Squid Gameseason 2 has divided fans, with some applauding the new characters and plot lines and otherswondering why the season was even made. Starring Lee Jung-jae, the show saw Seong Gi-hun return to the games with the new goal of stopping them. And yet, time after time, Gi-hun shot down or seemingly missed opportunities to save everyone, and in some cases, even caused more deaths.
Squid Game
If Gi-hun had taken more time to strategize, he could have stopped the games during game one, or even episode one. Failing that, he at least could have made a more tactical move against the game makers instead of leaving the storyon such a cliffhanger.
8He Could Have Split His Prize Money
At the end ofSquid GameSeason 1, Gi-hun emerged the sole survivor of the games and the recipient of 45.6 billion Won. When he returned during Season 2, it was obvious that many of the players were desperate for money—so desperate that they were willing to endure “one more game” for a chance to increase their winnings. However, if Gi-hun had simply offered to split his earlier prize money, a good deal of these players likely would have voted for the games to stop. In fact, during the first round, the “Xs” were only behind by one vote; all Gi-hun needed to do was offer money to the last handful of voters to secure his win.
A Smart Gamble
Of course, the other players might not have believed Gi-hun, while others might have fought in order to get his money for themselves. However, at this point in the show, they did not yet know that killing each other would result in more money. Plus, some were so desperate for money that they might havetaken the gambleand hoped for the best, especially if they already had reason to think Gi-hun was telling the truth—like if he had shared his insider knowledge beforehand.
7He Could Have Warned the Players Before Red Light, Green Light
Before the first game begins, Gi-hun spends his time waiting for reinforcements to show up. Unfortunately, the tracking device in his tooth has been removed, so they’re unable to find him. In a panic, he then tells the other players that the upcoming game is deadly, and if they move, they’re going to be killed. Though skeptical, the others listen to him, and things seem to be going well—until one player is spooked by a bee, and then killed on the spot.
Why Not Both?
It’s strange that Gi-hun’s whole strategy involved waiting on others to come save him. He easily could have waited for helpandtold the players what was going on. While his actions certainly saved people, as seen in the greatly reduced number of first game deaths, more people might have survived if he’d filled them in before the game started. Besides being calmer (than when the first death hit, that is), the players could have created a strategy to ensure the largest number of people survived.
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6He Could Have Bribed the Guards
Like the players, many of the guards in Squid Game were in desperate need of cash. Audiences even saw one of these guards, number 11, take on the job solely to earn money to help find her daughter in North Korea. While we don’t know exactly what the Front Man is paying them, it can’t be worththe dystopian conditionsthey endure. Chances are that a few of the guards are looking for a way out, and with assurances they’d return the favor, Gi-hun could easily offer that.
Lessons From Season 1
Gi-hun knew that the guards didn’t always obey orders, as seen when several in the first season were caught working with a doctor to harvest organs. Of course, it would have been difficult to find a guard willing to play ball with him (especially with the Front Man watching his every action). However, we’re surprised he didn’t at least attempt to get one on his side, since there was enough reason for him to believe that the guards were also victims of the games—victims he supposedly wanted to save.
5He Could Have Attacked the Os First
As implied earlier, after each game, the players were allowed to vote on whether to remain in the game or leave, with the majority deciding their fates. Following a round in which the players tied their vote, the Os (players who wanted to stay) decided to attack the Xs (players who wanted to leave) in order to reduce their numbers. Frighteningly, Gi-hun decided to sacrifice these Xs in order to have a better shot at tricking and rebelling against the guards, but if he had told the Xs what was going to happen, they could have turned on the Os instead.
Sacrifice for the Greater Good
Naturally, if the Xs attacked the Os first, that would mean the Os would die instead of Xs. In this case, Gi-hun wouldn’t technically be saving everyone. However, if the Xs had taken out more Os, they could have then voted to end the games.
Morally, Gi-hun might have opposed this idea, as he later tells one of the Xs that killing the Os would make them no better than them. However, this is essentially what he did to the other Xs by looking away as they were slaughtered. Worse, their sacrifice was ultimately for naught, since the players' rebellion was quickly stopped. Honestly, there are so many moral and logical holes in Gi-hun’s plan that it seems like he came up withthe idea on the spot.
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Why can’t Netflix leave good things alone and not come out with duplicates of its own content. Part of what made Squid Game so special was how unique it was–we don’t need a US version! It was already too much that they came out with the game show, while entertaining for reality TV, was devoid of the heart of the original drama.
4He Could Have Gone to the Media
One easy way in which Gi-hun could have saved the new players and ended the games was by exposing them to the media. At this point in the series, Gi-hun was incredibly wealthy, and he could have used his money to spread his message about the games far and wide. Even if the masses didn’t believe him,enough conspiracy theoristswould have taken the message to heart and likely worked with him to stop (or at least find proof of) the games.
Making Headlines
Obviously, the game makers wouldn’t like Gi-hun doing this, but if they chose to kill him, that would simply be more proof that something was awry. There’s also the possibility thatone of the journalistscould be a game informant, in which case they’d try to stop Gi-hun from making a scene. However, he could potentially bribe that journalist as well (this option is sure showing up a lot on this list) or simply shared his message a different way, like through an online platform. The point is, Gi-hun didn’t need to remain secretive and work alone, and we’re not entirely sure why he did.
3He Could Have Gone With Hwang Jun-ho to the Police
At first, Gi-hun didn’t know who Jun-ho was, as the latter was disguised when they first met. However, after learning about Jun-ho’s own connection to the game, he could have gone with himto the policeand shared their story. Certainly, two people speaking about the games is more convincing than one, especially since one of those people has an enormous pile of wealth that they seemingly earned from nowhere. Plus, if they captured the Recruiter, they could potentially extract even more information from him (and proof).
One Glaring Issue
Unfortunately, working with Jun-ho would require trusting him, and Jun-ho hasn’t been fully transparent about his real motivations. His relationship to the Front Man is quite a conflict of interest. However, Gi-hun doesn’t know about this connection, which is why he trusted Jun-ho enough to make him part of the Gi-hun retrieval squad. Asking if they could try going to the police together beforehand seems like a fairly simple—and smart—request.
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2A Little More Skepticism Would Have Gone a Long Way
One of Gi-hun’s biggest strengths in the series is also one of his biggest weaknesses. He believes in the good of others, even when people have given him reason not to. This is why he trustedhis friend, Cho Sang-woo, during the first season, even after said friend turned on him numerous times. It’s also why he trusts the Front Man, disguised as Player 001, during season 2, even though the previous Player 001 betrayed him.
Finding Middle Ground
It’s strange that Gi-hun hasn’t learned to practice a bit more skepticism regarding those he brings into his inner circle. Potentially, this is because he doesn’t want to become pessimistic and nihilistic like Oh Il-nam. However, there’s such a thing as being too trusting, and Gi-hun is the poster child. It’s ok to doubt people in a life-and-death game; that doesn’t say anything about humanity’s greater morality.
1He Could Have Purchased More Than One Tracking Device
Of all the items on this list, this suggestion would have been the easiest for Gi-hun to implement. He had already purchased one tracking device, so what was the harm in getting another? Better yet, why not three or four, all in different parts of his body? And why not get these devices from different surgeons and with different people present?
A Matter of Odds
If Gi-hun had done all of the above, the guards likely would have missed removing one of the devices. Admittedly, Hwang Jun-ho was working with the captain who wound up betraying them, so anything he learned could have led to the team’s betrayal. However, if Gi-hun had kept some information from Jun-ho, the captain wouldn’t have learned that information, either.
You’d think a gambler like Gi-hun would have done more to stack the deck in his favor. Fortunately, withseason 3 and potential spin-offs ahead,it looks like Gi-hun has plenty more chances to save the remaining players and defeat the games for good.
