Many people have been anxiously awaiting the second season of Squid Game, the most-watched show on Netflix. To win prizes in the first season, players had to compete in several lethal kid-friendly games. The upcoming season, which is also expected to break yet another Netflix record, delves deeper into the limitations and economic background of the surrealistic games. Green light, red light. When the song starts, move forward; when it ends, freeze. It's a fairly easy game. Or is it that moving after the music has stopped carries a death sentence? It was clear from the first season that Squid Game allegorizes the horrors of capitalism through kid-friendly games. Three years later, the second season of arguably the most significant television program of our time advances its adamantly anti-capitalist theme. It accomplishes this by exposing the illusion of "choice" in a system threatening to starve the great majority. In this article, I dive deeper into the dystopian nuances of capitalism and the illusion of choice that stir up scenarios very similar to reality.

Premise of the series 

With Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-Jae) opting to stay in South Korea rather than take a plane to the US, the first season of Squid Game concluded on a tense note. His quest to learn the truth about the evil game begins with this crucial choice, laying the groundwork for an even more captivating second season. Gi-hun returns to the game's twisted world in season two, which continues where the first left off. With more deadly challenges that test players' physical and mental limits, the stakes are even higher this time. What started as a vicious struggle for survival has evolved into a sophisticated battleground requiring cunning, strategy, and unwavering resolve. As the game goes on, players must face their fears, motivations, and moral quandaries in addition to navigating the game's potentially fatal challenges.

The dystopia of choice is implied in a more nuanced tone in Season 2

Three years later, the second season of arguably the most significant television program of our time advances its adamantly anti-capitalist theme. It accomplishes this by exposing the illusion of "choice" in a system threatening to starve the great majority. Season two gives the players a more nuanced option to leave than season one, where they are only given the option to do so once, and that is between playing a perverse, gladiatorial game for the enjoyment of the one per cent or continuing their lifeless existence under soul-crushing debt.

After every game, a choice is presented, but it can only be used if the majority agrees. Even if the majority votes to stop playing the game, each "player" still receives an equal portion of the blood money that has been earned up to that point.

With an invincible hero at the centre, the second season's premise runs the risk of becoming repetitive and illogical, but Squid Game, with its authentic K-drama flair, subverts contemporary Western notions of nuance. 

The subtlety of the show resides in the intricate details of the allegory it has created while maintaining a strong connection between the hyper-real world it creates and the actual world we live in. Squid Game uncovers the reasons why the general public initially tolerates the system, in contrast to other modern critiques of capitalism that frequently focus on the actors operating behind the scenes. It portrays a very real financial abyss for each individual. The motivation of greed is not avoided in Squid Game, a sentiment that is well-known for being The recurring votes and disputes over the game's continuation serve as a reminder of the reasons why so many people still engage with the larger capitalist system: the possibility of more.

The camaraderie of hyper-capitalism vs anti-capitalism- leaving us grasping for more 

According to a show on a streaming service in the centre of the empire from a nation that is an imperialistic outpost on the opposite side of the globe and is well-known for its brand of hyper-capitalism, capitalism cannot and will not be "voted out," as the far left has been saying for more than 150 years. Like the hydra-headed monster it is, it will deceive, manipulate, cheat, and kill in a million different ways. To further its agenda, it will divide and conquer, use hundreds of sticks, dangle dozens of carrots, and weaponize the worst of humanity. The first of the games, Red Light Green Light, won the 2021 Screenshot of the Year award. 

It was a symbol of the fundamental tenet of human civilization—that we cannot exist apart—not just because it was worthy of being a meme. Red light green light provided us with a symbol of hope and a path forward during the year's last days when capitalism displayed its ugly face more blatantly than ever. In the same way that Seong Gi-Hun skillfully guides athletes to the finish line, anti-capitalism needs to be planned and guided. The subtlety of the show is found in the intricate details of the allegory it has created while maintaining a strong connection between the hyper-real world it creates and the actual world we live in. 

Because of this, it is allowed to repeatedly bombard you with anti-capitalist rhetoric without coming across as cliche. Squid Game offers a startling viewpoint on modern capitalism and the reasons why billions of people worldwide support it. The goal of neoliberal economic policies is to force people into the system, which is why failing public services, privatized insecurity, and neglected health problems are not merely unintended consequences. For nearly every player in the game, it is their only remaining option. Everyone is thrown into the game against their will; nobody chooses to play.

In many capitalist economies, a declining middle class has managed to survive by avoiding the possible abyss that this role in the game offers. Squid Game offers a startling viewpoint on modern capitalism and the reasons why billions of people worldwide support it. The goal of neoliberal economic policies is to force people into the system, which is why failing public services, privatized insecurity, and neglected health problems are not merely unintended consequences. For nearly every player in the game, it is their only remaining option. Everyone is thrown into the game against their will; nobody chooses to play. In many capitalist economies, a declining middle class has managed to survive by avoiding the possible abyss that this role in the game offers.

Conclusion 

 When Seong Gi-Hun informs his allies that the only way out of the game is through a firefight. This makes one wonder if that is also the only way out of The Game. The Squid Game capitalizes on people's almost comical desire to have faith in their ability to live and win. Players' nearly transcendental beliefs that they are destined to be the only winners of the games are fueled by the brutality and violence of the game itself. However, these desires run counter to the players' fundamental humanity. Family ties, previous friendships, shared experiences, compassion, and spirituality are all evident in the show, and camaraderie grows as the players collaborate. However, the strict logic of the overall game ultimately eclipses them. 

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