Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Squid GameIt’s not unlikely that, after becoming a global hit and the most sampled series ever on Netflix, dystopian drama Squid Game will soon get a green light (haha) for Season 2. However, as the Global TV head at Netflix (Bela Bajaria) stated, they’ll have to work around creator and director Hwang Dong-hyuk’s schedule and creative process, so it may be a while until we visit the deadly Korean island again.
Until that happens, we’ve got some time to dwell on lingering questions that the series must answer in Season 2, as well as some mysteries that we’d like to see at least addressed in order to better understand that universe. So put on your triangle, circle, or square mask and let’s get those questions poppin’!
How are the masked guards selected? And how are they distributed?
The Squid Game essentially operates as a mid-size level company, with hundreds of employees who have to follow an extremely strict set of rules. They can’t reveal information about themselves to each other, they can’t remove their masks unless when in confinement, and they have to follow a zero-tolerance protocol that every so often results in having to kill contestants.
So how do they get chosen? This is a job that requires discipline, barbarity, and trust that a guard won’t disclose any information to the outside world. As the series revealed, there are some pinkies that manage to bend and break the rules and go unpunished, but they do so at great personal risk. Who selects these people? What is ther training process? How much do they get paid? Are the VIPs involved in the process? Probably not. So does the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) do it all by himself? If that’s the case, he’s due for some serious vacation time after all the hard work.
Will Gi-hun return to the island?
The final episode reveals that, after winning the Squid Game, Gi-hun’s (Lee Jung-jae) life became meaningless. He’s hopeless and spends his time reminiscing about his traumatizing past. At the very end, though, as he’s preparing to fly away from Korea and reconnect with his daughter, he does a literal 180 and decides to stay, possibly to find a way to expose the game.
But how will he do that? Will he infiltrate the ranks like Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon) did? Will he be turned like In-ho was? Or is he staying off the island to expose the VIPs from the outside? The good thing is, after winning the 45.6 billion Won prize money, Gi-hun will have unlimited resources to find a way to get back at the Squid Game, so it will be interesting to see how that plays out.
Are we going to see more of The Recruiter?
The Recruiter’s (Gong Yoo) role in Squid Game plays out like he’s no more than his title. However, the role also serves as a cameo for Gong, who became internationally famous (and relatable) after playing the lead role in 2016’s Train to Busan. Now that the series became a lot more popular than anybody expected, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they brought Gong back in a bigger capacity – especially considering all the fan-favorites died and we will need more familiar faces to keep Season 2 compelling.
Who will take over now that Oh Il-nam is dead?
One of the most shocking twists from Squid Game was the fact that Player 001 was, in fact, the one who was footing the bill. Oh Il-nam (Oh Yeong-su) was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and decided that, rather than watching the Squid Game, he’d experience it as a player, because after becoming filthy rich, life lost all meaning for him and he just couldn’t have fun anymore.
Discovering that Il-nam was the one behind the design of the game provided an extra layer of comprehension into the character because it made us realize that his alleged “dementia” during the marble game when he thought he was back in his hometwon was not him becoming delirious at all. The neighborhood put together for Round 4 was actually a recreation of Il-nam’s old hometown, and he was impressed with the attention to detail.
But now that begs the question: now that Il-nam died, who will take over planning of the next Squid Game? The recruitment process already began, as the last episode showed. Did he have time and energy to plan the game during the year prior to his death? Or had he already planned several of them? If he did, you just know there will be a "Squid Game: All Stars" at some point.
What the hell happened with In-ho?
As Jun-ho makes his way through the guard ranks and starts to uncover some secrets of the Squid Game, he discovers his brother won the competition in 2015, but then he disappeared. As the final episode reveals, In-ho is actually The Front Man, who’s been orchestrating the Squid Game for at least some time.
But how did that transition happen? After getting a billion-Won prize money and possibly some traumas, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine In-ho was lying on a beach somewhere or telling the world about the Squid Game. What persuaded him to return as the boss? Why didn’t he look for his brother? Isn’t he angry at the VIPs for making him go through that horrible game? You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, Season 2!
Did Jun-ho die?
Those of us who've been around the block on the TV Show world know that a character falling down a cliff to his death can be easily fixed with a single scene in Season 2. Jun-ho needs only to grab on to something, or use the water to break his fall, like Hollywood loves to do. Of course, narratively it's more interesting if he survives. He can team up with Gin-ho to take down the VIPs and find out the truth about his brother.
However, Jun-ho's death can also be the start of another plotline: his peers will notice his disappearance and start an investigation. He also tried to upload some videos before being confronted by In-ho, so that's another way the outside world can find out what happened to him. Whatever the answer, the possibilities each of them brings to the story definitely might shake up the next season.
Are the VIPs the only spectators?
By Round 5, the VIPs got bored of watching the Squid Game from a distance and decided to have a closer look. As much as, banded together, they are probably worth the GDP of a small country, are they really the only ones who finance the game? Are there more wealthy people watching? Are there golden masks for all of them?
The fact that the Squid Game can be streamed brings some more questions to the table. If it’s on the internet, it can be found by a skilled hacker. Maybe Gi-hun can use this strategy to expose them. But even if he manages to do it, we have to consider: how far do the Squid Game bosses’ tentacles (pun intended) go? They probably have some control over mass media and the police, so that could be a whole different can of worms to unveil in Season 2.
Will the death of a VIP have repercussions?
One of the VIPs gets killed when he takes Jun-ho to a private room and tries to rape him. From the VIP point, this should represent a very serious flaw in protocol – after all, they pay good money to see people die, not to get killed themselves. The series kind of shrugged off the repercussions of his death, but what happens when a VIP is killed in the island? Do the other ones care? Will they restructure? Is somebody getting fired? Will they introduce a new rank of guards? The X mask is just waiting to complete the PlayStation combo, c’mon. Make it happen!