I knew the new season was coming out, but had no idea it had already released until a few days ago. Me and Aimee essentially binged the entire season - all 7 episodes - within the space of a few days.
More of The Same
Aimee wasn't a big fan of it considering it was very similar to the first season, obviously there are new characters, new sources of drama and an entirely new plot taking place outside of the games while the main character is doing his best to keep himself - and his friends alive - by using his knowledge to his advantage.
All of that changed with the change of the games, which in a way kept it fresh, also the thing that kept it fresh was the new addition to the cast in the form of other contestants, the power dynamic between them all, and the new people on the outside.
I actually really enjoyed the show, while she felt a bit disappointed, so it's interesting that both of us were able to talk about it and share our own points of view on the show.
Breaking The System
I like the sub-plot following the main characters journey back into harms way so he can save people, and potentially break the system and stop the games entirely.
There is added tension and drama from within, however, as greed led to divides and even the purposeful deaths of contestants with the hope of earning more money.
A good point was made at one point where people argued to stay because, "I have nothing if I leave here, in fact, I'm probably going to die anyway."
I'm paraphrasing, but that was the gist.
It makes sense from a character standpoint that this game and the danger from it is almost worth it, as they're dead anyway if they return to their normal lives without the money to pay off their debts.
Most of them are gamblers, and sometimes people with gambling problems suffer from an inability to cut their losses and run, or even take their profits and run. There's always a higher price to chase, and that inevitably leads to the house winning.
It ended on a bit of a cliff hanger, and all of the subplots have ended with twists that reveal that the characters are basically at deaths door. They find themselves at their lowest point and the resolution is something that both me and Aimee are looking forward to seeing.
Granted, it's not as good as the first season, that's one point that Aimee brought up, but the way I look at is this.
When a show comes out that's so fresh and new and it's executed really well, it's hard to top it, even with follow up seasons and spin-offs produced by the same people.
Game of Thrones, for example, was a brilliant show to start with and went down hill by the end. Partly due to its success in those early season.
Then comes House of The Dragon, same universe, similar motifs, yet the spin-off hasn't garnered half the popularity or hype. Not that it's bad, I enjoyed the first season, but no matter how much I liked it, I do feel like something is missing from it.
That's kind of a bad example, because this new season of Squid Game isn't a spin-off, but the similarity stands at the fact that it does feel like it's missing something, even though it's still enjoyable.
