Season 1 Recap, Who Won and Died Ahead of Season 2 Netflix

With the upcoming second season of “Squid Recreation” putting Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) again within the combating ring — now with a dedication to finish the sport from inside — what higher time to look again at the place this sensational South Korean present started?

After releasing on Netflix in September 2021, “Squid Recreation” shortly turned a world sensation, changing into the streaming big’s most-watched TV sequence ever. The present, created and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, went on to win six Primetime Emmy awards, together with for actors Lee Jung-jae and Lee You-mi.

Learn beneath for a refresher on the bloody occasions that went down within the first season, the truth present that capitalized on the present’s success and what audiences can count on from the second season earlier than it drops Dec. 26 on Netflix.

What Transpired in That Fateful First Season

With a demented twist on childhood video games, “Squid Recreation” follows 456 contributors in South Korea who settle for a mysterious invitation for the prospect to win $45.6 billion received (roughly simply over $31 million USD) after struggling to repay their money owed. What the contributors don’t understand is that the video games are a battle to the loss of life, with the primary “Pink Gentle, Inexperienced Gentle” competitors ending within the ugly loss of life of all of the shedding contestants.

Gi-hun is likely one of the individuals who fatefully survives that first recreation alongside Cho Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo), Kang Sae-byeok (Jung Ho-yeon), Jang Deok-su (Heo Seong-tae), Abdul Ali (Anupam Tripathi) and Oh Il-nam (O Yeong-su), all of whom Gi-hun will get to know over the course of the season earlier than their game-related deaths.

The video games proceed on all through every episode, starting from tug-of-war, glass-bridge stroll, dalgona to marbles. The viewers begins to study among the mysterious underpinnings of the group behind the Squid Video games and the VIPs that benefit from the demise of the poor folks combating for survival of their thirst for cash. As “Squid Recreation” exhibits the recognition of betting on horse races amongst decrease lessons in Korea, this fight-to-the-death competitors offers the identical thrill for the elite.

Detective Hwang Jung-Ho (Wi Ha-joon) goes undercover to search out his lacking brother and discovers that he was a earlier winner of the video games. After being confronted by The Entrance Man (Lee Byung-hun), Jung-Ho shockingly discovers that his brother is now the top guard of the entire operation. Jung-Ho doesn’t agree to affix his brother and is shot off a cliff, presumably lifeless.

The primary season ends with Gi-hun profitable the prize cash in a ultimate battle to the loss of life together with his final remaining competitor Sang-woo however sinking to an all-time low despair after the traumatic expertise of watching a whole bunch of individuals round him die, together with, Sang-woo, his childhood greatest buddy who sacrificed himself within the ultimate spherical after taking part in viciously up till that time. He doesn’t contact the cash for a yr.

Gi-hun quickly discovers that Participant 001, the sick outdated man Oh Il-nam, truly created the Squid Video games and put himself by means of them this time round to really feel the push of the stakes in his favourite childhood video games. After Gi-hun wins a wager to study concerning the recreation’s secrets and techniques, Oh Il-nam dies earlier than he can reveal something.

Gi-hun provides Sang-woo’s mom a part of his winnings and decides to go residence to see his daughter in the US. However after recognizing extra folks being recruited on the best way to the airport, indicating that the video games are persevering with, he decides to remain put and return to finish the video games from inside.

The ‘Squid Recreation’ Universe within the Meantime

Capitalizing off the success of the primary season, Netflix introduced the “Squid Recreation” craze to the world of actuality TV with “Squid Recreation: The Problem,” which launched November 2023. The UK-based present recreated most of the unique notorious video games, even replicating the precise variety of contestants, albeit with the prize cash quantity decreased to a extra modest $4.56 million USD vs. $45.6 billion South Korean received. It was renewed for a second season final December.

However a actuality present based mostly on a present a couple of group of poor folks being exploited for leisure and violence didn’t come with out its personal controversy. In her evaluate for Selection, Alison Herman described how “the contradictions solely heighten with ‘Squid Recreation: The Problem,’ a contest sequence that brings Hwang [Dong-hyuk]’s imaginative and prescient to life, minus the mass homicide and many of the social commentary.’”

In February 2023, Manori Ravindran revealed a bit in Selection detailing experiences from contestants on the present about alleged poor situations. Netflix and producers Studio Lambert and The Backyard went on the report claiming that every one obligatory security and well being precautions had been taken.

The expansive experiences haven’t stopped there as an in-person activation referred to as “Squid Recreation Expertise” has already launched in New York Metropolis, Madrid and Sydney. These real-life variations of the video games intention to duplicate the expertise of taking part within the challenges — minus the cold-blooded homicide.

What Season 2 Has in Retailer

The second season of “Squid Recreation” guarantees extra violence with Gi-hun, as soon as once more Participant 456, giving up on returning residence and as an alternative re-entering the sector after already profitable the money prize. “I’m making an attempt to place an finish to the sport,” Gi-hun proclaims in the course of the official trailer, which teases new video games and contestants that Gi-hun must go up towards.

In an interview with author and director Hwang Dong-hyuk, he teased that Season 2 will function “Gi-hun [being] confronted together with his recollections of the primary recreation — the experiences of going by means of a brand new realization and awakening and returning as soon as once more to the sport with a purpose to cease this unjust recreation.”

The Entrance Man, detective Jun-ho and the Squid Video games recruiter (Gong Yoo) are all set to return for the second season whereas being joined by a model new forged of contestants together with Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Gyu-young, Park Sung-hoon, Jo Yu-ri, Lee David and lots of extra.

The third season is about to premiere on Netflix in 2025.