[매경학생기자]“Season 3 needs to improve…” achieving impressive results despite the criticism?

On December 26, 2024, Squid Game Season 2 premiered amidst global anticipation. However, the high expectations have led to widespread disappointment, though the show’s performance has defied critics by achieving impressive results. Three years after the release of Season 1 in 2021, director Hwang Dong-hyuk returned to helm the sequel.

Unlike Season 1, which won six Primetime Emmy Awards, Season 2 has received a significant amount of criticism. The New York Times criticized it, saying, “The story feels stagnant. You’ll find yourself watching what you’ve already seen in Season 1.” USA Today added, “By the end of the season, many plot threads remain unresolved,” and further criticized the storyline for lacking coherence. They also pointed out that “Season 2 fails to convey the anti-capitalist message that director Hwang Dong-hyuk intended. Near the end, it becomes overly focused on details, losing sight of the political plot.”

Even the American review site Rotten Tomatoes rated Season 2 lower than its predecessor. While Season 1 received a 95% critic score and 83% audience score, Season 2 garnered only 82% from critics and 64% from general viewers.

The British outlet BBC remarked, “While many elements that were beloved in the original 2021 Squid Game were present, there seems to be little effort to surpass or subvert the previous season.” It pointed out the lack of ambition and innovation compared to Season 1. The review concluded with, “Season 3, which is already set for production in 2025, needs to improve.”

Meanwhile, The Guardian criticized the decision to split Season 2 and Season 3 for profit. They also commented “The villains are excessively cartoonish… especially the rapper character ‘Thanos,’ who stands out as one of the most irritating characters on recent television.” It also mentioned that some characters are overly exaggerated, making it difficult for viewers to stay immersed.

Despite the flood of negative reviews, Squid Game Season 2 has seen remarkable success in terms of viewership. In the fourth week of December, the series amassed 487.6 million viewing hours, making it the most-watched content on Netflix during that period. Season 2 broke the record set by Season 1 and marked the highest viewing hours for a debut week. Furthermore, it secured the top position in 92 countries, including the United States, Japan, France, and Australia, underscoring its global appeal.

In addition, Squid Game garnered a total of 68 million views worldwide in its first week, surpassing the previous record of 50.1 million views held by the American series ‘Wednesday Season 1’, which premiered in November 2022.

Squid Game Season 2 has not only generated immense buzz but also shows promising revenue prospects. Netflix reportedly invested $75 million in the production, the highest budget ever allocated for a Korean OTT series. The anticipated revenue is expected to reach at least ten times the production cost, highlighting its impressive return on investment.

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