Every Time The Front Man Was Actually Nice In Squid Game

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Instead of experiencing a familiar sense of repetition, some viewers find the twist in “Squid Game” Season 2’s Front Man to be unexpectedly refreshing. Unlike the gradual unveiling of Oh Il-nam (O Yeong-su) as Player 001 in Season 1, the new Player 001, Hwang In-ho (Lee Byung-hun), has been more overtly presented from the start. This season allows viewers to closely observe his actions, revealing that he feigns concern for the games and his teammates while secretly working against their success. Unlike Season 1, where the audience only gains this knowledge on a rewatch, Season 2 offers an immediate perspective on Oh Young-il’s character, allowing us to follow his manipulations more closely as the story unfolds.

Despite some appearances suggesting otherwise, In-ho isn’t purely inhumane. Although there are instances where he appears to merely act as a good teammate and friend, it’s evident that he occasionally lets his guard down, showing signs of genuine care for others. This occurs predominantly in Season 2, with one significant instance also noted in Season 1. Whether these occasional displays of kindness indicate a change for In-ho or are merely rare exceptions from an otherwise cold and ruthless individual is yet to be determined.

He gave his milk to the pregnant Jun-hee

In the finer points of “Squid Game” Season 2, some viewers may have overlooked a subtle detail: In-ho sharing his milk with Kim Jun-hee (Jo Yu-ri). This act has sparked a popular fan theory suggesting that In-ho could be Oh Il-nam’s son. Back in Season 1, Il-nam hinted that his son couldn’t drink milk, and when In-ho mentions the same thing, viewers interpret this as a clue to their familial connection. However, there’s another aspect of their interaction that deserves attention during that moment.

Instead of consuming his milk himself, In-ho chose to offer it to anyone or discard it. However, his decision to give it specifically to Jun-hee, a woman already known to be pregnant, suggests a deeper emotion. It appears that In-ho felt compassion for her and wanted to ensure she was properly nourished for both herself and the baby. Although one could argue that this is simply In-ho playing his part and attempting to gain the team’s trust, it seems more likely that The Front Man genuinely showed concern for Jun-hee in that particular moment.

He stopped Lee Myung-gi from getting beat up

In this drama, Choi Su-bong, also known as Thanos, harbors resentment against Lee Myung-gi (Im Si-wan) because of his bad advice on crypto investments that led to significant financial losses for Thanos. Throughout the story, Thanos and his associate, Nam-gyu (Roh Jae-won), persistently harass and threaten Myung-gi, demanding he wins the competition to repay their lost funds. However, Myung-ki eventually highlights a major flaw in their plan, but this detail seems irrelevant to the ongoing conflict.

One day during lunchtime, Myung-gi was physically attacked by Thanos and Nam-gyu. In-ho stepped in to try to calm the situation down, but when Thanos spoke disrespectfully to him, In-ho reacted angrily and quickly defeated both Thanos and his companion, coming close to killing Thanos in the process.

The primary intention of the scene is to show that In-ho harbors a volatile temper and carries a sinister side, which is exposed to the other characters for the first time – an example of his aggressive tendencies. However, it’s also important to note that In-ho was intervening to prevent Myung-gi from being unfairly attacked. He had the opportunity to allow the conflict to escalate, potentially leading to a fatal outcome – something he could have easily done, reducing the number of players to manage.

He deliberately avoided taking a kill shot on his brother

One particularly chilling moment in “Squid Game” thus far involves In-ho, upon removing his mask for his brother Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon) to see, firing a shot that sends his sibling over a precipice and into the watery depths below during Season 1. Viewers were initially struck by In-ho’s ruthless demeanor in this instance, as well as his unwavering dedication to the games. However, it is essential to ponder some factors here.

In other words, the scene where In-ho shoots and pushes his brother off a cliff is undoubtedly one of the most hard-hitting moments in “Squid Game” so far, highlighting In-ho’s cold-blooded nature and unwavering commitment to the games. But it’s crucial to consider the circumstances surrounding this act.

Initially, we discover that Jun-ho managed to live through the incident, implying that In-ho didn’t really murder him. What stands out more, however, is as we delve deeper into In-ho’s character – his caution and proficiency with weapons – it becomes evident that he had the means to fatally shoot his brother on the cliffside. Instead, he chose to wound Jun-ho in a way that not only allowed him a chance to survive the encounter, but also caused him to fall into the water and out of sight of the guards. This strategy ensured that no one else witnessed Jun-ho’s survival, thereby sparing In-ho from having to carry out the remaining part of the job.

Although it was a significant dilemma to allow his brother to live, given that he would probably resume his destructive actions once recovered, and In-ho had the intention of finding him and shutting down the games, In-ho nonetheless found it unbearable to kill his own sibling. This is intriguing because he appears to have no qualms about taking the lives of others.

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2025-01-10 00:59