Two weeks until Squid Game returns and the Los Angeles premiere for season two was yesterday, bringing out series stars Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun, and creator Hwang Dong-hyuk. Season two newcomers Yim Si-wan and Jo Yu-ri were also on hand. Not pictured: Lainey’s beloved Gong Yoo. You’re not missing anything, Lainey!
Squid Game was an out-of-the-blue hit in 2021. No one knew what to expect and the show caught on because the Netflix algorithm worked to its best effect—as more and more people watched and liked the show, it spread further across the platform and eventually onto everyone’s home screen. It’s the digital equivalent of a grass roots hit. The show was barely advertised here in the US, it’s not like anyone was LOOKING for it, but Squid Game took hold of the world’s collective imagination to become Netflix’s all-time #1 series.
But with success, comes Expectations. We now know what Squid Game is. There is a bar to be cleared. The season two trailers are promising, and the hype is high, now we just have to see if Hwang Dong-hyuk & Co. can recapture lightning in a bottle.