00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're pitting the first and second seasons of Squid Game against each other to see which takes the giant piggy bank of cash.
00:12Major spoilers for both seasons will ensue.
00:15Round one, games.
00:22Season one created an instantly iconic image as a group of unsuspecting players lined up for the world's deadliest game of red light, green light.
00:29It set a precedent for an anxiety-riddled show where childhood games become a deadly survival competition.
00:40Whether the players were tasked with meticulously carving an umbrella shape from honeycomb candy, collecting enough marbles to live, or walking across an elevated glass bridge,
00:59season one kept finding dementedly inventive ways to raise the stakes.
01:10The titular Squid Game might not be as creative as what came before, but it's every bit as sadistic in what boils down to a bloody brawl to the death and an internal morality struggle.
01:27While season two takes its time returning to the island, there's still room for fatal games of chance like rock, paper, scissors meets Russian roulette.
01:44When the games officially get started again, Song Gi-hun and the audience know what awaits as the players step into the red light, green light arena.
02:06That doesn't make it any less intense as contestants are gunned down, despite Gi-hun's warnings and guidance.
02:13At the risk of revealing too much, season two also adds a few new games like Six-Legged Pentathlon and Mingle.
02:25The latter two emphasize teamwork, but the longer people play, the more likely somebody will eventually be thrown under the bus.
02:37Season two only features three official games, one of which we already saw in the previous season.
02:47The first season not only included more games, but each of them left a greater impact than the ones introduced in season two.
02:54Round one thus goes to season one.
03:04Round two, action.
03:06Between Red Light, Green Light and the final game, season one opens and closes with heart-pounding set pieces.
03:20Yet the season isn't quite as action-heavy as you might expect.
03:24Most of the games, such as Pop-Gi, put more pressure on the player's mental state, focusing on slow-building suspense rather than adrenaline.
03:33Even the more physically challenging games like Tug of War only offer so many possibilities in terms of action choreography and staging.
03:44As over-the-top as season one might have been, it could also be surprisingly intimate, with the action taking a backseat to what was going through the characters' heads.
03:52Although season two has fewer games, it compensates in the action department.
04:06The six-legged pentathlon and mingle require the players to be on their toes at all times, but the most action-packed moments are not the games themselves.
04:15When the remaining contestants are torn on whether or not to keep playing, a heated confrontation turns a bathroom into an all-out war zone.
04:27The season saves its most impressive action set piece for last, as Gi-hun's team stages a rebellion against the masked enforcers.
04:34The sequence makes impeccable use of its environment as the armed players attempt to take control of this colorful madhouse.
04:46Even if they don't succeed, it feels like the rules have been forever changed.
04:58Ironically, season one may have more games, but season two goes bigger whenever it can, delivering grander action that goes off the rails.
05:07This round belongs to the sophomore season.
05:15Winner, season two.
05:23Season one introduces us to the games through the eyes of Sung Gi-hun, one of the many contestants who doesn't realize what he's signed up for until he's running for his life.
05:31Even after getting a taste of the games, Gi-hun struggles to stay away.
05:39Each episode keeps us guessing what unspeakable horrors await the players next.
05:44Between the games, season one takes time to touch upon what makes the players tick while gradually revealing what's happening behind the scenes.
05:56This balance of character development, moral quandaries, mystery, and spectacle makes for a riveting season of television without a dull moment.
06:04It builds to a killer finale, with the games truly just getting started.
06:15Although season two hits several familiar beats, it doesn't rehash the same formula.
06:20The first two episodes primarily take place off the island, allowing more time to flesh out Gi-hun and his new allies.
06:37Finding the only way to end the games is from the inside, Gi-hun returns to the island.
06:43While Gi-hun has played before, the rules have been modified somewhat.
06:47Namely, players can vote on whether they should continue playing between games.
06:56Desperation and greed repeatedly trump common sense and humanity, stressing the show's central theme.
07:02Yet watching the characters vote can get redundant as we eagerly await the next game.
07:07The ending is also a little abrupt, feeling more like a mid-season finale than a season finale.
07:19While we wouldn't call season two slow, certain sections can get sluggish.
07:24Season one is tighter and fresher with a more satisfying finish, claiming this round.
07:38Winner, season one.
07:40Round four, supporting players.
07:48Upon arriving on the island, Gi-hun develops bonds and rivalries with several other players.
07:54The standouts include a former childhood classmate named Cho Sang-woo,
07:58a street-smart pickpocket named Kang Se-byeok, and a mysterious old man who knows more than he's letting on.
08:05As engaging as these characters are, it's clear from the get-go that most of them will not survive.
08:12That doesn't make it any less gut-wrenching when Ji-young makes the ultimate sacrifice,
08:16or when Han Min-yo exacts revenge against the villainous Jung Deok-su at the expense of her own life.
08:28Although we tell ourselves not to get too attached,
08:31we can't help but become invested even when a player doesn't get much screen time.
08:39Although Gi-hun returns in season two, the roster is otherwise comprised of new players.
08:55Gi-hun recognizes one in Jung-bae, an old friend who becomes a dedicated ally during the games.
09:00Other newcomers include a transgender former soldier named Hyun-joo,
09:04a pregnant woman named Kim Jun-hee, and a mother-son duo.
09:21With Gi-hun attempting to save as many lives as possible, a strong camaraderie forms among the players.
09:31Working together, we're given hope that more than one will survive the games this time.
09:37Of course, it wouldn't be Squid Game without a few players only looking out for themselves.
09:41Enter Thanos, one of the season's most unhinged villains.
09:49Both seasons had stellar ensembles, making this a difficult round to call.
09:54With season two focusing less on the games though, more time is dedicated to exploring character dynamics.
10:00The friendships that grow under savage circumstances give the season an unexpected heart,
10:05emerging as this round's victor.
10:15Winner, season two.
10:17Round 5, Twists.
10:19From the second the red light, green light robot turned her creepy head,
10:23we suspected that season one was about to take a grim turn.
10:31We nonetheless jumped out of our seats as guns started blazing,
10:35sending the players running and freezing in terror.
10:38Every game that followed came with an alarming twist that kept us on pins and needles.
10:50I'll say it again.
10:52Each of you take your own marbles,
10:55and throw a match with the person next to you.
10:57The person who gets all 10 marbles wins.
11:03Meanwhile, an overarching mystery is unraveled as detective Hwang Joon-ho
11:07infiltrates the games under the guise of a guard,
11:10discovering what happened to his long-lost brother In-ho.
11:13As shocking as it was learning that In-ho was the front man,
11:17nothing tops the reveal that the kindly old Oh Il-nam set this all into motion.
11:26Season two has a handful of devastating deaths
11:29and brutal betrayals that threw us for a loop.
11:37The biggest question mark throughout the season is the front man,
11:40who joins the games as player one.
11:42Although player one allies with Gi-hun,
11:44we know that he's working another angle.
11:47It's the price of the lives of the dead.
11:51It's the same for the money over there.
11:55Do you really have to go that far?
11:58You didn't kill them.
12:01That doesn't mean the dead are alive.
12:04When he'll show his true colors remains unclear until the season finale.
12:09With the uprising underway, player one sabotages everything.
12:13Faking his death, he resumes his role as the front man.
12:17As a cruel final twist,
12:19the front man makes Gi-hun watch as he eliminates Jung-bae.
12:22Although this seemed inevitable in some respects,
12:25we still didn't see this jaw-dropping ending coming.
12:29Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel
12:32and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
12:35You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
12:39If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings
12:42and switch on notifications.
12:46Make sure you're subscribed to our channel
12:48so you don't miss out on our latest videos.
12:50If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings
12:53and switch on notifications.
12:56Making the front man a player was an inspired twist for season two.
13:00That said, it may have hit a little too close to season one's final reveal,
13:05reminding us never to trust anybody assigned the moniker player one.
13:15Squid Game 2 admirably maintains momentum,
13:18but the OG was a breath of fresh air that's difficult to replicate.
13:22Congratulations, season one.
13:24The 45.6 billion won is yours.
13:31Winner, season one.
13:33Which season of Squid Game did you prefer?
13:36What do you hope to see in season three?
13:38Let us know in the comments.
13:47Did you enjoy this video?
13:49Check out these other clips from WatchMojo
13:51and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell
13:53to be notified about our latest videos.
Comments