‘Squid Game’ Creator Reflects On ‘Heavy’ Death In Season 2 Finale

The deadly stakes of “Squid Game” have always been matched by their emotional weight, and Season 2’s finale delivers one of the most gut-wrenching moments yet.

In a recent interview, “Squid Game” creator Hwang Dong-hyuk opened up about crafting this pivotal scene, the emotional weight it carries, and why it was the right moment to deliver such a devastating blow to both the characters and the audience.

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for the Season 2 finale of “Squid Game,” now streaming on Netflix.

“Squid Game” Season 2 wraps up its intense seventh and final episode with a devastating blow: Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) witnesses the brutal execution of his closest ally, Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan). The fatal shot is delivered by The Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) after Gi-hun sparks a rebellion among the remaining players.

While Jung-bae's death is already a shocking and gut-wrenching moment, it carries an even heavier weight for viewers. Unlike Gi-hun, the audience is painfully aware of The Front Man’s true identity: In-ho, a former Squid Game champion who has since risen to become the enigmatic head enforcer of the deadly competition.

Throughout the game, In-ho has been masquerading as Player 001 under the alias Young-il, embedding himself within Gi-hun and Jung-bae’s inner circle. By building trust and feigning loyalty to their cause and uprising, he expertly manipulates their bond.

But in a chilling turn, In-ho sheds his disguise, reassumes his role as The Front Man, and delivers the fatal shot to Jung-bae—an act of brutal punishment aimed directly at Gi-hun.

“Squid Game” Season 2 concludes with a jaw-dropping cliffhanger as The Front Man (In-ho, disguised as Young-il—though Gi-hun remains unaware) mercilessly kills Jung-bae right before Gi-hun's eyes. Held down by the pink guards, Gi-hun is forced to watch in horror as his friend bleeds out, his screams echoing in despair.

“When I first wrote the story of Seasons 2 and 3 it was one long story arc,” “Squid Game” creator Hwang Dong-hyuk told Variety. “And I was originally planning to write this story across a span of about eight to nine episodes, but once I finished the story, it came to over 10 episodes, which I thought was too long to contain in a single season.”

He added:

“And so I wanted to have an adequate point where I could give closure as a second season and then move on with the third. And when you look at Gi-hun’s story, all of his attempts that he puts in to stop the game: the first one being getting these mercenaries and trying to plant a tracking device, that goes to fail; the second attempt of trying to persuade people to vote so that they can leave the game, that goes to fail as well; and then the third and last attempt of bringing people together and causing the rebellion, it also all goes to fail.”

Hwang Dong-hyuk went on to explain how all of his failures “lead to this heavy, heavy crisis of having to lose his very best friend, Jung-bae, at the hands of The Front Man.”

“And when you think about Gi-hun’s journey, I thought that that was an adequate moment to put a stop and give him a little bit of closure along that long story arc,” he continued. “And then from that moment on, in the third season, having that sense of huge guilt and sense of failure weighing heavily on him — how is Gi-hun going to carry on his mission? That’s the story that’ll further unfold.”

As of early November, “Squid Game” Season 1 has amassed an impressive 330 million viewers and over 2.8 billion hours watched since its premiere on September 17, 2021.

“You watch the show, and you can’t help but start to wonder — how would I react if I were put in one of these situations,” Josh Simon, Netflix’s VP of consumer products and live experiences, said. “The games in the series and the unscripted show are based on simple, well-known games that people play growing up, so the rules aren’t super complicated. It’s more about the pressure of that environment.”

The streamer also reported a 60% surge in Season 1 viewership following the release of the first Season 2 teaser on October 31. Season 1 previously earned six Emmy Awards, including Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Lee Jung-jae.