Tight Tension: Reviewing Squid Games 2

Season 2 of Squid Games just dropped and of course I already finished the season and have been so excited to talk about it. While I can’t say I am someone who enjoys gore and violence, I could go on and on about how well written Squid Games is and season 2 is just as good, if not better than the first season in terms of storytelling, tension, and pacing. Today I am talking specifically on how Squid Games 2 utilizes tension and how they keep you on the edge of your seat. 

Warning! Spoilers ahead! 

So I will admit I was somewhat reluctant to watch season 2 given that I new Player 456 was going back in the games and seem like a repeat of season 1. I wasn’t sure how the show would keep things as exciting and interesting as they did previously when we, the audience, have a feel for how the games work and a general idea of what to expect from the other players. But it did not disappoint. 

From the get-go we start where we left off with season 1 and quickly get an idea of what Gi-hun has been up to in the time that he’s been home from the games and the police officer who is the younger brother to the frontman. Unlike the last season we don’t need exposition and we jump straight into the manhunt for the recruiter of the games. This is where  they start to up the tension. The recruiter is found and there’s the chase to keep up with the man before he eventually stops and captures them. The show does a really great job of using simple ideas, in this case, rock-paper-scissors, to really ramp up suspense. We all know how to play that game and how easy it is to win/lose, paired with life or death and the morality of playing against someone you care about, is the perfect recipe for tension and I was definitely left on the edge of my seat. 

Then they keep the tension by involving the recruiter with Gi-hun, and since this is the second season, the stakes needed to be raised and they sure were. Pitting the recruiter up with Gi-hun left you feeling anxious even though you know, logically, the protagonist is very likely to survive the very beginning of the season. 

They also pose a theme and warning to Gi-hun when he’s talking to the frontman in the car. Gi-hun desperately wants to stop the games and the frontman says that they will go on and he cannot play the hero. So our expectations are already being set that Gi-hun will be trying to save people and the frontman will stop him. 

Once Gi-hun is in the games, he is presented with another friend from before he went into the games the first time. His former best friend. This means that if he fails, he’ll lose his best friend or if his best friend fails, he will be killed. 

They use the same game of red light, green light and present Gi-hun with his first opportunity to help people, which works to a degree. And we also know the consequences of red light, green light which also add to the tension. And like every event, they always make use of the music and timers. There is always some last second moment where a character just barely makes it. 

Squid Games also is very aware of audience expectations and uses that to drive tension as well. When Gi-hun is telling about the second game with the cookie, he feels the pressure of everyone listening to him to survive. We see him receive his tin and it’s a super complex triangle–not the simple shape from the last game and everyone yelling at him for leading them astray. He wakes up only to find that the second game is completely different. 

The audience knows from the beginning (as long as they were paying attention) that player 001 is the frontman. Similar to season 1, player 001 is actively trying to befriend player 456 which if you remember that the frontman is trying to show that Gi-hun can’t be a hero, the audience is always tense when you see player 001 trying to pull some sneaky stuff during the games and interactions with the other players. 

At the same time, we are learning about the other players and their stories and rooting for specific ones and knowing that the ones we get attached to are likely not going to make it. Player 222 being pregnant is a constant source of tension as she could possibly give birth at any moment and is considerably weaker and more vulnerable in such a state. Player 149 is an older woman attached who is there with her son who is also considerably weaker than the other players. 

Foreshadowing is huge in Squid Games if you are looking for it. Each time before a player dies, the character will usually express a sentiment about what they want to do after the games or even expressing their fear for their lives. This also happens when a player gets confident in their own survival. 

Of course the gore and violence add to the tension and is necessary for such a show discussing human greed and cruelty, but it definitely would not have the same impact without the other elements discussed above. 

Season 2 ends on a cliffhanger with Gi-hun at an all time low with his all-in plan and best friend killed but we know that the games will continue on, just not what will happen to player 456 and when it will be revealed that player 001 was the frontman all along. 

I just think it’s such a well-written story with such compelling characters and I am so excited for season 3. And while we never want to directly copy something, it’s always helpful to take the bits that we learn and love from well-written stories to apply to our own writing. Where can you create a sense of urgency in your plot? How can you make your characters seem desperate and have your reader worry about them? Where can you foreshadow challenges/peril to come down the line? How can you use your theme to create tension? 

That’s all for this week. Let us know if you also enjoyed Squid Games 2 or if it’s not your cup of tea. The start of the year is a great time to dive back into writing so make sure especially if you’re snowed-in like we are, that you are taking time to get back into what is probably the most stressful “relaxing” practice. Until next week. Write-on!