Three years have passed since Squid Game‘s Netflix debut, a Korean drama that captivated a global audience, including a quarter of Americans.
However, refreshing your memory before Season 2’s December 26th premiere is understandable. This recap covers key details: protagonist Gi-hun’s (Lee Jung-jae) situation, the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun)’s identity, and the game’s rules.
Remembering protagonist Gi-hun, Player 456
While an ensemble piece, Squid Game centers on Seong Gi-hun, Player 456. Season 1 introduces him as a struggling, debt-ridden father. Despite his gambling addiction and financial woes, he’s a good man striving to support his mother and daughter, though often failing. The Recruiter (Gong Yoo) presents him with a life-changing opportunity: a game with a multi-billion won prize.
Understanding the Squid Game
The Squid Game is a six-round competition where hundreds of players participate in simple children’s games. The prize is 45.6 billion won (approximately $32.45 million at the time of writing). Winning continues to the next round; losing results in death. Held annually in various locations, Gi-hun participates in the 33rd Squid Game.
The Squid Game’s Pink-Suited Workers
The game takes place in a vast compound on a remote island off the Korean peninsula. The operation involves numerous workers and contestants. Workers wear pink jumpsuits and masks, hiding their identities and roles. The hierarchy is: Circles (maintenance), Triangles (soldiers), and Squares (managers). Some workers engage in an illegal organ harvesting side business.
The Front Man, Hwang In-ho
The Front Man oversees the Squid Game workers, ensuring the smooth running of the operation, essentially a series of mass killings. He also hosts wealthy spectators who bet on the game’s outcome.
Initially mysterious, the Front Man is revealed as the winner of the 28th Squid Game (2015). His name is Hwang In-ho, and he is the brother of Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon).
Detective Hwang Jun-ho
Jun-ho, a dedicated detective, searches for his missing brother, In-ho, in Season 1. Discovering In-ho’s involvement, he goes undercover.
Horrified by his findings, Jun-ho escapes with evidence, leading to a confrontation with his brother. In-ho shoots Jun-ho, sending him over a cliff, seemingly to his death. However, Season 2 promos confirm his survival and return.
The Game’s Masterminds
Wealthy, bored individuals, likely around 1988, created the Squid Game. This group includes Oh Il-nam (Oh Yeong-su), an older man disguised as a contestant in Season 1. Gi-hun befriends Il-nam, only to discover later he controls the game.
While Il-nam dies of a brain tumor in the finale, other creators remain. The Front Man generally acts as their representative.
Squid Game Season 1’s Conclusion
Gi-hun, after winning, returns home to find his mother dead. A year later, he meets the dying Il-nam, who shows no remorse. Their discussion about humanity’s inherent goodness ends with Il-nam’s death.
This spurs Gi-hun to action. He fulfills promises made to fellow contestants: Kang Sae-byeok (Jung Ho-yeon) and Cho Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo), giving their families money.
While planning to visit his daughter, he spots The Recruiter in a subway. Though he fails to confront him directly, he takes the Squid Game business card.
At the airport, he changes his mind, returning to Seoul to confront the game’s organizers. He calls the number, declaring: “I’m not a horse. I’m a person. I want to know who you are, and why you do these things … It wasn’t a dream. I can’t forgive you.” Season 2 begins here.