Squid Game Season 2’s Episode Count Explained

Squid Game Season 2 is finally streaming on Netflix. However, many were disappointed that there were fewer episodes in the new season compared to Season 1.

Squid Game Season 1 premiered on Netflix on September 17, 2021, with nine episodes. The South Korean survival drama series was a massive hit and dominated Netflix’s No. 1 spot for weeks. Due to its success, it wasn’t surprising that it was renewed for two more seasons. On December 26, 2024, Netflix dropped the anticipated second season after three years of waiting. However, many immediately noticed that it only had seven episodes and was much shorter than the first one.

Related

Squid Game Season 2 Rotten Tomatoes Score Revealed

Dozens of critics and over a thousand audience members who watched Squid Game Season 2 shared their reviews of the show on Rotten Tomatoes.

Many Squid Games fans were surprised upon realizing that Season 2 has fewer episodes than Season 1. In addition to that, they were surprised that the series somewhat ended abruptly. However, director Hwang Dong-hyuk clarified that it was what he intentionally did because they were working on the second and third seasons simultaneously and the scene where he cut off the second season was “a big turning point.”

He explained, per ScreenRant. “When I was writing the script for the two seasons, I felt like there was a big turning point or an inflection point, and that was the end of episode seven, so I thought that it would do it justice to have a separate season after that. That’s why I had [the] first seven episodes as Season 2 and then the rest of Season 3.”

Apparently, the story in Season 2 will continue in Squid Game Season 3. In the second season, Gi-hun (Lee Jung-Jae), desperate to end the deadly tournament, orchestrated a rebellion that resulted in numerous deaths – the players and the masked men working for those behind the game. However, the heartbreaking ending, which the director probably meant, was when the Front Man shot Gi-hun’s best friend, Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan), right in front of him. “Did you have fun playing the hero?” the Front Man asked Gi-hun when they surrendered before telling him, “Now, witness the consequences of your little game,” then he turned the gun to Jung-bae and shot him but spared Gi-hun, who started yelling and crying over the death of his friend.

While there’s no argument that Squid Game Season 2 has fewer episodes, Dong-hyuk has a great point that the ending was “a big turning point” because it was a critical moment for everyone – for all the players, especially those who joined the war Gi-hun started, for the people behind the fatal game, and for Gi-hun, himself. After all, it was he who initiated the rebellion that led to numerous deaths, including his dear friend. Now, he had to reflect on his decisions and possibly face the harsh consequences of regret, grief, and loss when all he wanted was to save everyone in the first place.

Since the director said they were already in post-production for Season 3, hopefully, it would not take long for the third season to premiere because everyone can’t wait to see what happens next after the whole ordeal in Season 2. Squid Game Season 2’s Rotten Tomatoes score is already out, check it out to see what the critics and audience say about it.

Squid Game Season 2 streams on Netflix, and the third and final season will be released in 2025.

More

Squid Game Season 2’s New Character Has Fans Speculating About Their Role

Squid Game introduced a new character in Season 2 that got everyone’s tongue wagging due to their mysterious nature.

Source: ScreenRant

Your changes have been saved