How Netflix's Squid Game Ending Perfectly Sets Up Season 2

Netflix has yet another global phenomenon on its hands with Squid Game, the Korean thriller series about a group of financially-distressed people who play deadly children's games to try and earn a fortune. The show is setting records all over the globe and has become an immediate behemoth for Netflix. Everyone is watching it. There's little to no doubt that Netflix will want another season of Squid Game as soon as possible, but it may seem like the premise doesn't leave a lot of room for a follow-up story. Fortunately, that's not the case. The Squid Game ending directly sets up a second season, leaving plenty of story on the table for the future.

WARNING: This article contains major spoilers from Squid Game! Continue reading at your own risk...

There are multiple ways in which Squid Game sets up another season, but let's start with the most obvious. One year after surviving the game, Gi-hun set out for America to see his daughter. But when he saw The Salesman trying to convince another man to join the next edition of the game, he called took the card and called the number. In spite of the advice from the voice on the other end of the phone, and all common sense that says he should just go see his daughter, Gi-hun hangs up the phone and walks away from the plan in the very last scene of the finale.

So despite the death of Il-nam, the game continues on for another year. That gives us an easy entry point for Season 2, especially with Gi-hun still alive and seemingly participating. 

Gi-hun is the only player able to return, seeing as how all 495 other players died over the course of the first season, but he won't be the only character in the series making a comeback. Front Man, the masked villain who ruled over the games, will likely take on an even bigger role in the  next season, provided it actually happens.

Jun-Ho, the police detective, spent most of Squid Game's first season trying to infiltrate the game facility and figure out what happened to his missing brother. It's revealed in the second-to-last episode that Front Man is actually the brother he's looking for, and Jun-Ho is killed after making the discovery. Front Man ran the game for Il-Nam while the old man participated as a player, making him the creator's successor.

Front Man will run the next game, but his story will probably be a little more intricate than that. There's a ton of mystery surrounding his backstory and relationship with his brother, all of which could be a focal point going forward. 

Perhaps the biggest unanswered questions following Squid Game's finale are about the people behind the games. We know that Il-nam created the version of the game that plays out on the show, but the VIPs hint at one point that there are more games in other countries. The entire operation is bigger than it seems, so there is a lot more about its origin worth uncovering.

What did you think of Squid Game? Are you hoping to see a Season 2? Let us know in the comments!