Squid Game Season 2 tops charts to become Netflix's highest viewed TV premiere

Squid Game Season 2 has stormed onto Netflix like a tidal wave, smashing records and claiming the title of the platform’s biggest TV premiere ever! Created and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, the survival thriller debuted on December 26, 2024, and took only four days to gain 68 million views.

This triumphant achievement replaced the previous biggest record, helmed by Jenna Ortega's Wednesday Season 1 which gathered almost 50.1 million views in 2022. While Squid Game Season 1 still holds the top spot in Netflix's popular non-English series, Season 2 has also made it to the list and currently ranks seventh.

Interestingly, Hwang Dong-hyuk didn't initially plan a second season due to the stress he dealt with during Season 1. However, the "immense success" of Squid Game Season 1 motivated the creator and he made two more seasons. Dong-hyuk explained, per Variety:

"I had no intention of doing a second season, because the overall process of writing, producing, and directing the series was so challenging. I didn’t think to do another one."

Hwang Dong-hyuk's ultimate decision to make Season 2 turned out to be a masterstroke, and not to forget that he has written the third and final chapter as well. It will pick right from where season 2 ended, with Gi-hun's fate now hanging in balance.

Continue reading to learn more about the series that have landed the top positions.

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Squid Game Season 2 is Netflix's biggest premiere ever

It was on September 17, 2021, when Netflix released a South Korean survival thriller named Squid Game, and it emerged as one of the platform's most-watched and acclaimed series. Not only this, but the success also led to the creation of Squid Game: Unleashed, extending its presence to the gaming world.

Fans waited for almost three years for Squid Game Season 2, and when it arrived the series opened with a bang. As mentioned above, Season 2 gathered 68 million views in its first four days, a viewership no other TV series on the streamer has ever achieved.

As for the top English TV series, Virgin River Season 6, Black Doves, and The Madness have secured different positions in the Top 10 list. Notably, the NFL Christmas Gameday Live: Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers secured the first and second positions and garnered over 14 million views.

Additionally, non-English TV series like K-drama When the Phone Rings, Norwegian TV series La Palma, Columbian series One Hundred Years of Solitude: Part One, and Brazil’s Senna have also earned impressive viewership.

Also Read: What is Park Sung-hoon's Squid Game controversy? Explained in depth

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Actor Lee Jung-jae reflects on Gi-hun's journey in Squid Game Season 2

Squid Game Season 2 kicks off with Gi-hun succeeding in finding the Saleman after an extensive search and eventually ending up in the deadly game for the second time. He planned to stop the cruelty from outside, but thanks to the Front Man who destroyed all his plans.

However, Front Man outsmarting Gi-hun isn't the only reason why his rebellion failed. His decisions and actions throughout the new season are shaped by his mental state of profound loneliness and trauma.

Also Read: Every death in Squid Game Season 2, ranked from most expected to least

Lee Jung-jae was accompanied by his co-actor Lee Seo-hwan (who plays Gi-hun's best friend) in an interview with ScreenRant, where the two discussed the filming and shed light on their characters. Jung-jae, while talking about Gi-hun's journey said:

"I think Gi-hun, in the beginning of Season 2, is very lonely. He's very traumatized and he's very nervous that he might not be able to get this done."

He added:

"And in the game, his stress becomes really pent up and it's actually shown from the outside, the way he looks. I thought it was very important to really portray the difference that he experiences both physically and mentally."

The actor explained how Gi-hun's inner turmoil can be seen through his physical appearance as well. Through his expressions in the early Season 2 Jung-jae aimed to make the character’s motivations and choices more understandable and impactful.

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Also Read: Did Squid Game Season 2 have Fly Me to the Moon? Details revealed

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