Has ‘Squid Game’ Lost Its Spark? Season 2 Faces Backlash

“Squid Game” season 2 arrived with sky-high expectations, however not all viewers are happy with the most recent chapter of Netflix’s world phenomenon.

Whereas the sequence continues to ship intense stakes and harrowing ethical dilemmas, some followers have expressed disappointment, claiming the present has “misplaced its edge.”

Like its predecessor, “Squid Sport” Season 2 introduces a various solid of financially determined gamers, with some abandoning their morals in pursuit of victory whereas others cling to their humanity regardless of the brutal stakes.

Season 2 of the South Korean dystopian drama “Squid Sport” has already confirmed to be successful for creator Hwang Dong-hyuk, receiving early crucial acclaim and securing a 2025 Golden Globe nomination for Finest Drama Collection even earlier than its launch. The brand new season shortly claimed the No. 1 spot on Netflix and at the moment holds a formidable 85% Licensed Contemporary ranking on Rotten Tomatoes.

Nevertheless, some U.S. viewers really feel in any other case.

Collider gave a brutally sincere assessment, which learn, “You possibly can see the plot twists coming a mile away even when a brand new sport is launched — and in case you don’t, the present flashes lights in your face to be sure to’re ready for the incoming twist. It typically feels just like the present is afraid its viewers may not perceive what’s going on, so every thing needs to be spelled out.”

They added, “By the point the season reaches its ending, it seems like a number of time has been wasted on repetition.” 

The Guardian stated, “It struggles to search out its function … What a disgrace it takes so lengthy to get there.”

Social media customers additionally voiced their disappointment after watching the second season.

“Simply completed season 2. THAT SH-T WAS TERRIBLE IM CRYING,” one viewer wrote on X, the social media platform previously referred to as Twitter. “The entire components from the primary season GONE… there’s no emotion, substance, and all of the video games had no thrill or stakes in it #SquidGame2.”

“SquidGame2 is so underwhelming likeee WHAT WAS EVEN THAT it is low key so messy and all over,” one other stated.

“I didn’t wait 2 years for this,” a 3rd wrote.

Constructing on the record-breaking success of the primary season, hailed as Netflix’s “greatest sequence launch ever,” Lee Jung-jae shared his gratitude for the immense fan help and enthusiasm surrounding the release of “Squid Game” Season 2.

“I need to say that I do know that a lot of followers are rooting for us,” he informed People Magazine. “They love us, and what I actually really feel particular about ‘Squid Sport’ is that I not solely have Korean followers now, however individuals all throughout the globe observed me they usually love me. So I actually like that.”

In June 2022, Netflix formally renewed “Squid Sport” for a second season and later confirmed plans for a 3rd, cementing the sequence as one of many platform’s flagship franchises.

“I used to be pondering to myself: will I actually have the ability to pull this off? Will I have the ability to create or write one thing that might exceed Season 1?” he informed IndieWire of writing the second season. “However as soon as I obtained to writing, and as soon as I obtained into the story of Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) returning to the video games together with his personal motives, it truly went lots higher than I believed it will.”

“Alongside the best way, I feel that sense of burden or stress truly turned into a supply of pleasure, and I progressively gained the arrogance that we had been creating one thing that the followers of the primary season wouldn’t be disillusioned with,” Hwang added. “Having stated that, it was clearly no straightforward feat. Nevertheless, I feel with that confidence, I used to be in a position to enter it with a greater method.”

“Squid Sport” season 2 is streaming now on Netflix.