Squid Game Creator Reflects on 'Tough' Death in Season 2 Finale

Deadly rates “Squid Game” have always matched their emotional weight, and the season 2 finale provides one of the most disturbing moments yet.

In a recent interview, “Squid Game” creator Hwan Dong-hyuk opened up about the making of this pivotal scene, its emotional weight, and why it was the right moment to deliver such a devastating blow to both the characters and the audience.

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for the Season 2 finale of “Squid Game,” now streaming on Netflix.

“Squid Game” Season 2 concludes its intense seventh and final episode with a devastating blow: Gihun (Lee Jung-jae) witnesses the brutal execution of his closest ally Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan). The fatal shot is delivered by The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) after Gi-hun incites a mutiny among the remaining players.

While Jung-bae's death is already a shocking and shattering moment, it carries even more weight for the audience. Unlike Gi-hun, the audience is painfully aware of The Front Man's true identity: In-ho, a former Squid Game champion who has since become the enigmatic mastermind behind the deadly competition.

Throughout the game, In-ho has been disguised as Player 001 under the alias Young-il, fitting into Gi-hun and Jung-bae's inner circle. Building trust and feigning loyalty to their cause and rebellion, he skillfully manipulates their connections.

But in a chilling twist, In-ho drops his disguise, reassumes the role of Frontman, and delivers the fatal shot to Jung-bae, a brutal punishment aimed squarely at Gi-hun.

“Squid Game” Season 2 closes on an insidious cliffhanger as The Front Man (In-ho, disguised as Young-il, though Gi-hun still doesn't know) brutally kills Jung-bae right in front of Gi-hun. Held by pink guards, Gi-hun is forced to watch in horror as his friend bleeds out, his screams echoing in despair.

“When I first wrote the story for seasons 2 and 3, it was one long story,” said “Squid Game” creator Hwan Dong-Hyuk. Diversity. “And I originally planned to write this story for about eight to nine episodes, but by the time I finished the story, it was over 10 episodes, which I thought was too long to cover in one season.”

“And so I wanted to get a proper point where I could close the second season and then go on to the third. And if you look at Gi-hun's story, all his attempts to stop the game: the first thing is to get these mercenaries and try to install the tracking device, fails; a second attempt to convince people to leave the game also fails; and then a third and final attempt to bring the people together and cause a rebellion also fails.

Hwang Dong-hyuk went on to explain how all his failures “lead to this heavy, heavy crisis when he had to lose his best friend Jung-bae from The Front Man.”

“And when you think about Gi-hun's journey, I thought it was a good time to stop and give him some closure in this long story arc,” he continued. “And then from now on in the third season, when he's heavily weighed down by an overwhelming sense of guilt and failure — how will Gi-hun accomplish his mission? That's a story that's going to unfold.

In early November, “Squid Game” Season 1 has amassed an impressive 330 million viewers and more than 2.8 billion hours since its premiere on September 17, 2021.

“You watch the show and you can't help but wonder, how would I react if I were in one of those situations,” said Josh Simon, Netflix's vice president of consumer products and live streaming. “The games in the series and the unscripted show are based on simple, well-known games that people play growing up, so the rules are not very complicated. It's more about the pressure of that environment.

The streamer also reported that viewership for Season 1 increased by 60% following the release of the first Season 2 teaser on October 31. Season 1 previously won six Emmys, including Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Lee Jung-jae.