What was that?! | Also published on ABS-CBN
This quote from the famous German philosopher warns that when we fight against evil or injustice, we have to be careful not to become like the very things we’re trying to stop. If we focus too much on darkness, hatred, or cruelty, it can start to change us and make us lose our sense of what’s right. The idea is that fighting monsters or facing the abyss can affect our own character, and if we’re not careful, we might end up reflecting the very evil we oppose.
The first season of Squid Game was a brilliant commentary on the dehumanizing effects of capitalism, which shows us how the players are reduced to mere commodities and pawns in a ruthless system where the rich exploit the poor for entertainment. It was a sharp and timely critique built on a foundation of high-stakes drama and moral tension.
However, the second season feels like a departure from the bold narrative vision of the first. Rather than deepening the social critique, it feels like the show itself has become part of the very system it once critiqued. What could have been a powerful follow-up — possibly even the show's final, conclusive season — ends up feeling incomplete, as though it is more interested in prolonging the series for the sake of commercial success than in telling a meaningful story.
The problem with Squid Game season 2 is the way it plays into the very mechanisms it previously condemned. The show, knowing full well its massive global audience, seems to lean into the idea of “feeding” viewers content that they will unquestioningly consume, regardless of quality or depth. The narrative feels artificially stretched, as if designed to keep viewers hooked rather than to explore the deeper moral and philosophical questions that made the first season so compelling.
Season 2 of Squid Game, running just seven episodes, doesn’t have any outright bad episodes. The character development remains impressive, and I found some of the new characters to be far more interesting than those from the first season. The expansion of the world-building, particularly the deeper look into the roles of the Pink Soldiers, is also a welcome addition. One of the highlights of this season is the inclusion of a transgender character, which adds an intriguing layer to the story — though the casting choice has sparked controversy, but that’s a discussion for another time.
My biggest issue with the season is that it feels like it’s missing at least two more episodes to truly complete the narrative arc. The first season had nine parts, and it feels like season 2 could have benefited from a similar length. The seventh and final episode is certainly a technical achievement, but it doesn’t feel like a fitting conclusion or a true season finale.
Did The Hunger Games: Mockingjay really need to be split into two movies? Did the second season of House of the Dragon really have to drag on like that? Did we really require five Twilight films? And does Wicked really deserve two parts? The answer likely depends on your level of privilege. But for those of us who pay for over-the-top streaming services as a form of escapism from the hardships of daily life, turning what could have been a satisfying story into a cash grab is both mean-spirited and hypocritical.
In trying to
maintain its grip on the audience, Squid Game risks becoming a monster
in its own right, a product of the very system it initially exposed. The abyss
has not only gazed into the show; it has shaped it.