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Intense violence, gripping action, and unpredictable plot twists were expected by many upon first watching Netflix's smash hit Squid Game. That being said, almost no one foresaw the level of heartwrenching emotion that the Korean show would bring to television screens around the world. To put it mildly, tissues were likely needed on more than one occasion.

The journeys of the show's fascinating characters were always likely to end in disaster, but devastation and heartbreak came right alongside the blood and gore of the deadly high-stakes game show. Countless lives were taken over the course of Season 1, although Season 2 also had its share of heartbreaking moments. Squid Game has touched many fans around the world, and these moments were the most upsetting in a series filled with sorrowful scenes.

Updated on January 31, 2025, by Ajay Aravind: Season 2 of Squid Game was relatively less sad because Gi-hun fomented a rebellion and briefly overwhelmed the guards.

Gi-hun's attempt to overturn Squid Game was foiled in the Season 2 finale. Actor Lee Seo-hwan said Gi-hun might resort to unspeakable acts now that he's more desperate than ever.

Lee Seo-hwan's dark theory for Squid Game Season 3 includes Gi-hun's villain arc. Speaking to Radio Times, Lee said his character Jung-bae's death might have pushed Gi-hun over the edge. "I know nothing about Season 3, but as a viewer and a fan myself, I think there could be three possibilities," he mused. "One would be Gi-hun losing all hope, and the second, him becoming even more vengeful. But the third possibility would be him becoming vengeful towards the players, not the people behind the game." That last possibility just stoked one fan theory that Gi-hun would become the next Front Man.

Related Squid Game Star Accidentally Spoils Season 3 With Potentially Huge Plot Leak

One of Squid Game Season 3's biggest plot twists...

Many successful TV shows attract loyal fan bases who are excited to tune into something similar with each new episode, expecting a comforting cast of familiar characters, locations, and plot lines to appear on the screen. While this may work for some television programs, other notable shows draw in audiences due to their unpredictable nature and fast twists.

For viewers of these shows, investment stems from the compelling nature of their storylines, which can rarely be guessed ahead of time. As a result, fans journey alongside the characters in the show, blind to what will occur confusion, so that they can experience moments of highs and lows, and at times confusion, in real time. For example, shows like Donald Glover's Atlanta seamlessly switch in genre and tone with each new episode, while series like David Lynch's Twin Peaks aren't afraid to devolve, boldly plunging the story line into chaos.

Squid Game’s victims never need an autopsy. We all know what killed them. However, the show itself deserves a post-modern. What happened to the once-great Korean thriller? While not terrible, the recently concluded second chapter hasn't generated as much talk as the first. Part of that concerns the widespread perception that the show didn’t need to continue. According to many fans (and a few critics), Gi-hun’s story was better suited for a miniseries.

2.5/5 Squid Game TV-MAAction & AdventureMysteryDramaThriller

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*Availability in US Release Date September 17, 2021Cast Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Park Hae-soo, Yim Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Wi Ha-jun, Park Gyu-young, Lee Jin-wook, Hoyeon, Oh Young-soo, Park Sung-hoon, Yang Dong-geun, Heo Sung-tae, Kim Joo-ryoung, Kang Ae-sim, Lee Da-wit, Choi Seung-hyun, Anupam Tripathi, Lee You-mi, Jo Yu-ri, Won Ji-an, Jun Suk-ho, Park Hye-jin, Chae Gook-heeSeasons 3 Expand

Still, we can understand Netflix’s decision to...

This article contains Major Spoilers for Squid Game Season 2.

Tension peaked during the six-legged pentathlon in Squid Game's second season. One team couldn't have survived Episode 5 without fan-favorite character Cho Hyun-ju.

Park Sung-hoon said he really slapped co-star Chae Cook-hee in Squid Game Season 2. Fans know this as the moment Cho Hyun-ju [Park] hit the Shaman Seon-nyeo [Chae] during the six-legged pentathlon, which required five players to take on a gauntlet of children's games. Hyun-ju led and motivated his team during their turn, which they almost didn't finish; they were only given five minutes to complete five games of skill, luck, and patience. Seon-nyeo quickly succumbed to the pressure, forcing Hyun-ju to slap her out of her stupor. Speaking to Netflix, K-Content, Park explained why Hyun-ju's slap looked so believable.

Related 'This Will Not Happen Again': Squid Game Star Catches Controversy After Posting Nsfw Photo

The Squid Game actor...

Quick Links What Has Happened in 'Squid Game' So Far? What Will Happen in 'Squid Game' Season 3? This Theory Shows That the 'Squid Game' Franchise Might Continue

Korean series are usually nothing short of extremely thrilling and highly addictive, which is exactly why the excitement about new additions to various streaming platforms is completely understandable. Netflix, for one, has brought fans one of the biggest Christmas gifts when the streaming platform finally released the second season of one of the most beloved Korean dystopian series.

It hasn’t even been that long since the second season of Squid Game was released on Netflix on December 26, but one day of binge-watching later, the investment went beyond watching and straight into coming up with possible theories. The internet is already full of various theories regarding Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), the Front Man, other players, and particularly the continuation of the franchise.

Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has explained why a fan-favorite Season 2 character portrayed by Choi Seung-hyun is named Thanos. Bearing the same name as the popular purple-skinned Marvel Cinematic Universe villain, one would be forgiven for believing the character inspired the purple-haired Squid Game contestant's name.

In an interview presented by Still Watching Netflix on YouTube where he and series star Lee Jung-jae reacted to TikTok clips inspired by the show, Hwang revealed why he chose the name for Seung-hyun's rapper character. Hwang intended for Thanos to transcend South Korean popularity and become an international sensation. "The reason I named the character Thanos, It doesn't really suit a rapper as a name, was to design him to be a character fans worldwide could love. But I am so grateful he is getting this much love,' he explained.

Related 'I'm Your Father': Squid Game Star Responds to Season 3 Theories with...

This article contains Major Spoilers for Squid Game Season 2.

Squid Game co-stars Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun addressed fan theories about the show's biggest mysteries. The latter sidestepped one question, fueling speculation over Season 3's plot twists.

Actor Lee Byung-hun dropped a major "spoiler" for Squid Game Season 3 in an episode of First We Feast. "Squid Game season 2 ends with a cliffhanger and fans are already speculating about the next season," his co-star Lee Jung-jae said. "Tell me which of the following fan theories is true: the island is a ship, Gi-Hun is the son of Oh Il-nam, or the Front Man is an undercover cop." The first rumor gained traction in Season 2 with Hwang Jun-ho's failed attempts to find Squid Game island, and Season 1's finale sparked the theory Gi-hun is related to Il-nam. Lee Byung-hun dismissed all of these speculations.

Related Squid Game Now Holds 2 of Netflix's...

Netflix continues to find immense success with the hit show Squid Game. After the debut of the anticipated second season, the series has set an incredible feat for the streaming platform.

On Tuesday, Netflix announced that Squid Game is still dominating the Top 10 charts as the most-watched title of the week with 26.3 million views. Overall, the season has climbed up to 152.5 million views since its Dec. 26 premiere. This makes Season 2 the third most-watched season on Netflix ever, putting it alongside the first season of the show. Jenna Ortega's Wednesday, which has a second season in the works as well, is the other title in the Top 3.

Related Squid Game Star Explains the Front Man's Decision in Season 2 Finale

Squid Game Season 3 could end with a surprising turn for its main villain.

The success of Squid Game is also going up in other ways. Season 1 logged another week on the Non-English TV charts,...

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Squid Game season 2.

Several main and supporting characters who originally appeared in Squid Game season 1 return to reprise their roles in the highly anticipated season 2. After becoming Netflix's most-watched series of all time with its September 2021 premiere, Squid Game season 2 premiered on the giant streaming platform on December 26, 2024. Season 1 star Lee Jung-jae returns as Squid Game winner Seong Gi-hun who is determined to make the creators of the high-stakes survival game pay. The cast of Squid Game season 2 also features the return of Wi Ha-Joon as Hwang Jun-Ho and Lee Byung-hun's Front Man Hwang In-ho.

Series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk returns to write and director Squid Game season 2 and has already confirmed that Squid Game season 3, which will be the final season of the celebrated thriller, is set to be released in 2025. Following season 1's 9-episode stretch, Squid Game season 2 has a total of seven episodes.

After a plot-heavy season opener, Pachinko's sophomore outing closes some of the show's more pressing threads in its second episode, all while setting up the future of Sunja (Minha Kim) and Solomon's (Jin Ha) stories. Bolstered by Pachinko's cast of characters, the first episode hammered home the Apple TV+'s series skill at telling parallel stories across generations, but it neglected to provide any resolution for Isak (Steve Sang-Hyun Noh). In season 1, Isak offers to marry Sunja, who's gotten pregnant by the dashing-yet-already-married Hansu (Lee Min-ho), after she nurses him back to health.

In Pachinko season 1's ending, Isak is arrested by Japanese officials for committing a political crime, which snowballs into Isak's brother, Yoseb (Han Jun-woo), losing his job by affiliation. Forced to provide for her sons, Noa (Kim Kang-hoon) and Mozasu (Eunseong Kwon), as well as her in-laws, Sunja sells kimchi at the local market. In Pachinko's 1980s timeline,...

The mood darkens in Pachinko Season 2 Episode 2 as Sunja’s family suffers another loss and the air raids draw closer.

A dream-like change in tone can’t disguise that this is the second bridge episode of this season, keeping us tethered to the unresolved narrative threads of Season 1 of the Apple TV+ series.

The good news is that we might now be at the point where Season 2 can finally start.

(Apple TV+)

It was hard to tell at first if the episode’s first scene, with its deserted streets and smoky skies, was real.

Our expectations were subverted when the ominous gas mask-wearing figure turned out to be a human friend, not a ghostly specter.

Those expectations were subverted again when we learned that the true messenger of Death arrives on a bicycle.

Neither A Gift, Nor A Power

This episode spends a lot of time in the realm between the dead and the living.

The television adaptation of Pachinko by Min Jin Lee returns with a second season of the family saga on August 23 on Apple TV+.

Unlike Lee’s book, the show mixes the timelines of Book 1 and Book 3 with Minha Kim portraying a young Sunja and Youn Yuh-jung playing the older version. Season 2 picks up with older versions of Sunja’s two sons Noa and Mozasu and the start of World War II.

Those in need of a refresher on what happened in Season 1 of Pachinko can read on for a recap.

A Family Will Endure

The show opens with Sunja’s mother (Inji Jeong), who visits a Korean shaman woman to reverse a curse she believes has fallen on her and her husband Hoonie (Lee Dae-ho). Her husband has a cleft-lip deformity, which was seen as negative in society in Korea. This story takes place five years after Japan annexed Korea...

The second season of Apple TV+’s Pachinko arrives more than two years after the first season was released on the streamer. Based on the best-selling book by Min Jin Lee, the multi-generational family saga follows Sunja (Minha Kim) as she moves from Korea to Japan and starts a family that endures through World War II and more.

The first season of Pachinko premiered with multiple episodes, but Season 2 will roll out installments one by one. Find more details below:

When does Pachinko Season 2 premiere?

The second season of the Apple TV+ drama lands on the streamer Friday, August 23.

How many episodes are in Season 2 of Pachinko?

There are eight episodes in Season 2 of the series, just as there were eight episodes last season.

Are new episodes of Pachinko Season 2 streaming all at once? What time do they arrive on Apple TV+?

New episodes will arrive at 12 a.m. on the streamer.