WARNING: Spoilers for Squid Game season 2 and Sweet Home.
No-eul’s connection to the little girl who has cancer was arguably the saddest story inSquid Gameseason 2, yet it was also a stealthSweet Homereunion. WhileSquid Gameseason 1 became Netflix’s most-watched showof all time, it was not the first K-drama to be a worldwide hit for the streamer. A year earlier,Sweet Homebecame the first Korean show to appear on Netflix’s global top 10 and opened the door for more original K-dramas on the platform. AlthoughSweet HomeandSquid Gameare very different shows, they share some similarities.
Just likeSquid Game,Sweet Homeseason 2 also took three years to arrive after a very successful first season. Likewise,Sweet Homeproduced seasons 2 and 3 back-to-back, with the third and final season arriving less than a year later. This is exactly what is happening withSquid Gameseason 3. Another similarity is the themes of survival and teamwork, althoughSquid Gameis a much more grounded show thanSweet Home. Lastly,Squid GameandSweet Homeshare some actors, with Park Gyu-young and Lee Jin-wook playing key roles in both shows.
Park Gyu-young And Lee Jin-wook Were Both In Sweet Home Before Squid Game
They Played No-eul And Gyeong-seok In Squid Game Season 2
No-eul and Gyeong-seok’s story inSquid Gameseason 2 was a smallSweet Homereunion. Before starring inSquid Game,Park Gyu-young broke big as Yoon Ji-su inSweet Home’s seasons 1 and 2.While Netflix’sSweet Homemade some big changes to the webtoon on which the K-drama was based, including the relationship between Ji-su and Cha Hyun-su, Park Gyu-young’s character was one of the best things about the show. Unfortunately, Ji-su’s story was cut short inSweet Homeseason 2, with Park Gyu-young not returning for season 3.
Park Gyeong-seok
Pyeon Sang-wook/Nam Sang-won
Lee Jin-wook, who playsGyeong-seok (Player 246) inSquid Gameseason 2, also starred inSweet Home, having played more than one character on the show. In the first season, Lee played the anti-hero Sang-wook. Although Sang-wook died at the end of season 1, his body was inhabited by a different character. This made it so that Lee Jin-wook could return inSweet Homeseason 2 as Nam Sang-woon, whose monster powers allowed him to switch bodies. WhilePark Gyu-young and Lee Jin-wook’s characters inSquid Gamedon’t actually interact much in season 2, their stories are heavily connected.
No-eul’s Connection To Gyeong-seok’s Daughter Made Their Story Incredibly Tragic
No-eul Knew Gyeong-seok Could Be Killed At Any Point
Squid Gameseason 2, episode 2 spends a lot of time with Park Gyu-young’s character and makes us character about her. In addition to a difficult life on its own – No-eul is living by herself in South Korea while trying to find her daughter who stayed behind in North Korea – she is also friends with a little girl who has cancer.Na-yeon giving No-eul a drawing of her and the pink bunny was the most wholesome moment in season 2, yet it was the prelude of what could be a tragic story.
No-eul had to watch Gyeong-seok playing the games knowing that he could be eliminated and killed at any time.
In what was perhaps the biggest plot twist of the season,Park Gyu-young was not playing another contestant inSquid Gameseason 2but rather one of the pink guards. To make things more complicated, Na-yeon’s father, Gyeong-seok, joined the games as one of the contestants to pay for his daughter’s experimental cancer treatment. No-eul had to watch Gyeong-seok playing the games knowing that he could be eliminated and killed at any time, which would leave the girl without a father and with no one to provide for her.
Did Gyeong-seok Really Die In Squid Game Season 2?
No-eul May Have Saved Player 246 In The Finale
Gyeong-seok was one of the contestants who joined Gi-hun’s rebellion inSquid Gameseason 2’s finaleand remained in the hallway through all of the shooting. However, with Dae-ho and Hyun-ju never coming back with more ammunition and the Front Man killing everyone on the other side but Gi-hun, the ones who stayed behind were doomed to fail. While they tried to surrender,the pink guards were taking no prisoners and shot all of the remaining insurgents.This includes Gyeong-seok, who asked for mercy and said he had a daughter.
Park Gyu-young’s Squid Game Season 2 Role Was So Much Better Than What Anyone Could’ve Expected
Park Gyu-young’s presence in Squid Game season 2 was certainly exciting, but her surprising role (and potential) was even better than expected.
While we see a triangle guard shoot Gyeong-seok, we don’t actually see where he was shot and what happened to him afterward. It can be assumed that Gyeong-seok was shot dead, but there is a chance he is still alive. The only way Gyeong-seok survived is if the triangle guard who shot him was No-eul, who may have chosen to spare his life. If so, Park Gyu-young’s character could be willing to break the rules and even fight her bosses inSquid Gameseason 3 to save Na-yeon’s father.
Squid Game
Cast
Squid Game is a South Korean series released in 2021 that follows numerous financially struggling participants who are invited to partake in children’s games with deadly outcomes. As they compete, they vie for a substantial cash prize, all while navigating lethal challenges orchestrated by mysterious figures.
