felt watching the new season, “I couldn’t help but keep watching through my hands! Shockingly realistic depiction of greed.” Mr Manzo chimed in to add that Squid Game: Season 2 “warns viewers of the dangers of this dystopian take on modern society.”
Back in 2021, the ‘Dalgona’ and ‘Red Light, Green Light’ trends were spread around the world as a result of Squid Game: Season 1. Now in 2025, the newest trending topics that have come as a result of being in Squid Game are ‘Mingle’ and ‘Pentathlon’. The song played during the ‘Mingle’ scene is currently being used all over TikTok. Additionally, the games played in the Pentathlon are being attempted by content creators on all platforms. Major brands have even jumped into the world of the Squid Games; Puma, Call of Duty, and Dominos have all partnered with Netflix to promote the release of Season 2.
Shifting focus to the cast; Squid Game: Season 2 is studded with Korean actors, singers, performers, and models. Lee Jung-jae is Seong Gi-hun, the protagonist. Jung-jae was nominated for several American awards for his role in the previous season and returns with a vengeance in the second season. Lee Byung-hun returns as The Front Man, an antagonist and mastermind behind the games in season 1. Lee Byung-hun is known for his roles in the Terminator and G.I. Joe franchises. The rest of the cast list is studded with veterans in the television industry, but they are not causes for conversation like Choi Seung-hyun. Also known as T.O.P., Seung-hyun is famous in South Korea for his involvement in the boy band Big Bang. He has a controversial past stemming from a very public scandal in 2017. This scandal led to his early retirement from the entertainment industry. Lee Jung-jae, being a close friend of Choi Seung-hyun, brought up the idea of his friend being cast in the new season to Director Hwang Dong-hyuk. Dong-hyuk liked the idea and cast Choi Seung-hyun as Thanos, a controversial rapper with a substance problem. The character reflected Seung-hyun’s past while offering him a second chance at an entertainment career.
Squid Game: Season 2 does a great job of staying true to the nature of its characters while establishing motives and reasons for why they act within the story. As expected, the second season answers questions viewers were left with at the end of the first season. Questions like will we see the Squid Games from a different perspective? Where will Gi-hun go, and what will he do with his earnings? The viewer can find answers by the first episode of the second season. Overall, I strongly encourage everyone to sit down and watch the second season of Squid Game. The show presents an incredible story that is filled to the brim with lovable characters.
