Squid Game - battle Royale but adults!

[The Crescent King]

Given that I had nothing else to do I watched episodes 3 & 4, and they were great as well. Loved the Jump Rope game, In-ho's reveal and the tonal return instead of the bizarre comedy Season 2 had; honestly, it feels exactly like Season 1 again. The head writer of this series has an interesting mix of weaknesses and failures as a writer; some of his characters and themes are very compelling and thoughtful, almost ingenious, but he can also shit the bed badly in terms of pacing, tone and some of the characters he writes are basically caricatures. I feel that the evil characters are written a bit less ridiculously than last season, and thankfully all of the weak characters are gone. RIP Geum-ja however, she deserved better than what she got I also think this season is covering a lot more ground than Season 2 - those voting segments were torturous.

One character I'm not sad to see go is Jun-hee. Her actress wasn't great and her character was just grating - she was constantly giving MG Coin a hard time when it wasn't warranted. Realistically, Jun-hee only lasted as long as she did due to the kindness of others. She was a frail pregnant woman with every physical disadvantage imaginable in a competitive, life or death situation designed for men - it didn't escape my notice that the last eight players were all male, and that the games reward players in skills (strength, speed, endurance, explosiveness, etc.) that men have the upper hand in. She was far luckier than every other female player in having a physically fit young man able and willing to protect her at all costs, and she turns him away because he killed a troon? Dumbest Squid Game character by far.

Also, what's the whole point of this North Korean guardswoman side plot? We don't know anything about her besides her nationality and the fact that she has a daughter, we're not getting any deeper insight into the Game's inner workings and it's completely unrelated to everything else going on, so what's the point? I just don't see any relevance, and it's by far the least interesting plotline in the entire show.

 

[Ampicilina500mg]

I really enjoy your negative comments and would like to see it for myself but I really don't think I can stand another disappointing season.

 

[*Grunts Softly*]

is season 2 any good?

 

[umseriously]

Spoiler: Thoughts on Squid Game S3

I liked it but it left me with a sour taste. A lot of it felt like filler and the only death that left an impact on me besides Gi-Hun was the old mom's suicide. Besides that, none of the villains felt as impactful as say Deok-su and the bridge game was nowhere near as intense as the glass one in S1. It felt more like a drama than a death game, one that went on for too long. Although, having Gi-Hun die was ballsy, I can't help but feel like there was a better way of wrapping things up without killing him. As for the American spin off teased at the end, I'll watch at least the 1st episode before deciding if I'll drop it or not. Regardless of how much Netflix rapes the corpse of Squid Game, S1 will always be there. It won't retroactively be made bad because of later stuff; that would be silly.

Overall, a 7/10.

 

[Make America Dumb Again]

is season 2 any good?

Not as good as the first but serviceable. I think my rank would be season 1>3>2

 

[GlupShitto]

Deeply embarrassing show. Tranny propaganda and muh woman baby's the best bs.

Honestly I think instead of making a troon infested sequel, they should've done a prequel about the first Squid Game. I saw some really cool AI concepts on X after season 2 came out and honestly they were better than this BS.

Unrelated to the other shit, but I just had a thought. Remember the thing about illegals competing in a game show for citizenship? It'd be kinda cool if the US made Squid Game real but for shitskins who get caught. It'd probably be bigger than the super bowl.

 

[Soso]

I did find the way Seon-nyeo died hilarious, but she could have tackled Min-su with how he was clearly tweaking. Wasn't surprised she died early since the trailer and posters were leading on that she would have a major role, but they showed most of her scenes. Would have been hilarious to see her in jump rope. I expected her death for one of her followers to betray her and be like "Fuck this, you can't hear those voices" and close the exit behind her. But we got something similar with player 100.

Spoiler: Thoughts on Squid Game S3

I liked it but it left me with a sour taste. A lot of it felt like filler and the only death that left an impact on me besides Gi-Hun was the old mom's suicide. Besides that, none of the villains felt as impactful as say Deok-su and the bridge game was nowhere near as intense as the glass one in S1. It felt more like a drama than a death game, one that went on for too long. Although, having Gi-Hun die was ballsy, I can't help but feel like there was a better way of wrapping things up without killing him. As for the American spin off teased at the end, I'll watch at least the 1st episode before deciding if I'll drop it or not. Regardless of how much Netflix rapes the corpse of Squid Game, S1 will always be there. It won't retroactively be made bad because of later stuff; that would be silly.

Overall, a 7/10.

I feel the shaman gets lots of hate, but they could have made her an interesting antagonist. 100 was boring to be fair, but I understood why they kept him..

is season 2 any good?

It's fine, mingle was very tense, but they shouldn't have split the seasons into two to make more money.

Her actress wasn't great and her character was just grating

Kpop idols tend to be terrible actors and actresses unless rare exceptions like Hyunjin , IU, and Kyesang. Minus IU, many generation one idols like the other two I listed used kpop as a way to get into acting. Jo Yuri kept making the same faces and didn't know how to emote properly which made me feel negative towards her character.

 

[Beautiful Border]

So here are my thoughts (spoilers, obviously)

Spoiler

So the "shock" of this season is... one of the contestants is pregnant and gives birth. Instead of being removed from the game, the newborn baby is added to the game as a contestant, replacing her mother after she died in a previous game. To me, this is where the "moral credibility" of the show disappears. There is clearly a moral framework the games operate under - "they choose to be there, they're able to leave if enough people agree" and so on.

But none of that applies when you throw a baby into the mix, at that point you're operating on a morality that's completely alien and anathema to common sense. And then in the final game, the other six players (except 456) scheme to kill the baby so they can add to the prize money - I'm sorry, but no. Six random people aren't that fucking evil. It strains credibility.

It's a similar issue I have with Adolescence - they're trying to make a point about societal morality, but in fiction, you can have you characters do whatever you want. You can't invent a person, have them do (or plan to do) something evil, and then simply say that reflects something about the real world.

 

[SilkGnut]

Perhaps not, but I think the commentary is less about that specific act of spitefully killing a baby, more that people regularly commit and justify atrocities under the name of democracy that are justified as moral and good through this diffusal of responsibility.

After all, 3 folks NEEDED to die. It wasn't a question of increasing the pool at that point, death was a requirement. Now one could justifiably say that killing an adult is more moral than killing a newborn, but do not frame it as a matter of just wanting more $$$.

 

[Beautiful Border]

Perhaps not, but I think the commentary is less about that specific act of spitefully killing a baby, more that people regularly commit and justify atrocities under the name of democracy that are justified as moral and good through this diffusal of responsibility.

After all, 3 folks NEEDED to die. It wasn't a question of increasing the pool at that point, death was a requirement. Now one could justifiably say that killing an adult is more moral than killing a newborn, but do not frame it as a matter of just wanting more $$$.

I just don't think that's how actual human beings would act if placed in that situation. Most people do not have it in themselves to kill a baby for money. Yes, three people need to die, but if we're speculating on what would happen in real life: I do believe the baby would be left out of it.

But the issue isn't with the final game in particular, it's having the baby in the game at all. It undercuts the logic the games are predicated on.

I'll give you an example: In season 1, a player can't find a partner for a game. We're led to believe she was killed - but no, she returns unharmed. Since she couldn't find someone else to play the game with, she got to sit it out. The point of including that was to show that, while the games were lethal, they were ultimately fair.

So why the fuck are they now throwing a baby into the game, that couldn't consent to be there, that can't even participate in the games at all? That's not a different form of morality, that's amorality. You can't justify that outside of simple sadism. With season 1 you could say, "The people running the games are evil because they're willing to kill people, but they're operating under a set of rules that make it justifiable". In season 3, they're just straight-up evil.

 

[GlupShitto]

Perhaps not, but I think the commentary is less about that specific act of spitefully killing a baby, more that people regularly commit and justify atrocities under the name of democracy that are justified as moral and good through this diffusal of responsibility.

After all, 3 folks NEEDED to die. It wasn't a question of increasing the pool at that point, death was a requirement. Now one could justifiably say that killing an adult is more moral than killing a newborn, but do not frame it as a matter of just wanting more $$$.

It's another nonsensical Korean attempt to paint the US as evil despite the fact that without us and our generosity, they'd be under Rocket Man's rule.

 

[SilkGnut]

It's another nonsensical Korean attempt to paint the US as evil despite the fact that without us and our generosity, they'd be under Rocket Man's rule.

You think it is nonsensical to state that atrocities happen explicitly because of dispersal of responsibility causing individuals to vote for things that they wouldn't dare consider if they were forced to take action themselves?

Fair enough. I respectfully disagree.

I just don't think that's how actual human beings would act if placed in that situation. Most people do not have it in themselves to kill a baby for money. Yes, three people need to die, but if we're speculating on what would happen in real life: I do believe the baby would be left out of it.

But the issue isn't with the final game in particular, it's having the baby in the game at all. It undercuts the logic the games are predicated on.

I'll give you an example: In season 1, a player can't find a partner for a game. We're led to believe she was killed - but no, she returns unharmed. Since she couldn't find someone else to play the game with, she got to sit it out. The point of including that was to show that, while the games were lethal, they were ultimately fair.

So why the fuck are they now throwing a baby into the game, that couldn't consent to be there, that can't even participate in the games at all? That's not a different form of morality, that's amorality. You can't justify that outside of simple sadism. With season 1 you could say, "The people running the games are evil because they're willing to kill people, but they're operating under a set of rules that make it justifiable". In season 3, they're just straight-up evil.

I kinda thought the point of it was that nobody was actually willing to kill the baby amongst the group, or at least not until the final showdown. It was a demonstration of how easy it is to agree with somebody in concept to your mutual best interests, but how once it comes to actually making the sausages there are very few who will enter the slaughterhouse.

I will grant that the scenarios were far more over the top in the second season (or whatever the fuck they are calling this mess) but I think much of the point was explicitly that most of the folks who were willing to vote for the things were not actually willing to do the deeds they voted for themselves.

Also I may have misunderstood, but wasn't the baby's inclusion shown as simple sadism from the VPs? They argued on the point for a moment, but eventually concluded that it was a worthy include solely for the lols? Not that you are wrong as to your argument, but I do not think the producers of the show had intended to portray it otherwise. You could say it was inconsistent from season 1's stated ideals, but the stated ideals have always been flexible in the name of entertainment for the VPs.

In general the baby was one of the worst parts of the season, I think we can all agree the show would have been better if it wasn't included. I just feel that many people gain significant courage to do things they would otherwise find unconscionable as long as they can hold to the ideal that their hands are clean.

 

[Godchu]

Wow that was terribly disappointing. Same exact problem as season 2, only this time all my patience evaporated by episode 3 I ended up skimming the remaining episodes. There was this one part where the VIPs dress up as soldiers and take part in the clean-up of the hide and seek game and I legit thought the series had jumped the shark given how it was given absolutely no fanfare, foreshadowing, and is forgotten almost immediately afterward for some melodrama. I think that might have been the moment I gave up, actually.

Wonder if other people feel the same way. Already it felt like barely anyone was talking about season 2 compared to 1. Will there even be a single meme to come out of this? Will there be anyone around for the American spin-off?

If it is, I hope it continues to bomb. Fuck streaming networks.

 

[Crippled Polnareff]

Spoiler: The best image to describe the plot of Season 2 pt.1 and 2

Gi-hun should've minded his own business and got on the plane at the end of season 1. What a nothingburger of a story arc he got with season 2.

 

[Make America Dumb Again]

Spoiler: The best image to describe the plot of Season 2 pt.1 and 2

View attachment 7572867

Gi-hun should've minded his own business and got on the plane at the end of season 1. What a nothingburger of a story arc he got with season 2.

Honestly, I think it’s still important that he was able to make In-ho understand his point of view of humanity. It’s not clear whether or not he will be different, but I’m sure In-ho wouldn’t really argue with someone with a different ideology.

So in essence, Gi-hun may not have changed the system as a whole, but as long as he can change one’s mind about idealism vs cynicism, it was very worth it.

 

[Kulee Baba]

So here are my thoughts (spoilers, obviously)

Spoiler

So the "shock" of this season is... one of the contestants is pregnant and gives birth. Instead of being removed from the game, the newborn baby is added to the game as a contestant, replacing her mother after she died in a previous game. To me, this is where the "moral credibility" of the show disappears. There is clearly a moral framework the games operate under - "they choose to be there, they're able to leave if enough people agree" and so on.

But none of that applies when you throw a baby into the mix, at that point you're operating on a morality that's completely alien and anathema to common sense. And then in the final game, the other six players (except 456) scheme to kill the baby so they can add to the prize money - I'm sorry, but no. Six random people aren't that fucking evil. It strains credibility.

It's a similar issue I have with Adolescence - they're trying to make a point about societal morality, but in fiction, you can have you characters do whatever you want. You can't invent a person, have them do (or plan to do) something evil, and then simply say that reflects something about the real world.

Yeah, in any plausible scenario they would have draw straws to determine who would have to die in the final game and no one would have slaughtered a baby. It was a dumb forced ending to make them all retarded.

 

[Mayoush]

100 was boring to be fair, but I understood why they kept him..

Why ?

Overall I liked the season and the games but there some things I disliked and some things I didn’t understand the logic of it and there was a moment I really liked there will be spoilers in my review

Things I didn’t like:

- The troon who didn’t show anything feminine and was the most brutal psychopath

- The retarded mom who stabbed her coward son then killed herself her son was stupid but why did she act sad when the soldier came to finish the job like she didn’t doom him and I hate how she went from transphobic to trans ally in a moment in season 2 without any valid reason especially since that troon didn’t behave like a women

- The boss women North Korean defect who tricked a group of men to save a guy she briefly knew about she had intense plot armor even if her story was kind of sweet

-The MC doing as much as possible to save ppl while at the same time killing them later on he had an easy way out and would have been justified in killing them all in their sleep yet he just killed them afterwards pretending he was fair while still having his knife with him hidden

-Him jumping at the end was peak stupidity how did he know the kid will be safe since the organizers didn’t give a shit about the baby and put his life on the risk

- The baby being birthed as a twist was so cliche and overplayed and you instantly know he would be the winner

General dislike:

-They were complete stranger but they take a promise made like a binding contract by blood and go to the extreme length to fulfill it while they are in this game to murder each other for money not to make friends and wills lol

- The side stories were dumb and forgettable

What I liked :

-This game that started pushing players on the jump rope was a genius he made the perfect strategy yet the retarded MC didn’t like it for some reason yet killed them all later on instead of being smart and efficient about it muh morals

- The games were fun and smart I really liked the hide and seek game

- I liked player 100 because he played the game properly and was the most reasonable his intentions were clear and he was a back stabbing sob and really smart

-Some sweet moments like the mc girl getting money and only one guy surviving for his daughter

-The games were also played in the USA

-The shaman lady was funny

 

[Soso]

Why ?

Like you said, he's a crafty guy. I guess I was being very harsh by calling him boring, antagonists aren't meant to be liked. But I wanted something more in a way. I came out mostly dissapointed that I still don't really know much about the characters and the finalists were a little disappointing. Knew granny wasn't going to be a finalist, but I at least wish she tried at jump rope instead of hanging herself overnight. It made sense why he also wanted to stay in the game because of his debts.

-The shaman lady was funny

I genuinely don't get why she got so much hate from casual viewers with how some frothed at her existing. I wish they utilized her more, but I wasn't surprised she died in Hide and Seek. Knew she was going to get betrayed, but I wrongly predicted it was going to be one of her followers going "fuck this" I agree with the part about the baby though, and how when the baby was born, they were going to put it into the game, and somehow it would be the winner.

 

[Mayoush]

finalists were a little disappointing

I was surprised that they were all male it would have been interesting to see a women and what decision they would have made also the shy kid was used as an easy sacrifice I liked how they made it so that they can’t just throw MC because he has the child and they would have turned on each other which is what he pointed it out also I was surprised on how rational they were and they sacrificed one of their gang because the other two had weapons it would have been a perfect ending but we saw how greedy they were and that’s why they killed as much as possible.

I think the main twist was the guy with the pole turning against the gang and wanting to sacrifice his baby for the money

But I still don’t understand the MC motives he is reluctant to kill people but when he forced he does it without hesitation and in a brutal and at the end he kill’s himself while he isn’t sure what would happen to the baby

Idk why the media is obsessed with pregnant ladies in tough situations like in money heist and this show she birthed a child during a hide and seek death game and like someone previously mentioned that in season 1 they were fair when they spared the contestant without a partner and why in these shows ppl are so attached to random stranger that they are willing to raise their kids I can understand helping them but you have to look out after yourself first and you barely knew the other person

 

[Doctor of Autism]

I just finished the last season and I have pretty mixed thoughts about it

Spoiler: Squid Game Season 3 Spoilers

Stuff I liked:

- I think 100 and 124 (Old Guy and Thanos' sidekick) honestly did a good job taking up the antagonist roles in place of Thanos' absence, and were both pretty entertaining.

- The new games were all pretty good especially with how creative the hide and seek one is.

- Gi-hun's revenge quest against the fake marine was cool

- The subplot with the No-Eul and 246 was pretty good especially the action scenes where she's fighting the other staff.

- I did like some of the endings like how Gi-hun's daughter got the money from her dad and the families of the finalists from season 1 reuniting.

- In-Ho being touched by Gi-Hun was pretty nice.

- Thanos' cameo was nice

- At least the Korean branch of the games pretty much ended

Mixed:

- I liked Gi-hun's ending in concept since I think its cool that he'd sacrifice himself to save someone innocent, since it fit his character. But given how cartoonishly evil the other finalists were, he should've just taken In-Ho's advice and killed them all, would've been more of a fuck you to the VIPs as well..

- The character deaths of a lot of the mainstays for Season 2 (like the mom and son, Jun-hee, shaman lady, and the transwoman) were good but at the same time, I feel they died far too early.

- In-Ho should've had more interactions with his brother and Gi-Hun, I felt he was underutilized this season after how prominent he was in season 2. I liked his backstory and how the games really reflect the test he is giving Gi-hun, but he still felt like he didn't have as much of a presence.

- I'm fine with the baby being added into the game, especially since it does fit the theme of what In-Ho wants to test in others and I can see the VIPs doing it out of petty bullshit.

Dislikes:

- The VIPs were even worse in this season, they really overstay their welcome and are horrendously shit villains since they just point out the obvious and are not really interesting, not even in a love to hate way. It also took me out of the moment when they were playing in the games especially with their horrendous acting.

- I really hate Min-Su. Him tripping balls is funny, but my god what is the point of this character at all, he's just a pathetic guy and while it is the point, he still fucking sucks.

- 333 also kinda falls flat for me. Okay I can see him being ruthless to everyone else, since he's also very selfish, but I thought at least he'd care for his child. It seems like he did want to keep in touch with Jun-hee and raise the baby, but he suddenly wants to kill the baby even after Gi-hun offered to sacrifice himself. It's a turn that feels out of nowhere since even when he tried to connect with Jun-hee, there was no pragmatic reason for him to do so.

- Again I wished at least some of the finalists were some of the good people we followed, killing almost all of them early really does suck, and it would've added more of a moral dilemma to the final game than Gi-Hun going against a bunch of assholes (especially since outside of Gi-hun, we only know a total of 4 of the non-baby finalists)

- I am honestly not a fan of tying in the American spinoff to the Korean show. Like unless they actually cook, it just doesn't work since I feel In-Ho's story should've ended either with him dying in the games, or giving up his position after giving Gi-Hun's money to his kid. I could be fine with this if he becomes a more heroic character, but if he's still the villain, I don't see how he can get any good dynamics with some of the American cast, and again he really should've had more of a dynamic with Gi-Hun and his brother.

- The boat subplot was painfully slow especially with how it took until the Captain was fucking shooting people for Jun-ho to figure out how shady he is. It didn't even have that good of a payoff beyond ending the games in Korea.

Overall this is the weakest season but it isn't completely terrible, but it's a 5/10 from me.