The first season of Squid Game was released on Netflix in the U.S. and Canada in September of 2021 and almost instantly found success among a wide range of viewers. From teenagers drawn to its gorey game aesthetic, to adults that connected with the show’s theme around the struggle of society, this series has something for everyone.
Though many people were hesitant to watch the series because of its crass and graphic nature, these gorey details proved to be more than just a means of pulling in viewers. While many action shows incorporate violence and gore to create a shock effect to appeal to viewers of the genre, Squid Game instead used these elements to highlight the dire consequences of both being too greedy and being too selfless in life.
What Happened in Squid Game Season 1?
The first season of Squid Game sets up the fascinating and reflective concept of the series. The first season mostly follows Seong Gi-hun, a man down on his luck, though the series weaves in the story of many characters living in similar circumstances. Each of these characters that are either heavily in debt or just poor and desperate for a win, are invited to a game with a considerable cash prize that could fix all their problems.
The catch, as we soon find out in the first season, is that the result of losing this game is death. Much like the Saw films, this game contest often sets the players against each other, testing their relationships and characters. Of course, when the system is questioned by the players, it either pulls them back in by preying on their weaknesses or it retaliates with violence.
The contest is made up of several different games, all with different rules and challenges, but all of which the losing result is death. The entire concept is intended to prey on the weak and desperate for the satisfaction and entertainment of the privileged and still mostly ambiguous members behind it all.
By the end of the first season several beloved characters have died, but some survived too, including Seong Gi-hun. Those that survived were returned back to their normal lives with their cash prizes. When the protagonist learns that one of the players was in on the game, he becomes even more curious about who is behind the contest. He later sees other people being recruited for the game and decides to risk the chance of further danger, in order to try to figure out who’s behind the entire structure.
Why Were Scenes Removed From the Show?
Much of the content that makes up the show is detailed and realistic and is considered too graphic for some viewers, so it’s no surprise that some of the scenes that were filmed for the series were later cut out of the first season. That said, the scenes that were cut and why they were left out may be surprising to fans. This is mostly because of legality concerns rather than trying to avoid featuring content that might be considered too graphic.
As it turns out, the phone number the show used (that was given to potential players to call if they’re interested in participating in the game) was a real number. Not long after the show was first released, viewers began calling the real number in an attempt to participate in the game. Unfortunately, the person at the receiving end of the calls was a woman that owned a local business. Because the number was her work number, the calls disrupted her business but she couldn’t just easily switch phone numbers without further affecting her work.
Netflix has encouraged viewers not to call the number and expressed that they intend to eliminate these scenes completely from the show. Whether it’s more surprising that Netflix was quickly willing to eliminate entire scenes to fix the problem, or that there are people that actually thought the game was real enough to call the number, is up for debate.
There is also a deleted clip from season one that has circulated since TUDUM, that the writer released as a sort of teaser. It reveals the man behind the operation, carrying a goldfish. Because it would have revealed the primary villain in the first season, it was decided that structurally the show would function better without being in the first season. As the suspense is extended this way, fans can look forward to the reveal coming in future seasons, likely even season two.
Is Squid Game Season 2 Still Happening?
Though there are sure to be changes present in the second season, it is still on track to be released. Creators have already discussed the possibility of a more star-studded cast, but certainly new characters regardless, especially after some of the cast from season one won’t be returning. In part, some of the cast won’t be returning because their characters died, for some it’s because the actors have moved on to new projects, and for Oh Yeong-su, it’s because of assault charges that he won’t be re-joining the crew.
As of now, the second season of Squid Game is expected to be released in late 2023 or early 2024. In addition to the incoming next season, the series has expressed its intent to create and film a real game show that’s similarly structured to the series (minus all the death and gore, but not the hardship) that would offer cash prizes. If the success of the show wasn’t enough to warrant a real version of the game competition, the calls to the business owner in an attempt to compete were. No matter when exactly in the near future that the second season or the game show are released, the first season has proven that fans are hooked on the series and will rush to binge them when they’re available.