‘SPOILER ALERT’

The game continues with the remaining players. A young woman named Hyun-ju leads her team effectively, showcasing strong performance and teamwork.

In the fourth game, a woman on Hyun-ju’s team struggles to finish the last challenge and starts saying that the gods have abandoned them. However, Hyun-ju slaps her and tells her she can’t give up now, and finally, they manage to win.

The others follow, and the luckiest win, while the others are killed. The games eventually progress to the final two teams—Gi-hun’s and another team. Finally, Gi-hun’s team succeeds, while the other team fails.

Back in the players’ room, Thanos starts ranking his teammates to orchestrate their next moves in the games. Yong-sik’s mother approaches Hyun-ju and asks why she made them turn around when she was playing. Hyun-ju explains that she gets nervous when someone looks at her because she somehow feels like she is not completed. When Yong-sik’s mother digs deeper to know, Yong-sik stops her worried about making Hyun-ju uncomfortable.

Back in the locker room, the guards attack No-eul. The guard in the surveillance room who is monitoring the locker room turns the camera to another room, so they won’t be seen. They take off her mask and threaten her, saying that if she ever gets in their way, they will kill her. She tries to escape and fight back, but the two men are stronger. One of them takes out a knife and slashes her cheek. He then tells her that next time he will cut her fingers off.

Back with the players, Gi-hun’s team is happy about winning the game. Dae-ho decides that it’s time they all introduce themselves. He starts by introducing his name. The others follow, telling their names and what they mean. When it’s In-ho’s turn, he says his name is Young-il.

Their conversation is interrupted when the guards come in. They inform the players about the total money accumulated and then announce the amount they will receive with 110 players dead. But the players are not happy with the amount. The guards then announce that it’s time to vote.

Yong-sik’s mother, thinking they’re finally getting out, starts inviting the others to her house for a meal when they get out. Gi-hun tells his group they must not lose this vote and promises to help them when they go out.

The vote starts with Player number 1. In-ho goes and votes X. Yong-sik’s mother warns him not to choose O, but when he votes, he chooses O. The others follow, and O starts to win.

Gi-hun and In-ho try to make people vote X because people are dying. Jeong-dae, the man 10 billion won in debt, interrupts, saying that the money they’ve accumulated now doesn’t even cover 10% of their debt.

At the end of the argument, Jeong-dae gets the other players to chant “One more game.” When the voting ends, O wins by a significant margin.

During the meal, Min-ho calls Noona and asks why she is not scared. Noona tells him she is scared, but if she gets out, she will face even more problems. Yong-sik tries to talk to his mother, but she is angry at him for voting to stay in the game. He then tells her that his debts are actually more than he’s told her—it’s 100 million.

Back with Gi-hun’s team, tension is escalating because Jung-bae voted to stay in the game. Gi-hun, disappointed in him, tells him that of all people, he didn’t expect him to do that. But Jung-bae is desperate because of his debts and tries to plead with the team to understand his situation.

Yong-sik’s mother goes to Hyun-ju and asks why she voted O after they had agreed they would meet when they get out. She asks why Hyun-ju needs the money so badly, and Hyun-ju shares that she has struggled since her family abandoned her, and she lost her job. She was a soldier, and if she wins another game, she wants to go to Thailand and start a new life.

In the bathroom, Thanos and his gang approach Myung-gi and confront him for choosing to leave. He asks what he was thinking of doing with that little money since he can’t even pay back the money, and made Thanos lose. Myung-gi tells him it was his decision to invest, and he doesn’t care about the money he lost. As Thanos is about to beat him, Gi-hun and the others arrive, and they stop.

Later that night, Gi-hun tells his group to sleep on the floor because someone might come to kill them. Confused, they ask if it’s allowed, and he tells them that it’s part of the game. In-ho tells him that it’s a bit of a stretch, but Gi-hun insists. They all take their mattresses and put them on the ground to sleep.

After they all fall asleep, Yong-sik’s mother wants to use the bathroom. Yong-sik asks her if she wants him to come with her, but she shows him a blade she uses as a hair clipper to show him she can protect herself.

At the same time, Jun-hee also wants to go to the bathroom, but Gi-hun doesn’t want her to go alone. Overhearing this, Yong-sik’s mother asks if she wants to go with her. They head to the door, but the guards refuse to let them out. After much pleading, they finally let them go, and Hyun-ju also follows.

In the bathroom, Hyun-ju notices that Jun-hee doesn’t look well and asks Yong-sik’s mother if she isn’t feeling well. She learns that Jun-hee is pregnant.

Gi-hun is awake, looking after the group. Jung-bae wakes up and tells him to sleep while he takes over. Jung-bae asks for his forgiveness for not giving him money back when his mother was sick. He then asks why Gi-hun came back to the game, and Gi-hun tells him that he wants to help everyone get out.

In the bathroom, Jun-hee takes too long in the toilet. Yong-sik’s mother knocks on the door, and when she doesn’t get a response, she starts listening for any sounds and hears Jun-hee crying. She opens the door, thinking Jun-hee might be in labor, but Jun-hee is emotional because she’s scared.

Jun-ho and his team haven’t given up either. Captain Park, determined more than ever, reassures Jun-ho that they will not stop until they find the island.

In the morning, the third game is about to start. No-eul, who still has a bad cut across her cheek from the previous game, prepares to head out with the other guards for the next round. The players gather, and the announcer informs them that the game is called Mingle.

The rules of the game include a rotating middle platform, and when they hear a number, they must form groups of that size and enter designated rooms. The doors will close in 30 seconds. Gi-hun, In-ho, and the other de facto leaders tell their teams to stay strong and not panic as the game begins. 

When the game begins, panic sets in. Gi-hun finds himself in a room with his team and one other woman they brought. He watches through the door as he sees players who couldn’t find a group to join. The guards bring in coffins, place the bodies inside, and mark those who can be used.

The second round begins, and Thanos and Nam-gyu seem to be enjoying the game, dancing on the rotating platform. When they are supposed to team up in groups of four, In-ho tells Gi-hun and the others to go, while he starts looking for the other three people. After everyone gets into their rooms, a team with the wrong number of players is killed. When they exit, they reunite.

In the third round, they are supposed to be in teams of three, and Yong-sik and his mother get separated as he is dragged away by two other players. Gi-hun and In-ho pull Yong-sik’s mother into their group. In the room, In-ho begins subtly manipulating Yong-sik’s mother, trying to make her think her son abandoned her. She retorts, telling him not to accuse her son of such a thing.

The game continues to grow harsher, with more people dying. In the final round, when they must team up in pairs, In-ho kills another man who was in the same room with him, as Jung-bae looks at him, terrified. The guards quietly sneak in to take the organs of those who are still alive.

Meanwhile, Jun-ho and the group are still on the boat. Their search proves futile, but no one is giving up. They use a drone to survey the area, but it has yet to be productive.

After the game, the players go back to their rooms. Myung-gi pulls Jun-hee aside and asks her to start over when they get out. He then explains that they will pool their money together, and he will pay off his debts. After that, he plans to invest in something to make them profitable. Jun-hee then realizes that he is more interested in the money than in her. She then tells him to do that with his own money and she will use hers to raise their baby before walking away.

Jung-bae goes around counting the people who will vote X, but there are only 12, fewer than the O voters. Gi-hun wants to talk to the O voters to convince them to choose X, but In-ho disagrees with this idea. He thinks it will cause a problem because some people want the game to continue. They argue about it, and the vote begins.

Meanwhile, Jun-ho is still using the drone to scan the area, and something catches his attention—what looks like a door on the ground. They try to get closer to it to investigate, but the trees prevent the drone from getting any lower. Jun-ho then decides to go on foot.

Back in the game, the voting begins. The guards warn the players that any disruption of the voting will not be tolerated. As the players start to vote, some change their minds, just as Gi-hun predicted. Meanwhile, in the locker room, another guard approaches No-eul to bully her. He tells her she would’ve complied earlier to avoid getting the scar on her face. Mockingly, he tells her to keep up the good work and leaves.

Thanos and Nam-gyu convince Min-su to play one more game, but when he votes, he chooses X, making the numbers close.

Meanwhile, Jun-ho and his team go on foot and reach the place they saw in the drone footage. Jun-ho was right—there is indeed a trap door on the ground. They attempt to open it, but the moment the door is touched, it explodes.

Yong-sik changes his vote to X this time, helping the X voters gain the advantage. When it comes to the last voter, Player number 1, In-ho, Jung-bae hesitates.

He tells Gi-hun that he doesn’t trust him and begins explaining what happened during the game, but he is interrupted by the sound of another woman voting O.

When it is In-ho’s turn to vote, he chooses X, resulting in a tie. The guards inform the players that they will vote again tomorrow, giving them time to think about their decision and their future.

Meanwhile, Jun-ho’s team faces a crisis after the explosion. One man is dead, and another is wounded. Captain Park suggests they return to land, but after everything that has happened, the team is determined to seek revenge on the people responsible.

As they walk into their room, Gi-hun asks Jung-bae what he was about to tell him earlier, but Jung-bae changes his mind and says it was nothing. Meanwhile, Yong-sik tries to persuade the O voters to come to their side, but it ends in a heated argument. Amidst the tension, Gi-hun opens his food wrap and finds a fork hidden inside.

Thanos and Nam-gyu follow Min-su to the bathroom and begin bullying and threatening him. They warn him that he must choose O in the next game. Myung-gi interrupts and tells them to stop, leading to an argument. Other players gather on each side, ready to fight if necessary. Nam-gyu brings up Jun-hee, escalating the argument further, which eventually turns into a physical fight. Thanos angrily strangles Myung-gi, and as the situation worsens for Myung-gi, he pulls out a fork and stabs Thanos in the neck.

Blood spills all over Myung-gi, but he doesn’t stop. He pulls the fork out and stabs Thanos in the side again. Thanos collapses on top of him, and Myung-gi pushes him off and scrambles into the bathroom. Thanos grabs his leg, but Myung-gi manages to free himself and make him let go.

Nam-gyu sees Thanos on the ground and rushes to take the drug hidden inside his cross necklace. Instead, he finds the fork and uses it to stab another person. The guards stand by the door, hearing the fight but doing nothing to intervene.

Back in their room, the players are confused when the announcer reveals the player who has been eliminated. Amidst their confusion, Nam-gyu offers an explanation. He claims the X voters attacked them in the bathroom. The X voters, trying to defend themselves, counter by revealing that they were the ones who were attacked.

On the boat, one man from the team feels sick and steps outside. He notices a flashlight coming from one of the rooms and goes to investigate. He finds Captain Park messing with the drone. When he asks what the captain is doing with it, Captain Park lies, denying that he touched the drone. He tries to brush it off, telling the man he doesn’t look well and should go to sleep.

As Captain Park walks away, the man confronts him, accusing him of lying. At this moment, Captain Park turns and repeatedly stabs the man before pushing him into the water.

Woo-seok arrives with a flashlight but doesn’t see anything suspicious. He mentions hearing a noise, but Captain Park convinces him it was just the shore hitting the boat. Satisfied, they both return to their rooms.

Back with the players, voters on both sides begin to count the people they lost. The O voters lost three, while the X voters lost two. The count now stands at 48 against 47. The announcer declares that it’s time to sleep and that the lights will be turned off in 30 minutes. Then, everyone heads to bed.

Gi-hun tells the others that when the lights go out, the O voters will likely attack. In-ho suggests they attack first. Everyone agrees with this idea, reasoning that they have women and older players on their team, which would give the other side an advantage if they wait to be attacked.

However, Gi-hun opposes the plan. He argues that joining the bloodbath would mean walking into the organizers’ trap. When asked who “they” are, Gi-hun explains that the organizers of the game are at the top and monitor everything. He tells them about a masked man who leads the game and insists that if they manage to reach him, they can put an end to it.

Gi-hun tells the group they should take guns from the guards and fight, but In-ho argues that it’s too dangerous. Gi-hun then shares his plan to take the guns. They will wait until the fighting begins, then make their move. Meanwhile, Nam-gyu starts taking the pills he got from Thanos. He pulls out the fork and stares at it intently.

Jun-hee goes to Myung-gi and warns him to hide when the lights go off and to stay out of any trouble. When the lights turn off, the X voters hide under their beds as planned. The O voters begin their attack, killing those still on their beds.

A flashback shows Gi-hun explaining the plan to hide under the beds. The others had protested, arguing that the X voters would be outnumbered, but Gi-hun insisted they must sacrifice whatever they can for the greater good.

As the chaos unfolds and several players are killed, the guards arrive to put an end to the fight. This is when Gi-hun and his group make their move. Pretending to be dead, they wait for the guards to scan the bodies.

When the guards approach, Gi-hun and his group ambush them, taking several guns and shooting most of the guards.

The head guard orders the entrance to be sealed, and the guards retreat. However, one guard gets trapped inside and is captured by Gi-hun’s team. Hyun-ju shoots the cameras, blinding those who are surveling them.

The head guard orders more soldiers to enter the room. Gi-hun’s team gathers the guns, and Gi-hun announces that they are going to fight the people responsible for their suffering. He invites anyone willing to join them, but initially, no one steps forward. Jung-bae tries to motivate the others, and his words seem to work as more people step forward to join. Yong-sik wants to join, but his mother stops him.

Hyun-ju steps forward to give the group training on how to use the guns, leveraging her experience as a former soldier. Gi-hun then approaches the apprehended guard and orders him to remove his mask, revealing that he is a young man. Gi-hun demands that he take them to the person in charge. Breaking the glass on a door, Gi-hun unlocks it, and the group moves out to the game area, where more guards are waiting.

A firefight ensues, with both sides suffering casualties. As they press forward, the hostage guard warns Gi-hun’s team that they need masks to pass through security. However, when the guard turns, he sees In-ho and freezes in shock. At that moment, the guard is shot.

Gi-hun and Jung-bae proceed to pass through security while the others stay behind to fight. They manage to bypass security and begin heading toward the management area. Along the way, they encounter several soldiers but manage to overpower them and continue on their path.

The shootout intensifies, and more people are killed. Hyun-ju instructs everyone to check their magazines, and they realize they are all running low on ammo. Gi-hun tells In-ho they need backup and more ammunition, so In-ho takes two others with him to support Gi-hun and Jung-bae.

Dae-ho decides to go and retrieve ammo. Meanwhile, Gi-hun asks Jung-bae to cover him so he can collect ammo from the dead guards. Dae-ho enters a room and starts taking ammo from the pockets of each guard with the help of another teammate. He gathers the ammunition in a jacket and begins walking out of the room, but when he sees the intensity of the shootout, he hesitates.

Hyun-ju tries to encourage him over the walkie-talkie, but Dae-ho drops it in panic. Realizing the urgency, Hyun-ju decides to go herself, knowing they won’t survive without the ammunition.

Back in the hallways leading to the management room, the group advances, but In-ho reveals his true intentions. He shoots two of the men with him and then uses the sound of their cries to deceive Gi-hun into believing that In-ho has also been killed. Convinced that In-ho is dead, Gi-hun continues forward, unaware of the betrayal.

Hyun-ju reaches the room and finds Dae-ho leaning against the wall, paralyzed with fear. Frustrated, she angrily snatches the magazines from him and prepares to leave. However, just as she turns, a dozen guards enter through the door. Determined to fight, Hyun-ju gets ready, but Yong-sik’s mother warns her that she will die if she proceeds.

Back with the players still fighting, they run completely out of ammo. With no other option, one player uses his last bullet to shoot himself. The other two surrender, but the guards execute them anyway. One of them is Na-yeon’s father, the little girl who has cancer and needs a bone marrow transplant.

Gi-hun and Jung-bae, out of options, also surrender. The man in the black mask confronts Gi-hun, taking out his gun and coldly shooting Jung-bae in front of him. Gi-hun collapses, crying in agony, as the black-masked man walks away.

Desperation and greed can create chaos and ruin lives, but trust and teamwork are the keys to overcoming unfair systems. But do you think the series succeeds in showing just how important it is to stay united?

Squid Game S2.