After three years, Squid game is back with more deadly games to play. The seven-episode second season premieres today on Netflix. By all accounts, it’s as good as the show’s first outing. However, it will not be a repeat of season 1, and that is due to the return of Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jae) to the gauntlet that almost killed him.

Why would Gi-hun (aka Player 456) come back after the violence he endured before? Afterwards, he won the competition and left the island a billionaire. You’d think he’d put it in his rearview for good and move on with his life. When it comes to the lingering effects of trauma, that’s easier said than done.

When the audience first meets Gi-hun, he is an aloof lowlife with a gambling habit, struggling to pay off many debts. In short, he has a clear separation from any meaningful responsibilities. In Season 2, Gi-hun is a changed man. A hardened shell of his former self, his sole purpose has shifted from paying off debts to taking down the entire mysterious operation.

Instead of starting a new luxurious life with his winnings in the competition, he spent a lot of money to find people connected to sports. He wants revenge, and nothing can stop him from getting it.

Or, to paraphrase Michael Corleone from The Godfather: Part III: When we thought he was outside, he immediately came back inside.

This is the part of the review where I warned you spoilers for Squid Game season 2. If you haven’t watched the new episodes, slow down or go back now.

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This is not a spoiler that Gi-hun returns to the games; that detail is prominent in the trailer. On the surface, this new installment is very similar to the first one. People who need money are forced to play childhood games for more money while putting their lives on the line. A shadowy figure runs the show with an army of hooded, masked henchmen who do his bidding.

Although the competitors are all in this life-threatening situation together, bonds are formed and conflicts arise. Once again, we are presented with a Lord of the Flies style scenario that shows how easy it is for man to separate himself from the inside.

Gi-hun’s determination to finish this operation and save as many lives as possible sets him against many competitors. His strength and knowledge of sports also brings new friends his way, introducing the audience to a collection of new faces, each with their own flaws and nuances. .

As expected, Jung-jae gives another stand-out performance. Every player in the vast ensemble delivers on all fronts, from Lee Byung-hun – whose sinister return as Front Man brings some unexpected new layers to the sinister role – and Wi Ha-jun , returning as detective Hwang Jun-ho, to Gong Yoo’s delightful reprise of his sociopathic Recruiter role, all do a fantastic job of raising the emotional stakes. And that is a necessity.

Let’s remember where we were three years ago when The Squid Game premiered on Netflix in 2021. At that time, there was a global lockdown, and millions of people were stuck at home, looking for entertainment to soothe the pain of pandemic realities they live with. by day by day. The Korean series was a hit right out of the gate and quickly became the streamer’s most watched series ever.

Emmys were won, and careers were made. Series leader Lee Jung-jae gets the Star Wars bump on The Disney Plus series The Acolyte. The spotlight was really well received. But after a three-year wait, one has to wonder if the second season of Hwang Dong-hyuk’s global hit has scratched the same kind of itch.

It does. But neither. And that is a good thing.

The Squid Game isn’t the first piece of entertainment to pit people against each other in bloody combat for money. Titles like Running Man or Battle Royale come to mind. However, the deadly competition here is not a form of popcorn-munching fun for a home audience. No, that’s too easy. This deadly test of children’s games can happen at the whim of a sociopathic person hiding behind a black mask – but the competitors themselves own most of the trauma.

Season 2 gave everyone a proverbial get-out-of-jail-free card by allowing the contestants to vote on whether they should stay or leave. Just like the first time, however, people’s greed overrides common sense and once again leads the series to a bloodbath. Adding an election theme to the mix creates a harsh polarity that feels pretty close to home, considering our current reality.

The Squid Game has changed over time more than enough to keep it interesting. It is as terrifying as it is funny, heartfelt and dramatic. Like Gi-hun, audiences everywhere are already familiar with this bloody competition — Red Light, Green Light is still the scariest game, really. So, to keep our attention, the story must enter a new phase.

The Front Man and his henchmen messed up in season 1. Now, it looks like Squid Game is in the finding-out stage, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.