The Season 2 premiere of Netflix's Squid Game is earning a mixed reaction from fans on Rotten Tomatoes. Squid Game Season 1 was an undeniable knock-out for the streamer, receiving an overwhelmingly positive reception. In the first 28 days on Netflix, Squid Game captured 1.65 billion viewing hours, and by day 92, the show had 265.2 million views, the largest amount ever on the platform for any program. This was a huge achievement, especially for a Korean drama. The series' success launched a global phenomenon, including reality shows, games, and various experiences, and became Netflix's most-watched series around the world.
So far, the second season has earned an 83% critics' score on the Tomatometer, taking a 12% hit compared to Season 1's 95% critics' score. The audience score, or Popcornmeter, suffered a bigger drop of 21%, going from Season 1's audience score of 84% to Season 2's 63% score. While many people obviously enjoyed the new season, the thrills were too few for some viewers. The mere seven episodes after a three-year wait perturbed some fans, and many people noted the season's cliffhanger ending as their biggest gripe. Audience reviewer 'Bere R' rated the season a scathing half-star, writing:
"Releasing a second season after several years makes people lose interest. The plot is similar to the first season and there is not much to theorize about. Leaving an open ending was perhaps one of the worst decisions they made. They could easily have made a longer season and given an ending to their story instead of giving a third season."
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User 'Matty D' gave the season a fantastic 5-star rating, which seems odd considering the complaints they did have:
"Squid Game 2 doubles down on the mystery and intrigue of season one, while delivering a second helping of the titular games. Although it doesn't have the same stakes as the first season, it does elevate the pressure by creating high stakes set-ups that reveal deeper character motivations and background ... My only complaint is the truncated episode count -- this time we only get seven episodes, instead of nine, so all matters feel like a rush to the finish line and what is poised to be a very different season three."
Season 2 keeps the same premise as Season 1, with hundreds of cash-strapped contestants accepting an invitation to compete in bizarre and deadly children's games for a life-altering cash prize. However, the season heavily focuses on previous game winner, Seong Gi-hun, who vowed revenge at the end of Season 1.
'Squid Game' Season 3 Has Some Heavy Lifting To Do Close
Showrunner Hwang Dong-hyuk previously announced that Squid Game had been picked up for a third and final season. He originally envisioned Seasons 2 and 3 as a single story, but that version would reportedly have been too many episodes. Perhaps the creator had the right idea, as many fans commented about the number of episodes and an unsatisfying ending. MovieWeb's Greg Archer writes in his review:
"The biggest surprise in Season 2 of the Netflix superhit, Squid Game, isn't the deaths we see on screen. It's the death that happens inside us. Somehow, this once fresh, fiery, bloody, and bingeworthy drama managed to kill off our feverish interest in it. (ish) The sophomore season of Squid Game goes from being the hugest Netflix series in its history to a head-scratching disappointment. What wrath this will unleash online remains to be seen, but fear not: Were it not for Emmy-winner Lee Jung-jae and some truly surprising twists, the season would be a complete dud."
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Archer continues:
Without much investment in the characters, the body count in Season 2 never grabs us emotionally. So, what we're left with is a kind of lengthy foreplay that may find its best peak performance come Season 3. Game on. Let's pray for that.
Fans will be waiting expectantly for Season 3, which will reportedly stream next year. Aside from resolutions to all of Season 2's unanswered questions, audiences will also be looking for new twists and higher stakes, including more games and more death. It will be interesting to see how the show is received as a complete piece after Season 3 airs.
With Season 2 just recently premiering, there is still time for the audience score to pick up. It's yet to be seen how much buzz the season will generate online. #SquidGame2 is trending on X (formerly Twitter) and then there are the TikTok and YouTube reaction waves to consider. The series is expected to pull big numbers with audiences at home over the winter holidays, but it's doubtful that it will become a record-breaking cultural phenomenon like the first season. Time will tell.
Squid Games Season 2 premiered on Netflix on December 26. You can watch it here.
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2.5 /5 Squid Game - Season 2 TV-MA Action & AdventureMysteryDramaThriller
The second season of the hit South Korean thriller on Netflix. Hundreds of cash-strapped contestants accept an invitation to compete in children's games for a tempting prize, but the stakes are deadly.
Release Date December 26, 2024 Network Netflix