Squid Game season 2 will see the return of Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) as he becomes a contestant once more, intent on confronting its masked Front Man, Hwang In-ho (Lee Byung-hun), and stopping the games for good. Season 2 arrives on December 26, 2024, while season 3 ends the show next year. However, while season 1 consisted of nine episodes, season 2 only has seven episodes in total.

Speaking with Deadline, Hwang explained that Squid Game season 2 has less episodes than season 1 because of the events that transpire at the end of the season. The show's creator revealed that he wrote seasons 2 and 3 back-to-back, and, during the process, decided season 2, episode 7 was the best break point before the final episodes. Check out what Hwang had to say about the shorter season below:

I wrote seasons two and three at the same time, and we were in production for both simultaneously, and currently we are in the post-production process for Season 3. When I was writing the script for the two seasons, I felt like there was a big turning point or an inflection point, and that was the end of episode seven, so I thought that it would do it justice to have a separate season after that. That’s why I had first seven episodes as Season 2 and then the rest of Season 3.

What Hwang's Explanation Means For Squid Game Season 2

Season 2, Episode 7 Will Be A Major Turning Point

Gi-hun was one of the few surviving characters in Squid Game season 1, having won the game, but not willing to touch his earnings for a year because of the survivor's guilt he felt. Now, he'll be using what he didn't give to Sang-woo's mother and Sae-byeok's brother to investigate the Front Man and uncover the truth about the games. While he'll be going back in as a contestant, Hwang's explanation about the episode count indicates some very different events will play out, leading into whatever the final season holds.

The shorter episode count could indicate a faster pace during season 2, quickly resolving Gi-hun's role in the second batch of games to push forward into the finale. This could involve anything from him winning the games, to the games ending early because of his interference with them. Since Netflix is developing an American Squid Game from David Fincher, there could be some ties to that as well, with season 1 hinting the games are a worldwide phenomenon. With plenty of directions the show could go in, any of these ideas are possible explanations for season 2 being shortened.

Our Take On Why Squid Game Season 2 Is Shorter Than Season 1

Hwang's Narrative Is An Important Factor

Although two less episodes in Squid Game season 2 is slightly disappointing, Hwang's explanation emphasizes the narrative importance of the decision. By stopping the story at a point where it makes sense to transition into season 3, the episodes will feel like a full chapter within the larger narrative. A longer season could leave viewers in a disappointing spot, or ruin the presentation by stretching out the story too much. A more concise season will likely make sense once the episodes drop at the end of the year.

Squid Game remains the most popular non-English TV show on Netflix, boasting 2.2 billion hours viewed across 265.2 million viewers.

Source: Deadline