This ‘Squid Game’ Character Was Almost Much More of a Bully in Season 2

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Squid Game

Squid Game became such a hit upon its premiere in 2021 due to several factors, but one that was universally acclaimed by both critics and audiences was the characters. The games themselves are certainly unique, and it’s terrifying to watch the characters you spend time with be put in such grave danger, but it’s the time between competitions that gives the viewer a chance to look into the contestants' lives. One of the more interesting players introduced in Season 2 is Park Yong-sik/Player 007 (Yang Dong-geun), who finds himself competing in the games with his mother, who’s only there to help pay off his debt. During a recent Netflix featurette, Yang recently revealed that his character having such a tender-hearted nature and care for his mother wasn’t always the plan:

Yang: The director initially imagined Yong-sik to be a stronger, more bully-like character.

Kang: Kind of sleazy.

Yang: But just having his mom there in the game with him brings out completely different sides of him. This is actually the hairstyle the director requested. So based on the hairstyle, he doesn't come across as the strong character the director had in mind at all. He looks rather cute, dorky, and a little goofy.

Park Yong-sik being another bully in the competition would have completely changed the game's dynamic; several characters are already filling that role, and another one might have flipped the scales of power too much in the wrong direction. Park’s relationship with his mother is one of the more heartfelt aspect of the games in Season 2, giving the audience a reason to invest in other characters besides Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), especially with his mother proving to be more of a matronly figure to more than just her son. Yang Dong-geun and director Hwang Dong-hyuk made the right choice by switching Park’s character to focus more on his soft side rather than trying to push other players around, especially considering Thanos (Choi Seung-hyun) was lurking as the ultimate bully until he finds himself with a fork in his neck.

Is ‘Squid Game’ Season 3 Coming Out This Year?

Netflix has confirmed that the third and final season of Squid Game will be released later this year, and while the platform has not officially announced a date for Season 3, we still have some idea of when it may be coming. In a now-deleted video that was posted on the Netflix Korea YouTube channel, Squid Game Season 3 was given a June 27 release date, less than six months from now. While this has not been confirmed and is subject to change, it’s likely still going to be in the same release window.

All episodes of Squid Game Season 2 are now streaming. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of the series and watch Squid Game exclusively on Netflix.

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Hundreds of cash-strapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children's games. Inside, a tempting prize awaits with deadly high stakes: a survival game that has a whopping 45.6 billion-won prize at stake.

Cast Wi Ha-joon , Anupam Tripathi , Oh Yeong-su , Heo Sung-tae , Park Hae-soo , Jung Ho-yeon , Lee Jung-jae , Kim Joo-ryoung

Showrunner Hwang Dong-hyuk

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