Greater than three years after it took the world by storm, Hwang Dong-hyuk’s “Squid Sport” returns to Netflix this vacation season.
Rather a lot can occur in three years — for the characters, but in addition for these of us exterior who’ve had a lot time to overlook. For a lot of of you, listening to “Squid Sport” most likely elicits emotion — pleasure, dread, and so on. — however the particulars of what made you are feeling that manner are slightly hazy.
So in case you haven’t made the time to re-binge all eight episodes of Season 1 (and even if in case you have!), right here’s a refresher on what occurred in “Squid Sport” Season 1 and what could be important to Season 2. Sadly, a lot of the characters from Season 1 are useless, however the Video games themselves are very a lot alive…
Gamers Can Terminate the Video games
After the horror of Pink Mild, Inexperienced Mild, Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) and the opposite surviving gamers took a vote on whether or not or to not keep within the recreation, with the decisive vote going to Participant 1 (extra on him later). Everybody left the island and returned to their lives, however got a chance shortly after to return to the video games. Some stayed dwelling and by no means went again, whereas a whole lot of gamers selected to threat their lives relatively than preserve residing as they have been.
The Season 2 trailer depicts this ritual’s return, in addition to a gaggle of gamers chanting “Another recreation!” as a result of there are at all times these in favor.
The Man on the Inside
Throughout his hiatus from the video games, Gi-hun information a police report about every little thing he noticed, and it sparks the intrigue of a police officer whose brother has gone lacking. Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon) sneaks into the island fortress as a guard, the place he witnesses the video games from a unique vantage level and gathers proof to report back to his boss. However the search reveals one thing much more surprising: his brother In-ho (Lee Byung-hun) is none apart from Entrance Man, the highest-ranking authority throughout the recreation — and a former winner. The brothers face off within the finale, with Jun-ho taking a bullet and falling off a cliff… however the Season 2 trailer confirms Jun-ho is alive, and his quest to reveal the video games doesn’t appear to be completed.
Gi-hun Hasn’t Killed Anybody
As soon as the principles and nature of the Sport revealed themselves, loads of gamers have been content material to dispense with societal decorum and begin totally murdering one another to degree the taking part in area. On one night time, the dorm turns into the location of a bloodbath, with gamers violently assaulting one another whereas the guards intentionally flashed the lights on and off. On the glass bridge, Mi-nyeo (Kim Joo-ryung) grabs onto Deok-su (Heo Sung-tae) to get again at him for abandoning her in a earlier recreation. Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo), murders Sae-byeok (Hoyeon) when she’s already grievously injured, and he’s able to do the identical to Gi-hun within the ultimate spherical — however turns the knife on himself on the final minute, sparing Gi-hun the agony of killing his outdated pal.
In fact, that doesn’t imply that Gi-hun doesn’t really feel like he has blood on his fingers. The Season 1 finale depicts him a yr after the Video games, nonetheless shaken by what he noticed and his life worse than ever regardless of the monetary windfall. However the truth that Gi-hun hasn’t killed distinguishes him from many who really feel comfy doing so throughout the Video games, in addition to the guards and Entrance Man who frequently put an finish to determined folks’s lives. Will Gi-hun proceed his streak within the present’s ultimate seasons, or will the Video games drive him to do one thing he might by no means have imagined?
These Who Didn’t Die
In his time undercover as a guard, Jun-ho found a black market organ harvesting ring amongst a number of of the guards, and one participant who labored as a surgeon. Gamers who don’t die instantly when killed within the video games have been delivered to a crude operation theater the place Participant 111 (Yoo Sung-joo) eliminated their organs in change for hints concerning the subsequent recreation. Greater than something, this reveals that the masked males aren’t paid sufficient to surrender the facet hustles, even when it dangers them shedding their jobs and lives. When the Entrance Man finds out about it, everybody concerned is killed, their our bodies placed on show to show the remaining guards and gamers a lesson.
Gi-hun’s Day 1
Earlier than he enters the sport, Gi-hun is seen attempting to make ends meet in his each day life, together with daytime playing with greatest pal Jung-bae (Lee Web optimization-hwan). The 2 of them appear to return a great distance, and Jung-bae doesn’t choose his pal harshly for his circumstances, even when he can’t supply a lot assist. In Season 2, Jung-bae is again — and he’s within the recreation. On one hand, he offers Gi-hun with an anchor to his outdated life and the skin world, however his outdated pal’s presence signifies that as soon as once more, Gi-hun has one thing to lose.
Demise Looms Outdoors the Video games
Gi-hun was solely within the Video games for a couple of week, however this absence has devastating value. When he returns “victorious” in Season 1, he finds his mom useless on the ground of their condominium — one of many chief causes he risked his life within the video games, gone whereas he stayed inside. The deaths of Sae-byeok and Sang-woo hang-out their households, and although Gi-hun does what he can to enhance their lives as properly, likelihood is that he’s the uncommon participant to take action, and that the majority eradicated gamers’ households by no means get any closure.
Demise even comes for the minds behind the video games, because it does to Oh Il-nam (Oh Yeong-su) after he reveals his true id, and that he entered the video games to really feel alive. No amount of cash might save him, simply because it received’t launch Gi-hun from what he skilled throughout these days.
The Recruiter is Nonetheless at Giant
Only a reminder that there’s extra Gong Yoo in your future. Merry Christmas!
“Squid Sport 2” premieres December 26 on Netflix.