‘Squid Game’ Season 2: From the Frontman’s Secret to That Mid-Credit Tease, 7 ‘Red Light’ Questions We Have After Watching the Downbeat Finale Episode (SPOILER ALERT)

Squid Game returns for a second season, this time with just seven episodes instead of nine. However, with Season 3 already greenlit, if you’re expecting Squid Game Season 2 to offer a proper conclusion, you’ll be sorely disappointed. While the Netflix Korean show remains thrilling and compelling, continuing to showcase the manic downfall of humanity when faced with desperation, the Season 2 finale feels more like a mid-season break than a satisfying conclusion. ‘Squid Game’ Season 2 Review: High-Stakes Thrills, Performances and Gong Yoo’s Standout Cameo Make for a Worthy but Flawed Netflix Sequel.

Before diving into the details, let’s recap what Season 2 is all about. Gi-hun, using his prize money from the first season, dedicates all his resources to ending the Squid Games. He teams up with Jun-ho, the police officer and younger brother of Hwang In-ho (aka The Frontman), who is equally determined to uncover the island’s location and confront his estranged sibling. Jun-ho, however, keeps his familial connection a secret from Gi-hun. Eventually, Gi-hun manages to secure a meeting with The Frontman and convinces him to allow his re-entry into the games.

Gi-hun finds himself back on the frontline for another round of deadly competitions, this time joined by a new set of players, including his friend Jung-bae. Despite Gi-hun’s desperate attempts to warn his fellow contestants about the gravity of their situation, his words fall on deaf ears in the face of their greed and desperation. To make matters worse - though Gi-hun is unaware of it till the end - The Frontman infiltrates the player camp, disguising himself as a contestant with the 001 tag, befriending Gi-hun and even helping him out of tricky situations.

SPOILERS AHEAD: The season finale sees Gi-hun and his few brave allies, including The Frontman, launching an attack on the Squid Game employees who come to suppress a bloody riot. They seize weapons and attempt to storm the game’s management office. However, The Frontman betrays them, pretending to be killed in action during the chaos. Several of Gi-hun’s comrades are either killed during the assault or while surrendering. In the final, devastating moments, The Frontman - now masked - shoots Jung-bae dead right in front of Gi-hun, leaving him crying helplessly.

It’s a bleak conclusion to a season that offers little resolution and leaves many questions unanswered. Below, we explore seven burning questions that Squid Game Season 3, set to drop in 2025, needs to address.

1. Why Did In-ho Infiltrate the Players?

The Frontman’s motivations for infiltrating the player camp, becoming a contestant himself, and befriending Gi-hun are never clearly explained. By shooting Jung-bae in front of Gi-hun, he seems intent on teaching him the consequences of being a hero. However, the elaborate setup feels unnecessarily contrived, as there were simpler ways to convey this message outside the games. Could it be that, with Oh Il-nam gone, In-ho feels the need to symbolically take his place as Player 001?

2. What’s Squid Game Planning to Do With Gi-hun?

Gi-hun’s fate is left hanging at the end of the season, though it’s safe to assume he survives as the show’s protagonist. But what exactly do the organisers plan to do with him now that his revolt has been crushed? Will they eject him from the games forcing him to reunite with Jun-ho, or make him to compete again with a now antagonised section of players and more dangerous games? If the latter happens, he has no friends to back on now.

3. Did In-ho Save Jun-ho?

In-ho’s decision to shoot his brother in the shoulder rather than fatally injure him at the end of Season 1 feels deliberate, suggesting he wants Jun-ho alive. Season 2 reveals that Sea Captain Park, who sabotages Jun-ho’s team’s efforts to locate the island, is likely working for the Squid Game organisers. Could In-ho have arranged for the captain to rescue Jun-ho after his fall into the water? Is there a trace of humanity left in In-ho despite his monstrous role in the games? We also hope that Jun-ho, who was almost useless the whole season, figure out the Captain's treachery and the island's true whereabouts through him.

4. Will the Clients Return?

To destroy the Squid Game, Gi-hun and Jun-ho must tackle its demand, which means taking down the mysterious, masked clients. These wealthy, depraved spectators were notably absent in Season 2. Will they return in Season 3 to face their reckoning? ‘Squid Game’ 3 Confirmed! Lee Jung-Jae Announces Netflix Drama’s Third Season on ‘Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon’.

5. Did Gyeong-seok Survive?

Gyeong-seok, one of Gi-hun’s allies, surrenders during the final assault. While his associate is executed, Gyeong-seok pleads for his life, mentioning his sick daughter. Though it appears the masked employee shoots him, it’s possible he survived. If the shooter was No-eul, and we feel it's her, it’s likely she intentionally aimed for his shoulder, planning to smuggle him to safety using the organ-harvesting operation as a cover.

6. What Happened to Dae-ho?

Dae-ho, a former Marine, experiences a breakdown during the climactic fight, refusing to shoot anyone and retreating to the player quarters in tears. Earlier in the season, his hesitation when questioned about his time in the Marines hints at a traumatic past. What happened to him during his service, and how does it tie into his inability to act during the climax?

7. What’s the Mid-Credit Scene Teasing?

The brief mid-credit scene shows players 096, 100, and 353 entering an arena with two giant dolls: the familiar female one and a new male counterpart. This appears to be a modified version of the Red Light, Green Light game. Considering the high casualty rate of the original version, introducing a second doll suggests an even bloodier massacre. How will this new iteration of the game work, and what strategies will players adopt to survive?

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 27, 2024 03:20 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).