“It’s been three years; do you want to play again?” We don’t yet have an actual trailer for the upcoming, sophomore season of viral South Korean phenomenon Squid Game yet, but these teasing words in the Netflix date announcement already have us salivating for more game-of-death drama. Tying the barbaric competition of the show into the Olympics was a cute touch, too.
When is Squid Game season 2 being released in New Zealand?
Squid Game season 2 is streaming in New Zealand on Netflix on December 26.
Squid Game: Season 2
What is Squid Game season 2 about?
Back in 2021, a little-known South Korean show exploded into global obsession overnight, weaving a gnarly tale of cash-hungry desperados taking part in an elaborate battle royale for a life-changing cash prize. Games like Tug Of War and Red Light Green Light heightened cruelly with mortal stakes were bad enough, but the teal-suited competitors made things worse by fighting amongst themselves in their dystopian bunk barracks.
We don’t have much of a clue as to season two’s games, or any twists on the first season’s addictive structure. But you can bet the winner of the first melee will be back to take his revenge on the whole sick system.
The cast of Squid Game season 2
By design, we can’t really catch up with too many of season one’s doomed characters…since most of the poor suckers are dead. The series’ showrunner Hwang Dong-hyuk has actually expressed remorse over this, since he killed off some lovely folks without expecting he’d have to write another season. Still, our main man Lee Jung-jae is sure to return, now with a dorky red ‘do and a lust for vengeance on the gamemakers. And season two promises a closer focus on the masked Front Man (Lee Byung-hun).
The new cast includes Kang Ha-neul, Park Sung-hoon, Im Si-wan, Yang Dong-geun, Park Gyu-young, Lee Jin-wook, Won Ji-an, Jo Yu-ri, Kang Ae-shim, Lee David, and Roh Jae-won, as well as controversial KPop star T.O.P.
Why we’re excited about Squid Game season 2
Because, despite its sudden and overwhelming popularity being a few years old by now, season one absolutely lived up to its wildfire hype. That’s what Luke Buckmaster said in his review: “The plotting has a teasing quality, dipping us in and out of the action, instilling a desire to return to the thunderdome…that is the domain of Squid Game, and it is good at what it does.”
Our fingers are tightly crossed that showrunner Hwang and his latest batch of guinea pigs can avoid sophomore slump, and leave us just as helplessly addicted to the Game as we once were.
