Squid Game Once Again Makes Us Care for Doomed Characters

I'm four episodes into season 2 of "Squid Game" at the moment. So far I'm enjoying what I'm seeing. Let’s discuss.

This show is good, it knows what it is and everyone has completely bought in. I have liked the direction of this season as well. I didn't know how they'd do it, but what I've seen in four episodes has kept my attention as well as season 1. But there's one thing that has really stuck out to me watching this new season. And I found myself feeling the same way when I saw the first season.

What "Squid Game" does so well, I'd go so far as to say better than almost any other show, they make me, the viewer, care about characters that I am certain will not make it to the next season. For people that may not know, there's only one winner in "Squid Game". Everyone else is "eliminated", or murdered. It's tough for those people. This is a fictional show too, for anyone that may still be confused. But what the writers do so well in the show is give the main and side characters reasons to root for them. Even the people I may not like, they have some kind of redeeming quality or moment that has me wanting them to make it. In season 1 there was the "couple" that constantly yelled at one another. At first I found them to be annoying and rude. I thought they belonged in the Squid Game arena. But then the woman showed her good side and I found myself rooting for her. And when she, spoiler alert for season 1, grabbed her ex and held him while they both fell to their death, I thought she had a great sendoff. The same can be said for some of the other contestants when they played the marble game. That was a tough episode to watch, and some fan favorites were killed off, but I still was hoping that somehow, some way, they would miraculously make it out. And when they got to the final three in season 1, I didn't really know who I wanted to win. I had an idea who was going to win, but I still found myself rooting for the others. But none of them made it except for one.

I was going into this season trying to figure out if the writers could pull this off once again, and I'm today to say that they've achieved that goal once again. After watching an episode last night, that ends on a cliffhanger, I found myself saying to my wife, man I hope so and so makes it out. And then I'd say, oh this person is bad, but I am waiting for their redemptive moment when I will unexpectedly stand up and cheer. After watching season 1, you know the outcome, you know how brutal it's going to be, you know 99.9 percent of the contestants are not going to make it. But, I still find myself getting involved. I want to know their background. I want to know what led them to this game. I want to see what they plan on doing with the money if they make it. But in the reality of the world the show has created, only one can win and the rest will be "terminated".

It really impresses me when a group of writers are so good at their jobs that they make me have visceral feelings for fictional characters. I tip my hat to those people and I am excited to see where the show goes from here, and what ends up happening to each character episode to episode. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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