The best squid game episodes

summary

• The intense Season 2 finale showcased player rebellion and some thrilling action, but it left viewers wanting more.

• Episode 5 of Season 2 brings a satisfying conclusion to the challenging pentathlon game, highlighting a new cast of characters in the process.

• Season 1's memorable episode “The Man with the Umbrella” features Ppopgi's iconic game, with some elements of betrayal that heighten the drama.

Squid game An undeniable global phenomenon, Hwang Dong-hyuk's dystopian survival thriller quickly became one of the most beloved and critically acclaimed TV shows in the entire world. Not to mention that its popularity was definitely boosted by the recent release of its much-awaited second season.

All this is due to facts Squid game Made up of 16 hour-long episodes that are filled with complex characters, relevant plot threads, suspenseful moments, poignant critiques of the capitalist model and a bunch of brutally violent games. Needless to say, not all Squid game The episodes are of similar quality, and the following eight are the series' best so far.

8

friend or foe

An action-packed season finale that left viewers wanting more

Season 2's intense finale, titled friend or foeIt felt like the much-needed climax that viewers had been eagerly waiting for for over two seasons. After so many brutal deaths, so much despair and so much manipulation from their billionaire overlords, Seong Gi-Hun and his allies finally manage to fight off the pink soldiers and slowly make their way to the control room. These games once and for all.

For a show that usually focuses on slow and intense scenes, within the action friend or foe Worked very well and was perfectly choreographed. Many beloved characters like Jung-bae or Gi-hoon really proved their worth during this showdown, but the highlight of the episode was undoubtedly Cho Hyun-joo, who took part in the rebellion with both courage and skill. friend or foeThe only glaring issue is its abrupt ending, which made it feel like a mid-season break rather than a season finale.

7

One more game

A long and challenging game with a satisfying conclusion

The episode was titled One more game The six-legged pentathlon introduced in the previous episode serves as a predictable conclusion to the game. After both viewers and other players of the show saw how complicated, long and challenging these 5 games were, it was finally time for some of the new main characters to give it a shot, and all the waiting was definitely worth it.

The first team managed to overcome the challenge in a clever and satisfying way, not to mention that they all got to show their personalities and backstories in the process. Cho Hyun-ju accidentally becomes the leader of her team and one of the best parts of the episode overall. One more game It also concludes with a triumphant (and hilarious) montage of Gi-Hun's team successfully passing each game, even though Player 001's last-minute misdirection almost cost them, slowly establishing the mischievous main antagonist's true intentions.

6

The Man with the Umbrella

Who knew playing with candy could be so intense?

Season 1 Squid game There were many legendary episodes that became synonymous with the show (and Korean television in general), and The Man with the Umbrella Definitely was one of them. This is the episode that introduced the iconic game of Ppopgi, in which players had to slowly and carefully remove a stamped shape from Dalgona in 10 minutes, or they would be eliminated.

A premise as simple as this worked perfectly, as every scene of the main characters trying to extract their figures from Dalgonas was absolutely full of tension, successfully keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. Gi-hoon's brilliant discovery is the main attraction of this episode, not to mention that Cho Sang-woo's little betrayal slowly planted the seeds of distrust between the players.

5

Bread and Lottery

Kicking off the second season with a brutal new game

The first episode of Season 2 had one important goal: to immediately hook and validate viewers who have been waiting for more than three years. Squid game Can still be as intense and attractive as ever. Needless to say, Hwang Dong-hyuk and his team pulled it off successfully, because Bread and Lottery It's an incredible episode that encouraged people to binge the rest of Season 2.

Reuniting with beloved characters like Seong Gi-Hun or Hwang Jun-ho and witnessing all the changes they've undergone over the past three years was definitely interesting, but the real star Bread and Lottery was a recruiter. The tireless search for Gi-hoon, the recruiter's sick experiments with homeless people and his dazzling play of Rock, Peppers, Scissors with Kim and Woo-seok were all expertly crafted, written and acted scenes that proved that. Squid game was back, and it still had a lot to offer. In the end, the final game of Russian Roulette between Gi-Hun and Recruiter not only fully reestablished the hero but demonstrated that these suspenseful and violent matches could still exist outside of the title main event.

4

Red light, green light

The simple game that started it all

A show with such a unique and creative premise Squid game A flawless first episode is all that's needed to hook any new viewers right away and, thanks to both Hwang Dong-hyuk and Netflix, Red light, green light It did exactly that, to the point that the success of the show can be attributed to this single episode.

In just 54 minutes, Red light, green light It did everything necessary to do it. It gradually introduces each of the main characters and their financial difficulties, only to later put them in these mysterious games where they can earn money to pay off their debts. Furthermore, Red Light, Green Light is the perfect game to introduce the audience to the gimmick of the show, because it's relatively simple that everyone around the world can understand, and yet it doesn't take long for all the brutal violence to break out, showing the games true colors in the process. Additionally, this is the episode that raises the question: were the characters' financial struggles worth risking their lives for? Viewers who wanted answers had to watch the show.

3

001

A brand new take on the iconic opening game

After the viewers waited for 2 long episodes, Season 2 finally kicked off the games with the third episode, titled 001. Once again, the contestants had to play a game of Red Light, Green Light against a scary robot, but this time there was something different: Seong Gi-Hun, the winner and survivor of the first season. It doesn't take long for the rest of the contestants to try and save them despite their suspicions.

Gi-Hun's plan worked well for a while, and it allowed the new cast of characters to show their unique personalities. Still, it didn't take long for everything to go wrong, and people soon started dying violently left and right. As a result, the montage of carnage set to the new remix version of “Fly Me to the Moon” remains one of the most shocking and unbelievable scenes in the entire show. 001 Despite Gi-Hun's efforts, this new version of the games proved to be as brutal as ever. Another thing that cemented this episode as one of the best in the series was the mind-blowing plot twist at the end, when it was revealed that Front Man joined the games to mess with Gi-hoon's plans from the inside.

2

hell

Showing the harsh reality behind the games

After a shocking and brutal round of Red Light, Green Light, the players were given the chance to quit the game, and naturally, they all agreed to do so. However, after returning to the “real world”, they realize that there is not much for them. Their lives are still miserable, their debt is still haunting them, and there's nothing they can really do about it.

A show with a premise as dark as it is Squid game People need to take their time justifying the idea of ​​risking their lives for money, and yet, hell Expectations are defied with a well-written story that has a lot to say about the real world. Here's the episode's clever twist: the word “Hell” in its title doesn't refer to the games, but to the harsh world in which the main characters are forced to live. It remains one of the last scenes everyone returns to the Games. Scariest moments in the entire show.

1

Gaganbu

A heart-wrenching episode that proved that no one was safe

Squid game It pulled a spectacularly evil trick on its viewers: over the course of 5 episodes, it slowly made viewers feel like the main characters – Seong Gi-hoon, Cho Sang-woo, Kang Sae-byeok, Oh Il-nam and Ali Abdul. – were truly untouchable and impossible for them to die, despite the fact that this idea went completely against the show's core premise. However, in the sixth episode, they are all forced to team up in pairs for the fourth match, only to find out that they must face each other in a game of marbles. This moment is truly the most awkward plot twist of the entire season, and maybe the entire show.

Gaganbu It is still remembered today as the most tragic and heartbreaking Squid game episode, and it has rightfully earned this reputation thanks to impeccable writing and incredible acting by everyone involved. It's endearing to see all these beloved characters forced to play against each other with a melancholy air of nostalgia surrounding them. Of course, witnessing the untimely deaths of Oh Il-nam and Ji-young was incredibly sad, the highlight of this episode was Ali's death. He was one of the most lovable and sympathetic characters in the entire show, and yet, he was suddenly betrayed at the last moment by his friend, Sang-woo. Many viewers around the world screamed at their screens and cried a lot during this episode, which shows how big an impact it had.