Squid Game became TV’s first postpandemic blockbuster when it arrived out of the blue and to instant fanfare in late 2021. But such was the hype, and so ubiquitous the memes, that some people soon decided they’d had enough of this Hunger Games-style tale of a deadly contest on a hidden Korean island. Chief among them was the show’s creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, who recently told Variety he was “so sick of Squid Game”.
Sick or not, Netflix has coaxed a sequel from Hwang, who says he had “no intention of doing a second season, because the overall process of writing, producing and directing the series was so challenging”.
Given that sense of fatigue, it’s perhaps no surprise that a second helping of dystopian derring-do should often feel flat. Ultimately, the second season of Squid Game (Netflix, from St Stephen’s Day) isn’t even really a follow-up. Better to think of it as a retread of the first series. It goes to lengths to send the down-and-out hero from the original, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), back to the mystery island where people in black masks and candy-coloured jumpsuits lead punters through such gory contests as Red Light, Green Light (move on red, bullet in the head).
For all the rehashing, it’s by no means a disaster. Despite his misgivings, Hwang tells the story with stonking competence. Tense and bloody, it will certainly tick the boxes for anyone craving fresh Squid Game shenanigans but didn’t get what they wanted from Netflix’s reality spin-off, Squid Game: The Challenge. It’s just a shame it doesn’t set out to do much beyond rehashing old glories.
Squid Game season two review: Tense, bloody follow-up ticks boxes if you’re craving more Red Light, Green Light
Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas Special review: Unkillable comedy’s wit is as sharp as a mouthful of Brussels sprouts
Christmas TV and movie guide: the best shows and films to watch
Two sporting events to watch this week: Your handy guide to sport on television
The action begins in Seoul, where Seong, having won the first Squid Game, vows to unmask the event’s evil organisers. Although he still has his €30 million winner’s stash, he regards it as “blood money” to be spent avenging the memories of all the fellow contestants gunned down before his eyes.
That mission sets him and some unlikely allies on the trail of “the Recruiter” – the dapper gent in a slick suit who moves among the down-and-outs of Seoul, looking for potential Squid Game contestants. As we saw in 2021, the Recruiter (Gong Yoo) has a knack of turning up when you’re at your most financially desperate (which is how he signed the then bankrupt Seong up to the original games). But now that the Squid Game winner is looking for him, he proves frustratingly elusive.
After a slow opening episode, Squid Game quickly gathers momentum. Soon we’re back on that island – with some new games and a separate storyline that explores the experiences of the guards who keep the contestants corralled in a state of baffled terror.
It’s made with great efficiency, and the cast – including Wi Ha-joon, who returns as the policeman who teams up with Seong to bring down the games – channel the show’s comedic-until-it’s-horrific spirit. There’s lots of blood, several shock deaths and a few artful twists. But this difficult second album of a series really is just more of the same.
