“Squid Game” isn’t a surprise anymore. Upon its initial release in 2021, the South Korean drama series hit much larger for Netflix than any of the streamer’s other international series, and exceeded hits like “Bridgerton” and “Stranger Things” to become an outright phenomenon and the streamer’s most-watched series. Part of it was timing; creator Hwang Dong-hyuk smartly drew on global hardships over the last few years — mostly economical but also societal — to craft an incisive take on a “Battle Royale”-style series that resonated at the time and has only become more relevant in recent years. A second season, if commissioned, would arrive with totemic expectations.
‘Squid Game’ Season 2 Review: Netflix’s Smash Hit Returns More Brutal, Haunting and Entertaining Than Ever
Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun headline new episodes that make the Korean drama’s established formula feel violently new
