From start to finish, South Korean thriller series Squid Game was a wild ride, full of gruesome twists and shocking turns. But with Netflix announcing its most-watched series ever has been renewed for a second season, Squid Game’s creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk has shared that he had an alternative ending to season one in mind that would have had a major effect on the show’s future plot.
Those who have finished season one will remember that, after winning the final battle in the eponymous Squid Game, and finding out the true identity of player 001, Gi-hun opts for a fresh start. Dying his hair Rihanna’s Loud-era red, he buys a flight to LA to go see his daughter (not wanting to lose her was the reason he competed in the games in the first place). However, just as he is about to leave, he sees another down-and-out local about to be coerced into competing in the games and decides to turn back to learn more about the sinister underground competition seemingly run by the world’s elite and hopefully put an end to the games for good.
“We actually wrestled between two different scenarios for the ending,” the director told Entertainment Weekly. “There was one, the other alternate ending, where Gi-hun would get on the plane and leave. And then there was of course the one where he would turn back and walk towards the camera.”
He continued: “We constantly asked ourselves, is it really right for Gi-hun to make the decision to leave and go see his family, to pursue his own happiness? Is that the right way for us to really propose the question or the message that we wanted to convey through the series?” He decided that the question he wanted the show to explore — “Why has the world come to what it is now?” — could only be answered if Gi-hun decided to return.
So there we have it. If Gi-hun got on that plane, perhaps season two would have been about him processing the trauma of watching 455 people die, albeit from sunny Los Angeles with his daughter as company. But the season one finale was set up for the show to delve into the origins of the dystopian games Gi-hun found himself in. Hwang has also previously shared that one of the future plotlines he wants to explore will be about the Frontman, an ex-cop turned game controller. “I think the issue with police officers is not just an issue in Korea,” he told The Times. “I see it on the global news. This was an issue that I wanted to raise. Maybe in season two I can talk about this more.”
With the runaway success of Squid Game there’s no doubt season two will be on the top of Netflix’s priority list. We hope it doesn’t take long.