Hwang Dong-hyuk had his work cut out for him in replicating the success of ‘Squid Game’ in season 2
Even as the world grappled with Covid-19 in 2021, the release of season one of “Squid Game” proved to be a game-changer when it came to trailblazing TV shows.
It became a global phenomenon at a time when South Africa - along with many other countries - was falling in love with K-dramas.
Talk about serendipitous timing - the TV Gods were smiling on creator, writer and director, Hwang Dong-hyuk.
His Midas touch in delivering a show that was disturbing and entertaining at the same time was no small feat.
The premise centred on The Recruiter (Gong Yoo), also known as The Salesman, who approaches financially desperate individuals for a life-changing opportunity.
Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), a gambling addict and divorced father drowning in debt, helmed the series. His plight was no different to the other players in the game.
At first, the offer of winning the game and changing their fortunes was too great an offer to pass up.
However, the games, while familiar, boasted deadly consequences. As the body count fell, the prize money increased.
As the game progressed, the players' survival instincts took over, and emotions soared. They faced psychological challenges intertwined with physical dangers that extended beyond the game itself.
They were kept in line by The Pink Guards, who were also referred to as Pink Soldiers or Masked Men.
Streamers were heavily invested in the struggles of Seong, an underdog who exuded surprising compassion under great duress. He also proved to be a dark horse.
Season two picks up three years later. Seong, who now has more money than he could spend in a lifetime, is in a different headspace.
He is determined to track down the puppet masters behind the game to put an end to it once and for all.
However, his endeavour places him right back in the game as Player 456. This time around, he believes that, in being armed with the experience and knowledge of having played the game before, he can effectively achieve his goal.
That said, the other players, some of whom have crossed paths under not-so-nice circumstances, abandon all sense of logic as they cling to the hope of winning.
In a recent interview with Dong-hyuk, he shed light on the second instalment through his interpreter.
Very humble despite the show being the first non-English television series to have won an Emmy for
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, the director admitted to feeling a lot of pressure for the follow-up season.
He said: “Yes, of course, I felt a lot of pressure because as much as it was love so globally, there was that much pressure and anticipation for season two.
“It stuck with me all through the creative process for the next two seasons.”
The series concludes with season three.
Their new characters have wonderfully etched back-stories, too. They are Lee Byung-hun as The Front Man and Player 001, Wi Ha-jun as Hwang Jun-ho, a former cop helping Seong from the outside for personal reasons, Yim Si-wan as cryptocurrency influencer Myung-gi, Kang Ha-neul as Dae-ho (Player 388), Lee Jin-uk as Gyeong-seok (Player 246), Park Sung-hoon as Hyun-ju (Player 120), Yang Dong-geun as Yong-sik (Player 007), Kang Ae-shim as Geum-ja (Player 149), Lee Seo-hwan as Jung-bae (Player 390), Chae Kuk-hee as Seon-nyeo (Player 044), Lee David as Min-su (Player 125), Roh Jae-won as Nam-gyu (Player 124) and Choi Seung-hyun as Thanos (Player 230), among others
Some players are likeable and others loathsome but they add a wonderful dynamic to the plot twist in the new season.
The director notes that he was very clear on the criteria when he was casting them.
“There is a huge emotional range that each character has to portray. I needed someone with that capability and also, appearance-wise, I wanted to make sure that each character had an actor who could portray them in an image that I imagined them to be.
“So the first part was the acting calibre to portray that emotional range and the second was the appearance.”
On having Jung-jae back at the helm, Dong-hyuk noted: “Seong was a character so widely loved in season one and he is the only person who made it out alive.
“Through seasons two and three it is all going to be about his journey and I would say that the actor playing him is truly the heart of ‘Squid Game’.
“And in that process, Jung-jae put in a tremendous amount of effort into his performance as well as appearance wise - he went on an extreme diet for the entire course of the year we were shooting.
“As a director and a colleague, I was extremely grateful for all of his efforts and passion and that is something you will be able to see for yourselves when you watch the show.”
The cliffhanger ending received mixed reactions. However, it is a calculated build-up to the final instalment.
“Squid Game” season 2 is streaming on Netflix.
Interesting facts about “Squid Game 2”:
- Gong Yoo, one of Koreo’s top actors, hadn’t played a villain before being cast as The Recruiter. He will unlikely return in the next instalment after an interesting curveball early on in the second season. By the way, he was busy with other projects but was too loyal to say no to the director for his guest role. His brilliantly dark performance, while brief, is unforgettable.
- Choi Seung-hyun, who plays Thanos, is a rapper in real life and his role in “Squid Game 2” marked his comeback in the industry. He started in a boyband named BigBang before moving on to a solo rap career under the stage name T.O.P. However, his career was dogged by controversy until he made his return to the spotlight as a heartless villain. This was his fresh beginning.
- The second and third instalments were filmed back-to-back as the creator never intended the series to have a long run. It was initially proposed as a movie but the plans changed. Die-hards of the franchise had mixed feelings about the ending of the follow-on season. However, the director assures that all will come to a satisfying conclusion in the final instalment.