The cliffhanger ending of Squid Game Season 2 has left fans wondering why the series didn't complete the games, unlike Season 1's narrative.
The sophomore run of the much-talked-about Netflix series showcased another round of the deadly games as Season 1 winner Seong Gi-hun returns to enact his dangerous plan to destroy the competition from the inside.
After plenty of twists, turns, and unexpected deaths, Squid Game Season 2's finale ended with a major rebellion and a heartbreaking betrayal.
What Happened at the End of Squid Game 2?
Squid Game Season 2 revolves mainly around Seong Gi-hun's efforts to return to the games, find the Front Man and the others responsible for them, and end the competition once and for all.
While he manages to save as many lives as possible during the first round (Red Light, Green Light) due to his vast experience from Season 1, his involvement gets derailed after the next batch of games is changed by the Front Man.
To make matters worse, the Front Man joins the annual Squid Games to monitor Gi-hun and ensure his plans fail. He disguises himself as Player 001, Young-il.
Throughout the seven-episode season, Gi-hun and the Front Man join forces to stay alive, forging a strong bond that makes it seem like they are brothers.
When Gi-hun realizes that his backup from the outside world (Jun-ho and the others) is nowhere to be found, he plans to launch an uprising among players and eliminate the masked guards to find the Front Man and end the game.
Gi-hun, unaware that Young-il is a traitor, tries his best to lead the armed rebellion. However, he fails after his team is overwhelmed by the guards, and the Front Man's betrayal caps it off.
While the other players who joined the rebellion are brutally killed, Gi-hun stands in horror as his best friend, Jong-bae, gets killed by the Front Man right in front of him.
The last shot of Gi-hun screaming in pain as the masked guards arrest him shows his absolute low point. It cements the idea that Front Man achieved his goal of ensuring his failure while mocking him that playing as a hero didn't end well for him and his friends.
Squid Game Season 2's Mid Credits Scene Explained
While Season 2's cliffhanger ending sets the stage for an epic Squid Game Season 3 in 2025, a short tease in the thriller series' mid-credits scene reveals what lies ahead for the remaining players.
Several players (Players 096, 100, and 353) enter a new gaming ground in what appears to be a much more dangerous version of Red Light, Green Light where two motion-detecting robots (Young-hee and another boy doll named Cheol-su) are stationed on different sides of the arena.
Not much context is shown in the brief sequence, but it seems that the games will continue for the players seeking to win the grand prize of 45.6 billion won.
The players may need to play another round of Red Light, Green Light, but it is much more difficult this time because of the inclusion of another motion detector. For context, once the doll detects the player's movement, they will eventually be killed.
As for Gi-hun, the fact that the guards capture him suggests that he will have to watch his friends die as the games continue.
Why Squid Game Season 2 Ended Abruptly
Squid Game Season 2, Episode 8 never happened because the sophomore run is only intended to have seven episodes.
Speaking with Deadline in December 2024, Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk felt that Episode 7 was a good point to end Season 2 because it had a good turning point that set up the events of Season 3:
"I felt like there was a big turning point or an inflection point, and that was the end of episode seven, so I thought that it would do it justice to have a separate season after that. That’s why I had first seven episodes as Season 2 and then the rest of Season 3."
Dong-hyuk also teased, via Tudum, that Season 3 is the "second chapter of Gi-hun and Front Man’s showdown."
Ending Squid Game Season 2 with a massive yet abrupt cliffhanger could benefit the Korean thriller series. Since its premiere on December 26, Season 2 has become the main topic of conversation among viewers, and the fact that Season 3 is closer than ever to release means that the hype for the show will continue.
While some fans criticized Season 2's abrupt ending, it still serves as a brilliant move to make them want more.
Squid Game is no stranger to revealing massive twists along the way, and Season 3 is expected to be no different.
All episodes of Squid Game Season 2 are streaming on Netflix.
