In the sophomore installment of "Squid Game," director Hwang Dong-hyuk meticulously crafts a darker tapestry of society through the radical metamorphosis of Gi-hun. The protagonist's odyssey—from a humble, struggling individual to a resolute warrior against systemic injustice—serves as a potent prism through which the series scrutinizes themes of defiance and societal transformation.
"Having endured numerous traumatic ordeals in Season 1, Gi-hun came to grasp that the adversities faced by him and other contestants were not the consequences of individual deeds but were deeply ingrained in the very flaws of the system," the director revealed in a recent interview with local Seoul media. "He realized that to catalyze change, he must confront the system and those wielding power, rather than casting aspersions on others at his own level," he continued, likening Gi-hun's plight to Don Quixote's tilt at windmills. "Though he may seem absurd, perhaps we need someone like him—someone daring enough to stand up against the system. Often, we waste too much time pointing fingers at each other," he opined, adding, "Our ire should be directed upwards, not towards our peers or those beneath us."
In Season 2, Gi-hun makes a pivotal decision after emerging victorious from the grueling survival games. Opting not to flee to the United States with his winnings, he chooses to stay in Korea, fueled by a singular, compelling mission: to dismantle the lethal organization orchestrating the games once and for all.
Gi-hun's seemingly harebrained struggle may be predestined for failure, akin to "an egg hitting a rock," the director noted, drawing a parallel to a novice politician with noble aspirations to revolutionize society but ultimately becoming disillusioned and failing. Despite its apparent futility, such endeavors are profound and worthwhile, he stressed. The second season of Netflix's global phenomenon, released on Dec. 26, delves deeply into the very absurdity of Gi-hun's struggle against the system.
The third and final season, slated to premiere later this year, will bring the entire saga of "Squid Game" to its climactic conclusion. According to the director, the narrative will plunge into the profoundest depths of despair. "It's challenging for me to disclose specifics," he said, "but I can assure you this: I wanted to explore the utter fringes of despair, where even those clinging to the faintest sparks of hope witness them extinguish. When all hope is extinguished and despair reigns supreme—what lies beyond that?"
While he unequivocally ruled out the possibility of a fourth season, he left the door ajar for potential spin-offs, deeming them "intriguing concepts." If pursued, these could unravel the mysteries of the three years that elapsed between Season 1 and Season 2 or delve into the hidden narratives of the In-ho and Jun-ho brothers.
Currently in the final stages of production, the third season will bring the story to a definitive close in every conceivable sense, Hwang affirmed. "Everything will culminate in the last season, both in terms of the characters' arcs and the messages I wish to convey to the audience," he said. "Among the three seasons, the final one is my favorite, and you should brace yourself for something intense. It will impart the strongest message yet."
