Squid Game Season 2 “Six Legs” Photo Recap: Human Squidipede

You guys… don’t you just love friendship? There’s no better time to create lasting, supportive bonds than in a murder game where most of you will likely be brutally terminated. The real 45.6 billion is the dead friends we made along the way.

Let’s get into it!

Lunch time!! Led by the awed admiration of Fake 001, everyone gathered around Gihoon and let him know that his win was what inspired them to stay in the game. Congrats, Gihoon, you accomplished the exact opposite of your goal! A truly diabolical move on the part of Fake 001, which he kept up throughout the episode, heaping praise and responsibility onto poor Gihoon, who wasn’t quite sure how to react. 

So the group asked him questions about what game was next, how to win, if they should bring a snack, which of the guards had crushes on each other, etc. Vital information Gihoon was more than willing to share with everyone. 

They had a bit of an argument about Fake 001’s choice to stay in the game and condemn everyone to death, and he was like, “Yeah, but without money, they’ll be miserable anyway, might as well all die here rather than struggle out there.” And Gihoon was like, “…. NUH UH!”

Oh no. Show. What are you doing to me??????? Why do you insist on making me love characters we are almost guaranteed to lose??? 

Thanos and his lackeys engaged in some light bullying against the Crypto YouTuber which resulted in a tussle that Fake 001 went to break up. And whoooooboy, did he ever need to hold back from straight-up murdering them in cold blood in front of everyone. Hmmm… wonder what set him off? 

To gain Gihoon’s trust and make him sympathize with him, Fake 001 explained why he made the choice to stay in the game. What kills me about this scene is that it was his real backstory, and it IS sympathetic. And yet the Front Man still sees the people in the game as trash to be disposed of? MAKE IT MAKE SENSE.

Oh dear, this year the guards brought in a doctor from the outside to harvest organs from the players, but they were showing up a smidge too dead because our girl Noeul was double tapping the kills. 

Uh oh! Black Mask Jr. was pretty pissed at Noeul for thwarting their organ harvesting. It was great to get some insight into her character: she’s been with the company for seven years (do you think they get yearly raises?? Employee of the month??) and feels a sense of responsibility to help the people in the game by ‘putting them out of their misery’. From someone who was recruited right after attempting suicide, it makes a warped kind of sense? And keeping them almost-alive to continue their pain goes against that mandate, which is NOT COOL, BRO. 

*Siiiiiiiiiiigh* Poor Hot Cop. He thought now that he knew someone was for sure in danger, he’d be able to stir his police buddies into action. Alas, without physical proof, he was in the same position he was when he woke up from his swim. And since he wouldn’t just ignore a bunch of people getting murdered for sport on an island, his superior said he couldn’t uphold justice anymore. That checks out! 

Oh Adorable Gangster… you big lovable dumb-dumb. He keeps wondering who the ‘leak’ was about Gihoon’s tracker, but it was very obviously him by accident (if there even was a leak, pretty sure checking Gihoon for a tracker would have been Squid Admin’s first move). 

He went into excited detail about their adventure thus far with Mermaid Fisherman, who seemed VERY interested… guys… don’t tell me Mermaid Fisherman is… fishy (I’m so sorry). I’m starting to think he didn’t just happen upon Junho that day. He seemed way too interested in the plot of this show for a crushing Mermaid in disguise. Are we thinking he’s working for the Front Man? Last season I definitely suspected Front Man shot Junho specifically to get him out of there, so maybe he immediately called this guy, had him scoop his brother out of the sea (can’t let a good kidney go to waste) and has been using him for the past three years to keep tabs on him? It would explain why they haven’t found the island yet. This guy just keeps avoiding the real one. (Don’t tell me!) 

If this is true, I’m going to be VERY disappointed in him. That is NOT how you treat a crush, Mermaid Fisherman! 

It’s so frustrating watching someone apologize for something they can’t control and is in no way their fault. Admin put a previous winner in the game, OF COURSE they’re going to switch things up. But they blamed Gihoon anyway and stormed off in a huff. But luckily not everyone abandoned him!

Don’t act like you’ve never imprinted on someone you met that day and put your life in their hands for little to no reason. Nothing weird about that! 

The young pregnant woman clocked these lovable bozos IMMEDIATELY. After telling her YouTuber ex to buzz off (a bee reference, Toni? TOO SOON) she asked to join the team most likely to take pity on her. Love her for this. Do what you have to do to survive, girl! 

Other teams of note were The Misfits with our tall queen Hyunju, the mother-son duo, the shaman chaos demon, and some rando. And The Sassypants: Rapper, his lackies, a firecracker of a lady, and a sweet little guy you just KNOW is going to end up being a master of one of these games and save the day. 

Fake 001 seemed very intent on blowing his cover. First he showered Gihoon with devotion, told him he’d follow his wisdom, then mysteriously knew his name. I mean, sure, it was a good save to blame his childhood friend who did call his name very loudly on the stairs, but dang, Front Man, BE COOL, you’re literally wearing the same number as the last guy to betray him. Even our lovable doofus isn’t THAT dense. 

This scene was an absolute masterclass. The borderline vaudeville performance of the two groups playing the games as the silly music became anxiety-inducing and the way the players’ comedic tone turned manic… my goodness, it was so well done. A hat tip to everyone involved. 

So do we think this particular game has been done before? It seemed too difficult to me. What happens if everyone fails? There isn’t exactly a learning curve when everyone’s dead. 

Anyway, they were all mowed down on the track and the game had to pause to get the bodies out of there before the next round, and Noeul made sure a guy a was super dead and now she’s in trouuuuuuuuuuble. 

SOME STUFF

• Okay, not only is this season a bit more hopeful with people generally being better to each other, it’s also… funny? Fake 001 throwing sneaky shade at Gihoon for picking the umbrella in Dalgona in the first games, the over-the-top Marine broship, plus the absolute comedy of errors the new game was. Look at Squid Game, delivering genuine chuckles! 

• How is the Front Man going to fake his death in front of everyone if they lose? Or is it rigged so they’ll win? Or is he just ready to die? 

• Guess I was wrong last recap about YouTuber and his pregnant ex-girlfriend… or, I was right the first time? But who’s keeping track! (me, I am) 

• Perception is interesting. The people in the game likely think still being alive after losing is a good thing, that they might somehow make it out, but Noeul knows better, so she makes sure they aren’t put through torture before their inevitable deaths. Yet she’s seen as the cold one. Gihoon probably thought it was unfair that the guy was shot in the head in Red Light Green Light, but she was showing him mercy. 

• You know how much I love a reluctant team-up, so PLEASE give us Noeul, Gihoon, and Hot Cop. Her redemption would be a lot more palatable than Front Man’s.

• I know I keep complaining about loving characters who will most certainly die, but (and perhaps this is naïve of me) I honestly think the show is going to pull a Hunger Games Catching Fire and stop the game before everyone dies. Please? 

• Marine is played by Kang Haneul, one of my favourite comedic actors. If you like action comedy, I implore you to watch the movie Midnight Runners starring him and Park Seojoon.

• The son getting his mom to be tough by being annoying was very cute, and I know this show is going to rip them away from me. 

• Thanos gave his lackey guy some heavy drugs before the game. Very excited to see how THAT turns out. 

• Speaking of Thanos, you really never know with idols-turned-actors, but I hope this role ignites a successful acting career for T.O.P. because he’s killing it. 

• Imagine going to an audition for Squid Game and the casting director is like, “How are you at physical comedy?” 

OKAY THANKS BYE HAPPY NEW YEAR