Squid Game is about to reveal its endgame, with the third and final season of Netflix’s global smash arriving June 27. But before we see who ends up living, dying, walking away with the 45.6 billion won, or any of the other prospective fates we can imagine, it’s time to take a quick peek back at season two. Here’s the refresher you need before the new episodes arrive.
The Fight Became a Rebellion…
Season two’s final episode, “Friend or Foe,” saw a massive fight that sparked in the men’s bathroom between player factions—the “X” voters, who wanted the game to end, versus the “O” voters, who wanted to keep playing—turn into a vicious after-hours brawl. The “O” voters, driven more by greed than the desire to survive, realized that if they killed off other players, the prize money would still increase; that element of the Squid Game wasn’t limited to who died during the actual competitions.
Amid the chaos, Gi-hun—Player 456, who returned after his victory in Squid Game season one aiming to dismantle the games forever—and his allies decided to hide under the bunks and avoid the player-on-player violence. They knew the pink-clad, gun-toting guards would eventually come in to break up the battle—and they seized the chaotic moment to overpower several of them and take their weapons.
…But the Rebellion Failed
The audience, of course, knew another season of Squid Game was coming, so the rebellion failing wasn’t a total surprise for viewers. For Gi-hun and his crew, however, it was devastating. Almost all of the “O” voters who helped Gi-hun escape the player area and attempt to break into the control room paid with their lives.
Gi-hun—still not aware that his new pal, Player 001, is actually the Front Man masquerading not just as a player, but as a loyal friend—thinks he overhears the man draw his last breath over a deceptive a walkie-talkie transmission. And Gi-hun has no idea that the extra ammo he gave 001 when they parted ways mid-battle is what the Front Man, back under his mask, uses to kill Gi-hun’s best friend, Player 390.
Who’s Still Alive in the Game?
Other than Gi-hun and the Front Man, aka Player 001, here are the key players who are still standing as part of a very diminished group:
Player 333, the failed crypto schemer. He killed Thanos, which we both love and hate him for.
Player 222, his very pregnant ex-girlfriend. The marketing for season three has featured a baby crying, which feels ominous.
Player 388, the former marine. His mental freakout during the rebellion came at a crucial moment—when he was racing back to collect more ammunition—and surely made a difference in who emerged victorious, and who got mowed down by tons of bullets.
Player 120, the ex-special forces soldier. She was a crucial part of the rebellion, helping everyone learn how to operate their newly acquired high-powered firearms. She didn’t want to back down, but Player 149 urged her to surrender.
Players 149 and 007, the mother and son team. He’s a gambler who entered the games trying to set things right; she’s become sort of a de facto mother figure for all the “X” voters.
Player 125, the timid guy. He saw his closest friend killed during the player-on-player fight, so he’ll have some scores to settle that may snap him out of his meek shell.
Player 124, Thanos’ bestie. We’ll miss the cocky rapper Thanos—a casualty of the bathroom battle—and so will 124, especially when he finishes going through all the drugs Thanos left behind.
Player 044, the self-proclaimed shaman. She was a big part of season two’s earlier episodes, but sort of faded from the spotlight after that. If you look closely, though, you can see her avoiding the player-on-player fight and the rebellion on one of the very tall top bunks.
What’s Going on With No-eul, the Rebellious Pink Guard?
The Masked Officer—the guy in charge when the Front Man is in player mode—knows No-eul from her North Korean soldier days. A talented sniper, she has a daughter back in North Korea, and took the Squid Game job seemingly out of desperation. But she’s not supportive of the organ-harvesting operation that secretly preys on the fallen players, to the point of sabotaging it. That further puts her on her boss’ radar.
No-eul doesn’t play a role in the “Friend or Foe” rebellion, but there’s still some bad blood to wade through in this behind-the-scenes storyline.
What about the Detective and His Search?
In season one, police detective Jun-ho went undercover as a Squid Game guard, hoping to find his missing brother. At the end of the season, Jun-ho realized his brother—who he knows as In-ho—is actually the Front Man himself, a gig In-ho ascended to after winning the games prior to Gi-hun’s victory.
Though Jun-ho keeps this bit of knowledge to himself, in season two he joins forces with Gi-hun to hopefully bring down the games. When Gi-hun gets whisked away to the seemingly untraceable island where the games are played, Jun-ho keeps searching with a crew that includes several gangsters—Gi-hun’s former foes, now on his payroll—as well as the seemingly sympathetic Captain Park, who lends his boat to the cause.
At the end of season two we learned that Captain Park is in fact working against this group—the Squid Game has deep pockets and a long reach!—but nobody still alive is aware that he’s on the bad guys’ side. They also don’t know he won’t hesitate to kill to protect that secret.
Squid Game season three arrives June 27 on Netflix.
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