As the world was just beginning to wake up from the horrid nightmare that was COVID-19 (and the subsequent lockdowns), people understandably needed some catharsis in their lives.
After all, that was a long time to be unconstitutionally cooped in your domicile with nothing to do but sit around and watch Netflix.
Well, in an ironic twist, one of the more cathartic experiences in a post-COVID lockdown world was… a grim and violent Netflix show.
South Korean drama “Squid Game” released in September 2021 and was an instant hit with audiences.
And that’s underselling it.
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In fact, by Netflix’s own internal metrics, “Squid Game” is actually the most-watched season of a show in the streaming titan’s history.
Classified under the “TV (Non-English)” category, the first season of “Squid Game” garnered a whopping 2.2 billion hours viewed.
Compare that to the first season of “Wednesday” (an Addam’s Family spinoff) and the fourth season of “Stranger Things.” Those two shows led the way for the most popular “TV (English)” category and neither show cracked 2 billion hours.
(“Wednesday” garnered 1.7 billion hours viewed, and “Stranger Things” clocked in at 1.8 billion hours viewed.)
Would you compete in a real-life version of “Squid Game”?
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Given all that, it should come as little surprise that fans of “Squid Game” were eagerly anticipating a second season.
The show, which focuses on a group of down-on-their-luck nobodies coerced into playing deadly children’s games for gobs of money (and the viewing pleasure of the elites), ended on a rather obvious cliffhanger.
Minor spoiler alert: The first season of “Squid Game” ends with the main protagonist, Seong Gi-hun (and winner of the deadly, titular games) having the chance to fly off into the sunset and enjoy his winnings… or exact revenge on the people who hold the sadistic games.
If you’ve ever consumed any fiction ever, you already know that Gi-hun opted for that sweet, sweet revenge.
But despite an ending that clearly suggested a second season, details about the further trials and tribulations of Gi-hun and the proprietors of the “Squid Game” were notoriously difficult to come by.
That is, until Thursday when Netflix finally shared some new images and details about the highly-anticipated show.
Netflix first released a brief teaser, confirming that Gi-hun has, in fact, eschewed “happily ever after” for revenge:
Introducing the very first look at SQUID GAME SEASON 2. Coming this year. pic.twitter.com/fzRzdtHRDY
— Netflix (@netflix) February 1, 2024
The streaming platform then followed up with some teaser images that seemed to confirm the primary antagonist and that the iconic neon guards would be returning.
New photos from Squid Game Season 2 — coming this year.
Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), Recruiter (Gong Yoo) and Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), and a new character played by Park Gyu-young. pic.twitter.com/8xRC1EvQPr
— Netflix (@netflix) February 1, 2024
As one can see from the two above X posts, Netflix made clear that the wait for the second season of “Squid Game” wouldn’t go that much longer as the show is currently “coming this year.”
That interminable wait to find out what happens to Gi-hun doesn’t appear to be much further away.
