Like you, we too spent most of Friday binging on Netflix’s latest K-drama, Squid Game. It was 485 minutes of great television, and the show’s nine episodes were a harrowing, white-knuckled ride that left us both emotionally and intellectually spent.
It also left us with quite a few questions.
The ending, while complete and satisfying, definitely leaves the door open for a second season (and more). God knows that finale had us incredibly excited to further explore this world that Hwang Dong-hyuk has created.
Here now, are nine questions that we need answering for the inevitable Squid Game, Season 2.
What Is the Recruiter’s Role in All of This?
We were really hoping to see more of Gong Yoo’s recruiter in the series, but all we got were two cameos, one in the very first episode, and another in the very last. The character he plays may not have any purpose other than to recruit players for the game, but given that he’s being played by an actor of Gong Yoo’s calibre and popularity, we were expecting to see a lot more of him.
Where Do They Find Those Henchmen In Red Jumpsuits?
What does that recruitment ad look like? “Seeking impressionable, easily manipulated young men. Must be willing to work long hours, take orders unquestioningly, and speak only when spoken to. Will require cosplay. May involve murder. Accommodation and meals will be provided.”
Do we think that this is a full time gig or like a summer internship?
Is Hero Cop Jun-ho Still Alive?
The last we saw of South Korea’s most action man police officer, he was left for dead after falling off an incredibly high cliff into the waters below.
It’s a major moment in Episode 8, and the second biggest twist of the series, when we discover that the Front Man is actually In-ho (Lee Byung-hun), the brother that Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon) was looking for all along. (Earlier, in Episode 5, we learned that In-ho apparently won the Squid Game back in 2015.) Both brothers have a brief but emotional face off. Jun-ho only has one bullet left in his gun and shoots In-ho in the shoulder. In-ho then shoots Jun-ho in the shoulder as well, causing him to trip backwards and fall into the sea.
We think that if In-ho really wanted to kill his brother, he wouldn’t have shot him in the shoulder. Especially since every other kill he’s made in the series has been a shot to the head. Narratively speaking, it wouldn’t make sense for all of Jun-ho’s undercover efforts be for nothing. We’re pretty convinced that he’ll be back for a second season.
P.S. We’ve even worked out Jun-ho’s story arc for Season 2. He is found floating in the water by a fishing boat and taken back to Seoul. He wakes up in the hospital to discover that his messages to the Chief didn’t send because there was no cell reception on the island. His phone is ruined by the water and all the evidence he collected is destroyed. No one at his precinct believes him because all of this seems so far fetched. And so he has to team-up with Gi-hun in order to take down the Squid Game.
What Is In-ho’s Story?
All we know about In-ho is that he’s Jun-ho’s brother and that he won the Squid Game back in 2015. What we don’t know, however, is why and how he became the face (metaphorically speaking) of the competition. How did Il-nam (Oh Young-soo) recruit him? Why did he agree to be a part of this social experiment/travesty? What did he do with all of his winnings? Is this a new gig or has he been the Front Man for a while? And if he’s been doing it for a while, why was he, until very recently, still paying rent on a tiny apartment in the city?
We’d love for Season 2 to do a deep dive into In-ho’s backstory.
Now That Il-nam Is Actually Dead, Who’s Running the Squid Game?
We know from the very end of the season that Gong Yoo’s recruiter is still playing ddakji with desperate people and handing out cards in order to recruit them for the game. But who is running the show? In Episode 9, In-ho is the last person we see by Il-nam’s death bed. Does this imply that he’s now running the Squid Game? Is he Il-nam’s appointed successor?
Why Did Gi-hun Dye His Hair Red?
??♂️
Is Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) channeling that age-old cinematic trope of a woman cutting/changing her hair whenever filmmakers need a shorthand to show the audience that she’s taking charge of her own life? Is Gi-hun’s red hair symbolic of the blood he’s about to spill when he takes down the people behind the Squid Game?
What Is Gi-hun Going to Do Next?
At the end of the season, Gi-hun has decided not to get on the plane and reconnect with his daughter in America. He is suddenly filled with a new sense of purpose and seems determined to find out as much as he can about the Squid Game and put an end to it.
Is he going to use his winnings to create a special vigilante team dedicated to ending the Squid Game. Is he going to team up with the very-much-alive Jun-ho? Will he seek out previous winners and convince them to join his cause? There is plenty of potential and we can’t wait to see where they take this series.
Will Netflix Ever (Please!) Find Better White Actors to Cast in These K-Dramas?
Squid Game follows the long held tradition of Asian TV shows and movies just picking random expats from off the street whenever they need a white person for a part. Stiff, stilted, and hopelessly hammy, these guys try and fail to stretch out a “69” joke for far too long. They are definitely the weakest link in an otherwise pristine production. (See also: Space Sweepers – among many, many others.) Surely it can’t be that hard (or too expensive) to find white guys in Korea who can act?
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