Squid Game Season 2 Episode 1 Recap

In 2021, Netflix took the world by storm with their little show (pun intended) called Squid Game. Honestly, no one knew what to expect from the show and there was a lot of mystery surrounding its narrative. However, as soon as the series came out, it went on to become a gigantic hit for the streaming platform. It broke several viewership records and became the most-watched Netflix series of all time – a record it still holds. Although the show gave viewers a satisfying ending, several avenues remained unexplored, leaving room for a potential second season. As a result, Netflix renewed the show for a second season and reassured fans that Seong Gi-Hun’s story would progress. Now, three years later, the show is back with its highly anticipated second edition, and things are escalated, with higher stakes, deeper character development, and plot twists that promise to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

The first season of Squid Game ended with a massive cliffhanger. Seong Gi-Hun (Lee Jung-jae) won the competition and became the first-ever person to come out of the mysterious island. Meanwhile, Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon) discovers the true identity of The Frontman and is shocked to realize that the mastermind behind these deadly games is his own brother. Gi-Hun won the competition and a massive amount of money, but he made it clear that he didn’t care about the money and wanted to destroy the Squid Games once and for all. Will he be able to achieve that? Well, the journey begins with the first episode of Season 2, where things get dirty very soon.

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Where is Gi-Hun now and what is he doing?

The first scene of Season 2 sets the tone for the entire season and is divided into two parts. Most of the episode focuses on Gi-Hun and how his life has turned upside down after winning the games. Right after winning the games, he was about to leave the country and everything behind. However, he decides to stay in the country and as he is walking towards a cab, he gets a call from The Frontman, who tells him that he should have taken the plane and flown away. Gi-Hun is adamant that he is not leaving the country and checks into a public bathroom to see how The Frontman got to know about his location. Soon, he finds that the organizers have put a small tracking device inside his body which helps them in tracking his location. Upon discovering the tracking device implanted in his body, he promptly removes it and disposes of it by flushing it down the drain.

The show, then, jumps two years ahead where Gi-Hun is using the money he won to track The Recruiter. He has hired a team of people who search every train station, bus station, subway station, and every place to look out for the Recruiter. However, for 2 years, they haven’t seen him and most people believe that Gi-Hun is insane, especially Mr. Kim, and his associate, Woo-Seok. But they continue to work for him because he is handing out a massive amount of money to the people who’ll find The Recruiter. The show’s main protagonist tells Mr. Kim to have more men for this task, for which he gives him a bag full of money. As a result, they started looking for the Recruiter again. Gi-Hun has specifically told Mr. Kim about The Recruiter and his appearance. Moreover, he also told Mr. Kim about what he’d do and how they could identify him. For many days, they don’t find anyone, and Woo-Seok tells Mr. Kim to abandon the search, but Seok’s boss says they can’t do this. While they were about to leave their specified subway station, they finally caught a glimpse of The Recruiter, who was busy enrolling a new contestant for the Squid Games.

Mr. Kim and Woo-Seok follow The Recruiter everywhere, telling Gi-Hun about where they are heading. However, their luck runs out and The Recruiter manages to get a hold of them. Even though Gi-Hun reaches the location, he is unable to find them.

Is Jun-ho okay, and what is he finding in the sea?

Jun-ho is finally out of danger, but he can’t take the image of his brother, aka The Frontman, shooting him. Now, two years later, he is working as Traffic Police Officer and also, looking to find the mysterious island, where the games take place. He takes the help of a local fisherman and traces all the islands that might take him back to his brother. Sadly, he is unable to do so and thinks about leaving the search. One day, he comes across Gi-Hun on a traffic light. Gi-Hun, who was about to reach Mr. Kim’s location. However, as soon as he sees him, he realizes that Gi-Hun was in the previous edition of the games and managed to come out. As a result, he starts searching for the vehicle he owns and gets his address.

Although he manages to search for his apartment, he finds nothing useful.

What happened to Mr. Kim and Woo-Seok?

The Recruiter kidnaps the duo and ties them to their respective chairs. Now, the salesman plays a game of “Rock, Paper, Scissors, Minus One”. This is a two-handed Rock, Paper, Scissors game, in which players take one of their hands back, and if that one hand the player keeps forward, beats the opponent’s hand, they win. But there’s a catch, they are going to play in a “Russian Roulette” style. The Recruiter takes a single bullet, loads it into the revolver, and gives it a spin. Then, he aims the gun at the loser’s head and pulls the trigger. So, that’s how the game will be played. The Recruiter starts the game and Mr. Kim sacrifices himself.

But it seems, The Recruiter was not happy with the verdict. Although we don’t see Woo-Seok dying, it is highly impossible that The Recruiter would have left him alive.

Another game of Russian Roulette b/w Gi-Hun and The Recruiter?

In the final moments of the episode, The Recruiter manages to find Gi-Hun’s apartment. They both strike up a conversation, during which, Gi-Hun, also known as Player 456, says that he wants to talk to his head and calls him a “lap-dog.” As the conversation moves forward, The Recruiter tells the story of how he got into the organization and served as one of the guards. He climbed up the ranks to become The Recruiter, but Gi-Hun believes he is still a puppy taking orders from his master. This makes The Recruiter angry and now, he is ready to play the game of Russian Roulette with Gi-Hun. However, he raises the stakes and decides not to spin the cylinder every time they pull the trigger, which ensures that the bullet will inevitably be fired within six attempts, drastically increasing the tension and certainty of the outcome.

So, they are going to revolve the gun on the table, and whoever it points to will go first. On the first turn, the gun points toward Gi-Hun. He pulls the trigger, but fortunately, no bullet is fired, and he is saved. The game moves forward and they continue to talk. During the penultimate round, the gun is pointed once again toward Gi-Hun, which makes him visibly nervous. As a result, The Recruiter tells him if he is feeling cold and wants to take the opportunity to kill him instead. However, the salesman says that if he does that, he will always be considered a loser and a low-life. After listening to him, Gi-Hun pulls the trigger and gets saved miraculously. Now, it’s the last chance and The Recruiter is on the verge of killing himself. Gi-Hun taunts him by saying a similar thing to The Recruiter and says if he decides to shoot him, he would have to confess that he is nothing without his master. The Recruiter listens to him, takes the gun, and kills himself.

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