During a recent interview with Variety, Hwang breaks down the decision to end Squid Game season 2 with this devastating moment for Gi-hun. According to the creator, this overarching moment of failure for Gi-hun and all that he’s been working towards was the perfect place to conclude this batch of episodes, as it also provides a strong springboard into season 3, which will feature a more guilt-ridden Gi-hun. Check out Hwang’s explanation below:
When I first wrote the story of Seasons 2 and 3 it was one long story arc. And I was originally planning to write this story across a span of about eight to nine episodes, but once I finished the story, it came to over 10 episodes, which I thought was too long to contain in a single season. And so I wanted to have an adequate point where I could give closure as a second season and then move on with the third.
And when you look at Gi-hun’s story, all of his attempts that he puts in to stop the game: the first one being getting these mercenaries and trying to plant a tracking device, that goes to fail; the second attempt of trying to persuade people to vote so that they can leave the game, that goes to fail as well; and then the third and last attempt of bringing people together and causing the rebellion, it also all goes to fail.
So all of his failures lead to this heavy, heavy crisis of having to lose his very best friend, Jung-bae, at the hands of The Front Man. And when you think about Gi-hun’s journey, I thought that that was an adequate moment to put a stop and give him a little bit of closure along that long story arc. And then from that moment on, in the third season, having that sense of huge guilt and sense of failure weighing heavily on him — how is Gi-hun going to carry on his mission? That’s the story that’ll further unfold.
What Squid Game Season 2’s Ending Means For Season 3
How The Mid-Credits Scene Teases What’s To Come
Though Squid Game wasn’t originally conceived as a multi-season show, season 1’s massive success changed that, with Hwang and Netflix deciding to continue Gi-hun’s story. It has now been confirmed that Squid Game season 3 will be the show’s last, with Hwang revealing in the same Variety interview above that it will release in “summer or fall” 2025.
As for Gi-hun, he will certainly be going into season 3 in a major place of weakness. Not only will he be feeling guilty about all the players who died during his failed rebellion, but another armed uprising now seems totally off the table. The Front Man and his forces will now surely be approaching the remaining players with even more caution. Though the Squid Game season 2 mid-credits scene doesn’t reveal much, it does tease that another, even more deadly, version of Red Light Green Light could be on the horizon as a form of punishment.
Our Take On Squid Game Season 2’s Ending
Hwang Jun-ho Looks Like Gi-hun’s Only Hope
Though there are plenty of thrills to be had from Squid Game season 2 and the finale, it’s not hard to see that it’s ultimately part of a larger season arc that was cut in half. This makes the final episode ultimately a little less satisfying than the season 1 finale, which, despite featuring Gi-hun embarking on a new mission, largely ties up all the storylines in a satisfying way.
Still, Squid Game season 3 is now especially exciting following Gi-hun’s defeat, and it seems like Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon) and his team of mercenaries are now his only hope. Jun-ho, however, as seen with the boat captain’s betrayal, will have his own problems to deal with. In any case, victory for Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3 now seems further away than ever, but that will make it all the more exciting when and if he ultimately takes down The Front Man.
Squid Game season 2 is now streaming in its entirety on Netflix.
