Summary
Squid Game’s future on Netflix repeats the same strategy that almost doomedSweet Home, one of the platforms’ most popular K-dramas. WhileSquid Gameis Netflix’s biggest showof all time and can only be described as a pop culture phenomenon, it was neither the first nor the last successful Korean series to arrive on the platform. The list ofbest K-dramas on Netflixincludes both broadcast shows and webseries, with the streamer releasing more and more original Korean titles every year.Squid Gameseason 2has been confirmed for a while, but now we know the story won’t end there.
Squid Gameseason 1’s endingwas self-contained for the most part but ended on a massive cliffhanger. While Gi-hum eventually came to terms with his victory and began to use the money he won, he reconsidered his purpose after running into the Salesman at the airport. Player 456 is now on a mission against the Front Man and everyone else involved in the games to take down their operation, but according to the first official synopsis for season 2, he will have to re-enter the games to do so.Squid Game’s next chapter is exciting, but its long-term plan is risky.
All Squid Game Games In Order: Origins & Meaning Explained
Squid Game centers around a series of innocent childhood games turned dark. Here’s the origin of each game in order, and their deeper meanings.
Squid Game’s Double Renewal Repeats Sweet Home’s Divisive Netflix Release
Sweet Home Season 2 Also Took 3 Years & Was Followed By A Third Season
Squid Gameseason 3 has been confirmed, months before season 2 arrives on Netflix on June 25, 2025. Considering thatSquid Game 3will premiere in 2025, it can be assumed that seasons 2 and 3 were filmed back to back. Netflix has also confirmed thatSquid Gameseason 3 will be the show’s last.While it is good that one of the best K-dramas of all time has a very solid plan for its overarching story, Netflix’sSquid Gamestrategy resembles the risky approach the streamer took withSweet Home.
Sweet Homestars Park Gyu-young and Lee Jin-wook will be inSquid Gameseason 2.
BeforeSquid Gamedropped on Netflix in 2021 and took the world by storm,Sweet Homehad become the first Korean series to enter the platform’s global Top 10. The success ofSweet Home, which, likeSquid Game, was an original webseries produced by Netflix, prompted the streamer to continue working with Korean studios and talent.Sweet Homeseason 1’s success also led to a double-renewal, similar to what is happening toSquid Game. Likewise,Sweet Home 2premiered three years after season 1, which is the same window betweenSquid Game’s seasons 1 and 2.
Squid Game Season 2 Faces The Same Problem As Sweet Home
Sweet Home Arguably Did Not Need A Second Season
In addition to the long wait between the first and second seasons, the biggest problem withSweet Home 2is that the show had already told a complete story. Apart from one cliffhanger involvingSong Kang’s Cha Hyun-su,Sweet Homeseason 1 did not need a sequel.The same can be said aboutSquid Game, whose first season tells an intense, high-stakes story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. To justify its return,Sweet Homehad to expand the scope of the show and introduce plenty of new characters, most of which turned out to be very divisive.
Sweet Home 3was better than season 2, yet it still had to deal with issues created by its predecessor.
The reception toSweet Homeseason 2 was much less positive compared to season 1, which also influenced how the third and final season was received.Squid Gamedoes have an advantage overSweet Home, though. The monster K-drama was based on a webtoon that was covered in its entirety during the first season, meaning thatSweet Home 2did not have the source material to follow.Squid Game, on the other hand, is an original story and has no source material to be compared to. That said,Squid Game 2will be compared to the first season.
Squid Game Season 2 Has To Stick The Landing For Season 3 To Work
Squid Game Deserves To End On A High Note
Sweet Home 3was better than season 2, yet it still had to deal with issues created by its predecessor. Much of the discourse surroundingSweet Home 3was whether or not it had fixed the problems of season 2, leading to an underwhelming feeling regarding what should have been an epic final season.Sweet Homeseason 2 felt like an incomplete storythat only introduced characters and set up storylines that would be paid off later. This is a mistake thatSquid Gameseason 2 must avoid if it wants to end on a high note in 2025.
WithSquid Gameseason 2 leading right into the third chapter, I assumed there would be a couple of cliffhangers and storylines that are not resolved right away. I also expectSquid Game 2to be bigger than the first season on every level now that the show has surpassed the expectations set up by its historical debut. Still,Squid Gameseason 2 will hopefully be a satisfying story on its own regardless of what will happen in the third and final season.
Squid Game
Cast
Squid Game is a South Korean series released in 2021 that follows numerous financially struggling participants who are invited to partake in children’s games with deadly outcomes. As they compete, they vie for a substantial cash prize, all while navigating lethal challenges orchestrated by mysterious figures.
Sweet Home
Sweet Home follows the story of Hyun-soo, a reclusive high school student who moves into the Green Home apartment complex after losing his family. When a mysterious epidemic turns people into monstrous creatures, Hyun-soo and the residents of Green Home must band together to survive, confronting their inner demons and the horrifying threats outside.
