Summary
- Gi-hun's quest for revenge in Squid Game season 2 will likely involve infiltrating the tournament and seeking justice against the leaders and financial backers.
- Despite lacking law enforcement training like Jun-ho, Gi-hun has advantages, such as his previous experience in the Squid Games and knowledge of the tournament.
- Jun-ho's return in season 2 provides an opportunity for him to become an ally to Gi-hun in their mission to expose and take down the Squid Games.
Squid Game season 1's ending suggests an even more dangerous journey for him in season 2. While Gi-hun initially plans to fly to the U.S. and reunite with his daughter, an encounter with The Salesman sets him off.
Gi-hun prevents another potential contestant from calling The Salesman back, and he even makes a call to those in charge of the Squid Games. When he decides not to board his plane, it becomes clear that Gi-hun won't let go of what happened to him during the show's first outing. This means he's likely to seek justice — or even vengeance — in Squid Game season 2. And another character's season 1 storyline perfectly sets the stage for this development, showing one way for Gi-hun to get close to the tournament's leaders and financial backers.
Squid Game season 1 is available to stream on Netflix. Season 2 will debut sometime in 2024.
Squid Game Season 1's Jun-Ho Storyline Perfectly Set Up Gi-hun's Revenge In Season 2
There are a couple of ways Gi-hun can infiltrate the Squid Games during season 2, and the card he stole from The Salesman's latest mark offers one way in. However, it will be difficult for Squid Game's lead to enact any changes from within the tournament itself. He's already seen firsthand how the prospect of winning all that money can change people, and he knows that only one person can walk out of the competition. A better way for Gi-hun to get vengeance would be to the Squid Games as someone on the inside: a guard or some higher-level worker.
This may seem like an unrealistic feat, but Jun-ho's storyline in Squid Game season 1 proves it's possible. On a quest to find his missing brother, Jun-ho infiltrates the tournament as one of the masked guards. He gets away with the ruse for a while, but unfortunately, he's caught before season 1 concludes. In one of Squid Game's biggest reveals yet, Jun-ho learns his brother is the Front Man before being shot and falling off a cliff. It's a seemingly tragic fate for the character, but it sets the stage for Gi-hun to follow in his footsteps in season 2.
Unfortunately, thanks to Jun-ho's first breach of security and Gi-hun's phone call, the men in charge of the Squid Game tournament may be on high alert. And Jun-ho arguably had better chances of successfully bringing the Games down from the inside. However, Gi-hun has a few advantages that he didn't, and they may help his odds come Squid Game season 2.
Jun-Ho Had Better Chances Of Infiltrating The Squid Games (But There's A Catch)
Due to his background in law enforcement, Jun-ho arguably had stronger chances of infiltrating and destroying the Squid Games. After all, his training prepares him to stay cool in stressful situations and fight his way out of difficult corners. By contrast, Gi-hun is an ordinary civilian with little to no experience working undercover or operating in enemy territory. However, Gi-hun does have a few advantages that can help him improve on Jun-ho's mission in season 1.
For one, Gi-hun has actually been in the Squid Games — an experience Jun-ho didn't have prior to the events of season 1. Jun-ho didn't even know about the tournament until he reached the island where it took place. Therefore, he was forced to adapt to the situation incredibly quickly, rolling with the punches in the hopes of surviving. Gi-hun, on the other hand, will have knowledge about the Games in season 2. He also knows exactly what he's walking into. He'll have time to plan that Jun-ho didn't, and that could save him when push comes to shove.
Additionally, Gi-hun doesn't have the disadvantage of being related to the Front Man. Unlike Jun-ho, Gi-hun wouldn't have any reservations about attacking the leader, while Jun-ho is stunned to see his brother and caught off-guard by his attack. The emotional stakes of his mission also lead to him getting caught. Of course, Gi-hun has a different kind of emotional investment, and it can also work against him if he doesn't control his anger. Still, Gi-hun is in a better position to sneak around the Games, even if he doesn't have law enforcement training.
Jun-Ho's Storyline Can Directly Benefit Gi-Hun's Season 2 Mission
While Jun-ho's mission doesn't destroy the titular tournament in Squid Game season 1, it can benefit Gi-hun's revenge quest in season 2 — and in a more direct way than showcasing how it can be done. While viewers are meant to believe Jun-ho is dead after his confrontation with the Front Man, he's actually among the characters returning for Squid Game season 2. This is a surprising development, but it means that Gi-hun can find an ally in his vendetta against the Games.
With no other survivors from Gi-hun's tournament, no one but Jun-ho can help him expose and take down the Games. If the duo teams up in season 2, they'll be far better off than either of them would be operating solo. Without knowing where Jun-ho is after the events of season 1, it's hard to say how they'd find each other. However, Gi-hun and Jun-ho working together seems more likely than ever, and it would increase their odds of stopping the Squid Games once and for all.
How Gi-Hun & Jun-Ho Can Team Up In Squid Game Season 2
Until Squid Game season 2 premieres, viewers won't know how Jun-ho will return in the new episodes. However, one Squid Game season 2 theory posits that his brother didn't actually want to kill him, resulting in a non-fatal shot to the shoulder rather than a bullet through the head or chest. Jun-ho would still be severely wounded following his fall, but it's possible he's still on the island where the Games take place. Alternatively, he could have snuck onto whatever ship brought Gi-hun back to the mainland after his tragic win.
If Jun-ho remains on the island, that's the perfect setup for him and Gi-hun to meet and work together against the Front Man. It would also explain why Jun-ho seemingly hasn't come forward about the Squid Games despite his survival. If he does show up outside the island, he and Gi-hun can still find one another. This could be more difficult, though, and it would require some creativity on the part of Squid Game season 2.
Squid Game
- Release Date
- 2021 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- Netflix
- Showrunner
- Hwang Dong-hyuk
Cast
Lee Jung-jaeSeong Gi-hun / 'No. 456'
Jeon Young-sooGame Guide
WHERE TO WATCH
Squid Game is a South Korean series released in 2021 about financially struggling individuals who are invited to participate in a series of children's games. The competition offers a lucrative prize but comes with perilous consequences, as the players soon discover the lethal stakes involved in each round.
- Writers
- Hwang Dong-hyuk
- Seasons
- 3
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
Your comment has not been saved