Tag: Lee Byung-hun

Squid Game Season Three Review: The Games Conclude.

In 2021, the world was glued to the screen watching Squid Game. 
Now, in 2025, Hwang Dong-hyuk has brought his story to a close with Season Three.
The Second Season ended pretty abruptly, but this was forgivable with the knowledge that the final season would be coming quickly.

It would have been extremely frustrating if we had to wait years for Season Three after such a big cliffhanger.

Now that we have seen that conclusion, did I think it was a worthy one?
Absolutely. 
It is certainly not without its hiccups, but I think Season Three was a great way to end the story… well, this part of it at least. 
Season Three of Squid Game kicks off in the aftermath of Seong Gi-hun’s (Lee Jung-jae) failed rebellion.
Now blaming himself more than ever, Gi-hun is forced to take part in the rest of the games with the remaining players, all the while Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon) continues to search for him on his boat, and soldier Kang No-eul (Park Gyu-young) attempts to get player Park Gyeong-seok (Lee Jin-wook) off the island. 
The remaining games of the final season are all intense, delivering plenty of tragedy, as the characters we met in the Second Season begin dropping like flies.

This game was definitely worth the Second Season’s post credit tease.

At numerous points, characters I expected to make it late into the games died early, and these deaths are just as tragic and tear-inducing as they were in Season One… for the likeable characters that is.
The best character of the season, though, is by far Gi-hun.
His arc and the conclusion to his character is both moving and fits in well with the theme of Squid Game. 

Lee Jung-jae is phenomenal as Gi-hun.

The ending, while being controversial among viewers, was mostly fitting, in my opinion.
It even seems to hint at a potential spinoff, maybe an Amercian Squid Game.
Personally, I think it would be interesting to see how such a hypothetical show would work with American commentary, especially in its current heated political climate.
Along with the controversial ending, another thing viewers did not like were, of course, the VIPs.
They were, by far, the worst part of Season One, with their terrible acting and writing.
This tradition continues in Season Three but, oddly enough, I actually found myself appreciating the VIPs’ presence this time around.
Don’t get me wrong, their acting and writing is still absolutely atrocious, but I actually found it hilarious in a so bad that it’s good kind of way.

I kid you not, one of the VIPs says, “This is the biggest twist since the resurrection of Jesus Christ!” The writing and delivery was so hilariously awful I could not help but laugh.

Less funny is Jun-ho’s continued boat subplot this season, which goes pretty much nowhere by the end.
I quite enjoyed his investigation in the first season, and it was extremely frustrating to see him relegated to boat duty these past two seasons. 
Choi Woo-seok (Jeon Seok-ho) is honestly a better detective than him, with his mission to investigate the suspicious boat captain.
I was even disappointed by the lack of interaction between Jun-ho and his brother In-ho (Lee Byung-hun).
The Frontman was one of the best parts of Season Two, so it was sad to see he got much less time to shine this season, even if his arc is still really good.

I wish we got more Frontman screentime with Gi-hun.

Overall, I would still stay Season Three is a great conclusion to Squid Game. 
It has a fantastic arc for its lead character, brought me to tears a few times, and teased a spinoff which I personally think might turn out for the better.
Or maybe I am wrong, and this potential spinoff will be just as tone deaf as the various reality shows and product placements Squid Game unintentionally inspired.
We will have to wait and see.  

Squid Game Season 2 Review: The Games Return.

Like most of the world, I was enthralled by the first season of Squid Game.
It was both an intense and emotional experience that had a lot to say about the way capitalism exploits people in South Korea.
And because the show became so popular, of course companies had to milk it, with ads and even some Squid Game inspired reality shows.
It is sadly ironic that the show criticizing exploiting people lead to the creation of more shows which exploit people.
As for the original Squid Game itself I, like many others, were curious how Season Two would turn out.
Would it be a worthy follow up, or would it pale in comparison?
Well, after finally sitting down to watch it, I can happily say that Season Two is a great continuation of that first season.
I do still prefer the original but Season Two carries the same energy. 

Squid Game stays strong with its second season.

The season continues years after the first, with the previous game’s winner Gi-Hun (Lee Jung-jae) working to track down the Recruiter and Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) to try and put an end to the death games once and for all.
Eventually joined by police officer Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon), Gi-hun eventually finds himself placed inside the games again and must desperately work to save as many people as he can.
Going into Season Two, I was worried it would just be a repeat of the first season, however, this is not the case.
The first few episodes follow Gi-hun’s attempts to track down the Front Man and this is just as enthralling as the games themselves.
This is in large part due to Gong Yoo’s performance as the Recruiter.
Given a small role in the first season, the Recruiter gets a big showcase here for the first episode and they did a fantastic job expanding on his character, creating a truly twisted individual who is both entertaining and terrifying to watch.

The Recruiter was the star of the first episode.

The season also expands on the Front Man, who takes a personal interest in Gi-hun, allowing for a much more complex look at his character.
As for Gi-hun, he is just as compelling as in the first season, and so are many of the new characters we meet in the games.
My favorites of the bunch are definitely Hyun-ji (Park Sung-hoon), a transgender woman and former soldier, Dae-ho (Kang Han-neul), another former soldier who enthusiastically joins Gi-hun, Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan), a friend of Gi-hun’s who finds himself in the games, and Thanos (T.O.P), a rapper with a drug addiction and a lot of funny moments. 

Of all the new characters, Hyun-ji is probably my favorite because she has a lot of heroic moments.

Along with the new characters there is also a new twist to the games.
The players must now vote to stay or leave after every game but, if they choose to leave, they will only receive the accumulated prize based on how many players have died.
This creates a situation where a gambling mindset kicks in for many of the players and, through watching the season, it is easy to understand why.
I found myself cheering for characters when they succeeded in games like the six-legged pentathlon, resulting in me seeing just how simple it would be to become addicted to winning these games, despite their lethality.
This gives the season plenty of thematic weight to go alongside the intensity of the games.

You can clearly see how some of the games were set up to motivate the players to continue.

However, much like in the first few episodes, the season does not entirely focus on these games.
For starters, there is Jun-ho’s subplot, which sees him try to track down Gi-hun on a boat with a band of mercenaries.
This storyline is unfortunately the weak point of Season Two.
Pretty much every scene of it drags and the big twist surrounding it was obvious for the get-go. 

I hope Jun-ho’s storyline is interesting in Season Three because it certainly was not here.

Another storyline focuses on one of the workers in the games and the confliction she feels when someone she knows joins.
This is interesting, but it does not really go anywhere this season.
I will not hold this against the season though because it feels like it’s something that is going to be followed up on in Season Three, which will air in a few months.
This makes me okay with the fact that Season Two ends abruptly on a massive cliffhanger.
If we had to wait years for it, it would have been less tolerable.
Overall, while I prefer Season One, Season Two is still a fantastic follow-up to the original Squid Game.
It delivers intense scenes, loveable characters who you want to survive, and perfectly illustrates a gambler’s mentality, even in lethal situations.
I hope Hwang Dong-hyuk can end his story well with Season Three.