‘Squid Game’ Season 2 Arrives With Worse Reviews Than Season 1

Squid Recreation season 2 has lastly arrived after three years, the follow-up to the most-watched Netflix collection of all time which has turn out to be a full-on model for the service. A second season was by no means presupposed to exist within the first place, however with how profitable it was, there was no selection, it appeared.

Nevertheless, as very early critiques roll in, these preliminary scores are under what they have been for season 1, at the very least thus far. Although it could find yourself being no shock a follow-up just isn’t going to fairly seize the viral magic of the unique. Right here’s the rating distinction proper now, although I’ll replace it over time as extra critiques are available:

• Squid Recreation Season 1 – 95% critic rating, 84% viewers rating
• Squid Recreation Season 2 – 86% critic rating, 64% viewers rating

So not dangerous by any means, however decrease than season 1. Among the damaging critiques critique that the collection has been reduce from 9 episodes to simply 7, a symptom of streaming tradition the place…it might probably take three years to make seven episodes of a brand new season of a present.

The primary query about Squid Recreation season 2 just isn’t critic scores, however somewhat viewership. Once more, Squid Recreation is the most-watched present in Netflix historical past by an honest margin. Right here’s the highest 10 listing for all-timer viewership:

1. Squid Recreation season – 2.2 billion hours seen, 265.2 million views
2. Stranger Issues season 4 – 1.83 billion hours seen, 140.7 million views
3. Wednesday season 1 – 1.72 billion hours seen, 252.1 million views
4. Dahmer – 1.03 billion hours seen, 115.6 million views
5. Bridgerton season 1 – 929.3 million hours seen, 113.3 million views
6. Bridgerton season 3 – 846.5 million hours seen, 106 million views
7. The Evening Agent season 1 – 803.2 million hours seen, 98 million views
8. The Queen’s Gambit – 746.4 million hours seen, 112.8 million views
9. Cash Heist: Half 4 – 710.2 million hours seen, 106 million views
10. Idiot Me As soon as – 629 million hours seen, 98.2 million views

So, you’ll be able to see right here that typically, later seasons of exhibits have large jumps in viewership like Stranger Issues. Others, like Bridgerton, peak at season 1, even when different seasons additionally do effectively. What’s going to Squid Recreation do? My guess is that it can’t attain these heights as the unique was such a viral sensation I simply don’t suppose it’s going to be doable to repeat that. It feels much less crucial than getting by the complete arc of Stranger Issues, however somewhat like one thing Netflix had to make no matter whether or not it was what folks have been really have been dying to see, no pun meant.

That stated, it’ll do effectively, after all. It could even be a positive factor for the highest 10 or high 5 listing, simply primarily based on the unique alone. However #1 or #2? I very a lot doubt that.

Observe me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram.

Decide up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller collection and The Earthborn Trilogy.