“Squid Game” debuted on Sept. 17, 2021, to praise from the audience and critics. Many attribute the show’s early success to the innovation that the show brings.

After season 1’s cliffhanger-esque ending, fans were left disappointed, confused, and shocked that the season could end so abruptly without tying up its loose ends. Keaton Berg, senior, said that he enjoyed the first season but the ending left a bad taste in his mouth. He believes that it was too long of a wait time between seasons and that the director should have tweaked the first season’s ending to tie up said loose ends. However, suspense was built so fans could still look forward to the next season.

Although the first season’s ending left off on a bit of a cliffhanger, fans of the series say that it is nothing compared to the ending of season 2. Season 2 quickly answered the question that was brought up at the end of Season 1, that being what happened to the main character Gi-Hun after he got off the plane. The first episodes of the season show an aged Gi-Hun working tirelessly day and night to find the recruiter for the twisted games. When the events of the season inevitably unravel, the audience is once again nearing the end of the series. The sense of expecting a good ending and in reality having an unsatisfactory ending is something eerily familiar to fans of the series. Having already happened in the first season the brevity in which the cliffhanger ending occurred in the newest installment had some fans feeling disappointed and upset with the ending.

Chad Snyder, senior, voiced his frustration regarding the ending of season 2. He said that he was expecting a proper resolution, such as the ending. Snyder then went on to say that he was angry and upset upon seeing the ending of season 2. On the other hand, Snyder’s disappointment and frustration were interesting. He stated that he will be watching season 3 of “Squid Game” when it releases on June. 27. Further proving that the ending of season 2, although not liked by many fans, was intriguing and was able to draw the audience in.

Although the ending may not have made everyone who watched the season happy, it was successful in its goal of drawing the audience in and making them so invested in the series that they will undoubtedly tune into season 3, slated to release later this year. Even though Dong-Hyuk’s ending will prove to be controversial for months to come, the hype train that was built for season 2 will soon become full force yet again in the buildup to season 3.