Squid Game Season 2 creator explains the cliffhanger ending of the Netflix series

Squid Game recently concluded its second season, comprising seven episodes on Netflix. The second installment of Squid Game proved to be more bloody and gruesome than the first, with a burgeoning rebellion headed by the protagonist Gi-hun being crushed brutally by the Front Man and his scions.

The second season of Squid Game effectively developed its narrative as a battle between two opposing worldviews: that of Gi-hun who optimistically believes that the world is a hopeful place worth saving, and that of the Front Man, who is a pessimist at heart and maintains that there is nothing good or redeeming about this world.

While once again bringing the ruthless and lethal games back to audiences, Squid Game season 2 also delved deep into the origins and background of the Front Man. It was revealed that he was a former police officer who fell into dire financial straits following the illness of his wife.

He ended up borrowing huge amounts and was thrown out of the police force as a disgraced cop. He then went on to participate in Squid Game and won the competition, before eventually working as the leader of the guards.

Director Hwang Dong-hyuk recently spoke about the second season in detail in an exclusive interview with Variety. He talked about the story arcs of the second season, the upcoming third season, and a lot more. Here's everything we know.

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Hwang Dong-hyuk opens up about Squid Game season 2

Hwang Dong-hyuk extensively shed light on the much talked-about cliffhanger ending of the second season in his interview with Variety magazine. Speaking about his decision to end the narrative with a cliffhanger, he stated:

"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."

He further added,

"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."

He then went on to hint at the possible continuation of this narrative thread, adding:

"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."

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Is there a release date for Squid Game season 3?

As of now, there isn't an official release date for the third season of Squid Game. Hwang Dong-hyuk revealed in his interview that the third installment of the popular Korean show might be launched in the summer or fall of next year. He also stated:

"But as for the storyline of the third season, Gi-hun having lost everything, including his best friend, and all of his attempts going to failure, it’s now, what is he going to be like? What state is Gi-hun going to be in? And what will he choose to do? Will he continue on with the mission? Is he going to give up or persist? And so you’re going to meet our character Gi-hun at a very critical crossroads as we begin the third season. Gi-hun will not be the man he was in Season 2."

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Squid Game season 2 is exclusively available on Netflix.