Squid Game star knew fans would be “angry” as Season 2 ending divides viewers

Squid Game Season 2 ends with a huge cliffhanger, with the Front Man and Gi-hun coming face to face once more – and its star isn’t surprised by the response.

We shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, Squid Game Season 2 only has seven episodes, and by the time you press play on the finale, there’s only been three games (Red Light, Green Light, the Six-Legged Pentathlon, and Mingle) – what did you expect?

Also, Netflix has already confirmed that Season 3 will drop sometime in 2025, and it will bring the series to a close.

I’ve danced around spoilers for long enough, so this is your last warning – if you’ve not seen Squid Game Season 2’s ending, get out now.

Squid Game star defends “bold” Season 2 ending

Netflix

Season 2 ends on a jaw-dropping, sobering note: Player 001, aka the Front Man, returns to his duties after Gi-hun stages a coup against the guards… which fails miserably. He murders Jung-bae, and as the remaining players cower from an army of armed guards, the finale cuts to black (before an exciting post-credits scene).

In other words, if you were expecting closure, you’re out of luck. It’s a devastating ending that paves the way for a bleak third season; will Gi-hun return to the games, or will he be forced to witness the massacre of his fellow players?

In the eyes of creator Hwang Dong-hyuk, it was “just the right moment to end the story.”

Netflix

“Of course, those watching would feel like, ‘Oh, no. What’s going to happen next? Give us the next episode right now.’ But I think that because, at that moment, Gi-hun loses everything, he fails all of his attempts, that is when he goes through yet another character transition. So, I thought that was the best place to end the season,” he told EW.

Lee Jung-jae, who plays Gi-hun, admitted his first reaction was, “How could you end the season at that point?”

“I think the audience would be dying to know what’s going to happen next and some may be very angry, actually. Some may even curse that it’s ending on such a cliffhanger. But I realized that a lot of people nowadays actually love bold cliffhangers,” he said.

Lee Seo-hwan, who plays Jung-bae, also praised the ending. “I actually really, really love that cliffhanger ending.”

In the meantime, find out why Hyun-ju isn’t played by a trans actress, why Squid Game’s prize money isn’t actually that much, and our ranking of every Squid Game challenge.

You can also read our list of the best TV shows of 2024 and best movies of the year.