The Deeper Meaning Behind Squid Game Season 2, Episode 2's Lollipop Scene Is Even Sadder Than You Realized

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Squid Game season 2, episode 2.Squid Game season 2, episode 2 introduces Park Gyu-young's character, No-eul, through her job at the amusement park — and we initially see her through the eyes of a young girl named Na-yeon. Na-yeon gets passed up when the employees at the theme park hand out lollipops, but No-eul finally notices her and gives her candy. No-eul is the only employee to do so, and when she quits to become one of the Masked Men, Na-yeon finds herself disappointed by the pink bunny No-eul used to dress up as.

Na-yeon's sequence in Squid Game season 2 is heart-wrenching, and it has an even more tragic meaning behind it. Watching the young girl — who we're told has blood cancer — be passed up by the theme park employees evokes a strong sense of injustice, and it's made worse by No-eul quitting. Na-yeon's drawing in Squid Game season 2, episode 2 shows how much she appreciates the bunny noticing her and giving her a lollipop. It's not totally clear why No-eul's coworker continuously passes her up, but that could actually be the point.

There's No Real Explanation For Why Na-yeon Gets Passed Over For Lollipops

The Randomness Of This Squid Game Scene Is Probably The Point

Squid Game season 2 never explains why No-eul’s coworker passes her when giving out lollipops, but the randomness may actually be the point. There’s no rhyme or reason for the way Na-yeon is treated at the amusement park. The man who ignores her clearly knows who she is, but he doesn't seem to have a personal vendetta against her. It seems that Na-yeon simply has poor luck, and that's probably the point of her short Squid Game season 2 arc. And the fact that Na-yeon is unlucky by chance connects to the show's overall themes in a tragic way.

Squid Game Season 2's Lollipop Scene Has A Sadder Connection To The Show's Themes

The Players Are Often A Product Of Chance

Squid Game highlights how some people are thrust into tougher circumstances than others, and there's clearly no reason that the elites are so much better off than people like Gi-hun. While many of the players in Squid Game make poor choices, they're typically given harder options than people born into wealth and privilege, like the VIPs. Their circumstances are frequently dictated by chance, just as the players who die in Squid Game are also decided by chance more often than skill.

The fact that Na-yeon isn't chosen to receive a lollipop underscores that some people are less well off than others, by no fault of their own, and that receiving help is also just luck of the draw. This message perfectly sets up the rest of Squid Game season 2, eliciting sympathy for the players in the tournament through a more innocent and tragic example of their plight.