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Vance is the likely 2028 frontrunner, but these Republicans may also run for president

With former president and now President-elect Trump term-limited and constitutionally unable to run again for the White House in 2028, Vice President-elect JD Vance is on a glide path to be the heir apparent to the America First movement and the Republican Party's powerful MAGA base.

It was a point driven home by Donald Trump Jr., the former and future president's eldest son and powerful ally of the vice president-elect.

"We are getting four more years of Trump and then eight years of JD Vance!" Trump Jr. said on the campaign trail in Ohio a few weeks ahead of November's election.

Plenty of Republican politicians, strategists and pundits agree that Vance, who was elected to the Senate in Ohio just two years ago, will likely be the clear frontrunner in the next Republican presidential nomination race.

HERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS WHO MAY RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2028

"The vice president will be in the catbird seat. No question about it," longtime Republican consultant Dave Carney told Fox News Digital. 

Carney, a veteran of numerous Republican presidential campaigns over the past four decades, said Vance "is the guy to beat."

David Kochel, another longtime GOP strategist with plenty of presidential campaign experience, told Fox News that Vance is the frontrunner due to "the size and the scope of last week's victory and the implied passing of the torch from Donald Trump."

"There will be no shortage of people looking at it. But most people looking at it are seeing the relative strength of the Trump victory and the movement," Kochel said.

And with Trump's support in a party firmly in the president-elect's grip, the 40-year-old Vance will be extremely hard to knock off. 

However, Kochel noted that "nobody will completely defer to JD Vance. There will be a contest. There always is."

Carney added that "there may be other people who challenge him [Vance]… there’s a lot of people who want to be president, but it will be a very hard lane other than the Trump lane."

He added that a possible rough four years for the Trump/Vance administration would give potential Vance challengers "opportunities."

However, he praised the vice president-elect's messaging and accessibility on the campaign trail and that "he is the guy to beat, regardless of whether it’s a good four years or a rough four years."

Carney also touted that the Republican Party has a "deep bench." 

Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley, a top Trump ally, said in a recent Fox News Digital interview that he's "very excited about the bench that we have in the Republican Party right now."

Pointing to Trump's remaking of the GOP, Whatley added that "as we go into 2028, we are in a great position to be able to continue the momentum of this agenda and this movement."

But he also emphasized that regardless of Vance's likely frontrunner status as 2028 nears, the RNC will hold to its traditional role of staying neutral in an open and contested presidential primary.

Here's a look at some of those on the bench that may have national aspirations and ambitions in 2028, or beyond.

The conservative governor of Florida was flying high after a landslide re-election in 2022, but an unsuccessful 2024 presidential primary run and a bruising battle with Trump knocked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis down in stature.

However, the term-limited 46-year-old governor, who has two years left in office steering Florida, proved over the past few years his fundraising prowess and retains plenty of supporters across the country.

DeSantis was also able, to a degree, to repair relations with Trump, helped raise money for the GOP ticket during the general election, and earned a prime time speaking slot at July's convention.

It's likely that DeSantis, who sources say Trump has considered as a plan B for Defense secretary if his nominee Pete Hegseth runs into trouble, has his eyes on another White House run.

The popular conservative governor is one of the few in the GOP who can claim he faced Trump's wrath and not only survived, but thrived.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who is term-limited, has two years left in office and enjoys strong favorable ratings in a crucial battleground state.

Expect to see the 61-year-old Kemp on the campaign trail across the country for fellow Republicans in 2026, as his national profile expands.

With his 2021 gubernatorial victory – the first by a Republican in Virginia in a dozen years – Gov. Glenn Youngkin instantly became a GOP rising star.

In Virginia, governors are limited to one four-year term, which means Youngkin has one year left in office. 

The 58-year-old governor, who hails from the Republican Party's business wing but has been able to thrive in a MAGA-dominated party, likely harbors national ambitions. 

A first step could be a Cabinet post in the second Trump administration after his term as governor ends.

Sen. Ted Cruz was the runner-up to Trump in the blockbuster 2016 Republican presidential battle.

The controversial conservative firebrand passed on challenging Trump again in 2024, as he ran for what was thought to be another difficult re-election bid, after narrowly surviving his 2018 re-election.

However, the 53-year-old senator ended up winning a third six-year term in the Senate by nearly nine points.

The Army veteran, who served in combat in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars before becoming a rising star in Republican Party politics, was considered to be on the larger list of potential Trump running mates.

The now-47-year-old Sen. Tom Cotton seriously mulled a 2024 White House run of his own before deciding against it in late 2022, putting his young family ahead of political ambitions. However, he did not rule out a future presidential bid.

Cotton is currently bidding for the GOP conference chair, the number three leadership position in the incoming Senate Republican majority.

The 44-year-old Sen. Josh Hawley, along with Cotton, is another rising conservative star in the Senate. 

Hawley is also a strong defender of Trump's America First agenda and is thought to have national aspirations.

The former two-term South Carolina governor, who served as U.N. ambassador in Trump's first term, was the first GOP challenger to jump into the race against the former president in the 2024 nomination race. 

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley outlasted the rest of the field, becoming the final challenger to Trump before ending her White House bid in March.

While the 52-year-old Haley ended up backing Trump in the general election, her earlier clashes with the now president-elect during the primaries left their mark. Even though she addressed the GOP faithful at the convention, her political future in a party dominated by Trump is uncertain.

The first-term conservative governor of Arkansas is a well-known figure in MAGA world, thanks to her tenure as Trump's longest-serving White House press secretary during his first administration.

The 42-year-old Sanders, the daughter of former Arkansas governor and former two-time presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, has also grabbed national attention for delivering the GOP's response to President Biden's 2023 State of the Union address.

The multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur, anti-woke crusader and first-time candidate was one of the biggest surprises during the GOP presidential nomination race.

The now 39-year-old Vivek Ramaswamy, who touted during his campaign that he and Trump were the only two "America First candidates" in the large field of contenders, eventually dropped out of the race and became a major backer and surrogate for the former president.

He's now teaming up with billionaire Trump supporter and pal Elon Musk to steer DOGE, the new presidential advisory commission that will look to make massive cuts in the federal budget.

Others to keep your eyes on include Sen. Marco Rubio, who ran for the 2016 nomination and was nominated to serve as secretary of state in the second Trump administration; Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who ran unsuccessfully for the 2024 nomination but remains very popular; and Sen. Rick Scott of Florida and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who both mulled but decided against presidential runs this past cycle.

Also, not to be ignored – top Trump supporters Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida and Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, whom Trump picked to serve as U.S. ambassador to the U.N., and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who was named to head the Department of Homeland Security

Then there is Donald Trump Jr., the president-elect's eldest son and MAGA warrior. However, the younger Trump is very close to Vance, which would likely prevent him from making any White House bid in the next cycle.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Oregon AG creates sanctuary ‘toolkit’ ahead of likely Trump-Homan illegal immigration crackdown

Oregon’s top law enforcement officer rolled out what she called bilingual "Sanctuary Promise Community Toolkit" to help residents refresh their knowledge of the Beaver State’s relevant laws.

"Every person has the right to live, work, play, and learn safely in Oregon, period," Oregon Democratic Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said in a statement announcing the toolkit.

In 1987, Oregon lawmakers passed then-Rep. Rocky Barilla’s HB 2314 in response to several raids by INS – the U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Service, which transformed into USCIS, DHS and ICE in 2003.

The law is largely considered the first "sanctuary state" policy in the country.

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Rosenblum explicitly acknowledged Oregon’s place in that regard, noting the law prohibits state and local law enforcement resources from being used to apprehend suspects charged solely with being present in the U.S. without papers.

A press release from the attorney general’s office noted Barilla’s bill passed "nearly unanimously" in 1987 but that by 2024, sanctuary laws have become an "intensely partisan issue."

"I asked my Civil Rights Unit here at the Oregon DOJ to do whatever we could to provide the people, businesses, and local governments of our state with easy-to-read materials to help them know their rights and educate others, and I’m so pleased with what they’ve put together," Rosenblum said in her statement.

In the toolkit, documents relating to the 1987 law’s passage are available for easy public consumption, along with a "conversation" with figures involved in getting the law passed.

The toolkit includes several FAQs, including "how do I prepare myself and my family for encounters with ICE or other federal immigration authorities?" – "Is there a place I can call to report ICE or other federal immigration authorities active right now in my community?" and "After an encounter with ICE or other federal immigration authorities, what information should I write down?"

Oregon also hosts a statewide "hotline" to report sanctuary law violations.

There are also links to press coverage, as well as a separate "law enforcement bias response" toolkit.

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Rosenblum said she also recommends Oregonians discuss the issue with family in the next few weeks to "know your rights… and make a plan for what to do if immigration officials come to your home or place of business."

"Knowing your rights in advance is essential," she said.

President-elect Trump tapped former ICE Director Thomas Homan as his "border czar" – succeeding Vice President Kamala Harris.

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Homan has pledged a no-holds-barred crackdown on immigration law violators and illegal immigrants.

Fox News Digital also reached out to Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek for comment.

Newcleo's Elisabeth Rizzotti tells BI about the startup's aim to become Europe's leading nuclear juggernaut and IPO

Elisabeth Rizzotti, cofounder and COO of Newcleo.
Elisabeth Rizzotti, the cofounder and chief operating officer of Newcleo.

Newcleo

  • Paris-headquartered Newcleo is developing small modular reactors powered by radioactive waste.
  • The startup, Europe's only nuclear unicorn, is riding a wave of Big Tech interest in nuclear energy.
  • Elisabeth Rizzotti, its COO, said the startup will go public after hitting two key milestones.

A three-year-old startup is banking on molten lead and radioactive waste to fuel a nuclear energy renaissance driven by the tech world's demand for abundant and clean power.

Paris-headquartered Newcleo is building small modular reactors, a type of scaled-down nuclear fission reactor assembled in a factory that can be deployed locally at operating plants. It is aiming to capitalize on the frenzy to power energy-intensive AI data centers.

The startup's unique selling point is that its SMRs use molten lead instead of water as a coolant to transfer heat from the reactor core to a power-generating system.

Notably, the startup's SMRs use spent plutonium and uranium radioactive waste as fuel by separating these two elements from the unwanted fission products.

"We're using and reducing what is considered to be a liability and a strong concern for all the governments who have so many deposits of nuclear waste," Elisabeth Rizzotti, the cofounder and chief operating officer of Newcleo, told Business Insider in an interview. "So we also promised to reduce them. And this is a story that really excites people."

Big Tech's push into nuclear has galvanized the startup's efforts. Tech giants such as Google and Amazon have been pivoting to nuclear energy sources to power data centers, which in turn power AI applications. In September, Microsoft announced a deal to help restart Three Mile Island, a nuclear plant infamous for housing one of the most significant nuclear accidents in US history.

Localized nuclear power

Newcleo is one of a handful of companies developing SMRs. Competitors include NuScale, X-Energy, and Rolls-Royce. One appeal of SMRs is that they can be readily transported to industrial sites.

"One of our most relevant business models is supporting the industrial sector, in providing them energy locally," Rizzotti said. "The small models are easily transportable because they're flexible, and you can build them in the factory, so it's very feasible — so there is strong interest from the AI sector, but also wider commercial partners."

She told BI that Newcleo has been approached by other industrial sectors, such as ceramic metal producers, in addition to those in the AI ecosystem.

Securing industrial partnerships is key to Newcleo's growth strategy and fundraising efforts. The startup aims to develop its first prototype by 2026 and operate its first reactor by 2031. Right now, Newcleo is lossmaking, but earlier this year, it hit around $55 million in revenue through its three subsidiaries.

Newcleo render
A rendered image of Newcleo's reactor design.

Newcleo

Growth ambitions

In September, Newcleo moved its headquarters from the UK to Paris, which Rizzotti said was to be closer to the French government and support its licensing applications. The move helped Newcleo get selected to be part of the European Industrial Alliance on Small Modular Reactors, an initiative to accelerate the deployment of SMRs.

Despite public and private sector interest, nuclear energy is still seen by some as a risky enterprise due to safety concerns and the hefty upfront cost of building power plants.

Rizzotti acknowledged that Newcleo's investors had a "high risk appetite" — but says Newcleo's place in the circular economy makes it an attractive investment option.

In March 2023, Newcleo announced a bold ambition to raise €1 billion, about $1.04 billion. It's now over halfway to meeting that target, having raised over $560 million in funding from the likes of Pi Campus, Tosto Group, and Viaro Energy since its launch in 2021.

Its future capital-raising strategy will also partially depend on public funds. "At a European level, energy independence is something that we need to consider," Rizzotti said. "It is very important to have a partnership between the public and private, because public investment will reassure private investors."

The startup also sees an IPO as a viable exit option in the future. "Sooner or later, we will start the project of an IPO, so the perspective of being public allows people and investors to have shares of a company that is recognized in the market," Rizzotti told BI. "It is a tangible asset."

While Rizzotti did not have a set timeline for the company going public, she added that it would likely be after the startup achieved a second key milestone after its first prototype in 2026: pre-authorization to build its first reactor in France by early 2027.

"Once we obtain these two milestones, in our opinion, we could be ready to go public," she told BI. "Otherwise, we will continue to raise money through more natural channels like private equity or venture capital."

Read the original article on Business Insider

A complete guide to every major character in 'Squid Game' season 2, and who plays them

lee jung-jae in squid game season two, standing in a brightly lit hall with a man in a squid game pink guard uniform and a square imprinted helmet in front of him
Lee Jung-jae will return to star in "Squid Game" season two.

Netflix

  • "Squid Game" is finally back, three years after its first season.
  • Season two features some familiar faces, but also plenty of new characters.
  • Here's a guide to the major characters in season two, and who plays them.

After a three year-long wait, "Squid Game" is finally back.

The Korean-language Netflix series takes place mostly within the confines of a killing game, in which the economically disadvantaged play children's games for money. To participate, they wager their lives.

The show is one of Netflix's biggest hits, prompting the streamer to invest not only in a second and third season from creator Hwang Dong-hyuk, but also in in-person experiences, a reality series, and a video game.

"Squid Game" season two stars Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun, the winner of the games on season one. Unfortunately, the nature of the show means that most characters from season one like Sae-byeok (Jung Ho-yeon) and Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo) aren't back in season two. While there are a few familiar faces, the majority of the cast are new.

Here's a guide to the major characters in "Squid Game" season two, and who plays them.

Warning: This post contains light spoilers for "Squid Game" season two.

Seong Gi-hun
A still of a man in a green jumpsuit looking away from the camera with the sky in the background.
Lee Jung-jae returns to play Seong Gi-hun in "Squid Game" season two.

No Ju-han/Netflix

Gi-hun is a veteran player of the games, and returns as player 456. In the three years since he emerged as the sole survivor of his cycle, he's used his fortune to search for the man who recruited him so he can find a way to shut the games down.

Seong Gi-hun is played by Lee Jung-jae.

Hwang In-ho / The Front Man
A still of "Squid Game" season two showing Lee Byung-hun in a black outfit sitting on a couch.
Lee Byung-hun plays Hwang In-ho, who is in charge of the games.

No Ju-han / Netflix

Toward the end of season one, Jun-ho discovered that his other brother, In-ho, was the Front Man in charge of the games. Initially, Jun-ho believed that In-ho may have been a player.

Lee Byung-hun plays In-ho.

The Recruiter
A still from "Squid Game" season one showing a Korean man in a suit and a Korean man wearing a cap and casual clothing
The Recruiter (Gong Yoo) first approaches Gi-hun in season one.

Netflix

The recruiter is a tall, handsome man who recruits people into the games by challenging them to a game of ddakji.

Gong Yoo plays the recruiter.

Kang No-eul
park gyu-young as kang no-eul in squid game. she's a young woman sitting near by a fire outside a car, wearing black jeans, a black jacket, and holding an invite card. she has a phone held up to her face
Park Gyu-young as Kang No-eul in season two of "Squid Game."

No Ju-han/Netflix

No-eul is a young woman working at a theme park. Originally from North Korea, she hopes to locate her child and bring her to South Korea. Later, she's recruited into the games — not as a player, but as a soldier.

No-eul is played by Park Gyu-young.

Park Jung-bae
lee seo-hwan as jung-bae in squid game. he's a middle aged man with short hair and wavy bangs, wearing the game's green track suit with a circle badge on his chest. he's scratching his head
Lee Seo-hwan as Jung-bae in season two of "Squid Game."

No Ju-han/Netflix

Jung-bae (Player 390) is Gi-hun's friend from outside the game — the same one with whom he gambled on horse races in the season one premiere. Unfortunately, this time they meeting inside the game.

Park Jung-bae is played by Lee Seo-hwan.

Hwang Jun-ho
A still of "Squid Game" season two showing Korean men with guns in the forest.
Wi Ha-jun plays former detective Hwang Jun-ho.

No Ju-han / Netflix

Jun-ho is the detective who followed Gi-hun to the games in season one, infiltrating them by posing as a guard. He's the younger brother of Hwang In-ho, the Front Man. In-ho shot Jun-ho toward the end of season one, but he survived — and at the beginning of season two, he's working as a traffic cop.

Wi Ha-jun plays Hwang Jun-ho.

Mr. Kim
woo-seok and mr. kim in squid game season two. woo-seok is wearing a red shirt with a gold chain, and mr. kim is in a patterned shirt. they're sitting on a bench at jonggak subway station
Kim Pub-lae as Mr. Kim in "Squid Game" season two.

No Ju-han/Netflix

Mr. Kim, referred to as Kim Dae-pyo in the credits, is Gi-hun's former creditor. After winning the game, Gi-hun paid him back, and retained his services to help him find the recruiter.

Mr. Kim is played by Kim Pub-lae.

Woo-seok
woo-seok and mr. kim in squid game season two. woo-seok is wearing a red shirt with a gold chain, and mr. kim is in a patterned shirt. they're sitting on a bench at jonggak subway station
Jeon Seok-ho as Woo-seok in "Squid Game" season two.

No Ju-han/Netflix

Woo-seok is close to Mr. Kim. Now, both Mr. Kim and Woo-seok work for Gi-hun as part of his search for the recruiter.

Woo-seok is played by Jeon Seok-ho.

Dae-ho
A still of "Squid Game" season two showing Kang Ha-neul wearing a t-shirt and saluting another man in a t-shirt
Dae-ho (Kang Ha-neul) bonds with Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan) because they both are marines.

No Ju-han / Netflix

Dae-ho (Player 388) is a young man who Gi-hun and Jung-bae befriend in the game. Like Jung-bae, he's also an ex-Marine.

Dae-ho is played by Kang Ha-neul.

Lee Myung-gi
A still from "Squid Game" season two showing a Yim Si-wan in a green tracksuit which has a tag that says 333 and another tag with a circle on it.
Yim Si-wan plays Lee Myung-gi, a crypto influencer.

No Ju-han / Netflix

Myung-gi (Player 333) previously worked as a cryptocurrency influencer. However, a poor recommendation led to him, and other players, losing a significant amount of money.

Myung-gi is played by Yim Si-wan.

Kim Jun-hee
A still from "Squid Game" season two showing Jo Yu-ri in a green tracksuit.
Jo Yu-ri plays Kim Jun-hee in "Squid Game" season two.

No Ju-han / Netflix

Jun-hee (Player 222) is a young woman who entered the games to repay her debt, as a result of losing money on Myung-gi's recommendation. He's also her ex-boyfriend.

Jun-hee is played by Jo Yu-ri, who is a singer and former member of the K-pop group IZ*ONE.

Thanos
TOP in squid game as thanos. he's a man with purple hair, ear piercings, and blood spattered on his face. he's smiling with his arms outstretched
Choi Seung-hyun as Thanos in "Squid Game" season two.

Netflix/YouTube

Thanos (Player 230) is a rapper who lost money after bying cryptocurrency on Myung-gi's recommendation. In the game, some people recognize him as a celebrity.

Thanos is played by Choi Seung-hyun, a musician also known by his stage name T.O.P.

Nam-gyu
roh jae-won as nam-gyu in squid game. he's a young man with chin-length hair, wearing a green track suit and peering over the top of a bathroom stall
Roh Jae-won as Nam-gyu in season two of "Squid Game."

No Ju-han/Netflix

Nam-gyu (Player 124) is one of Thanos' groupies in the games. Previously, he worked at a nightclub, where he first met Thanos.

He's played by Roh Jae-won.

Min-su
lee david as min-su in squid game. hes a young man with a plain appearance, wearing a green track suit and sitting forlornly on a bed
Lee David as Min-su in season two of "Squid Game."

No Ju-han/Netflix

Min-su (Player 125) is one of the younger players in the game, and aligns with Thanos. He also befriends Se-mi, a cool young woman.

Min-su is played by Lee David, who described the character in a cast featurette as an "ordinary guy" who is "super timid."

Se-mi
won ji-an as se-mi in squid game. she's a young woman with short hair, a nose ring, and chker necklace, wearing a green tracksuit and surrounded by other players
Won Ji-an as Se-mi in season two of "Squid Game."

No Ju-han/Netflix

Se-mi (Player 380) is a young woman who befriends Min-su in the games.

Se-mi is played by Won Ji-an, who described the character as "bold and determined."

Park Yong-sik
A still from "Squid Game" season two showing Yang Dong-geun among a group of people in green tracksuits.
Yang Dong-geun plays Park Yon-sik in "Squid Game" season two.

No Ju-han / Netflix

Yong-sik (Player 007) is a young man who joined the game to pay off his debt. Unfortunately, he also encounters his mother there.

Yong-sik is played by Yang Dong-geun.

Jang Geum-ja
A still from "Squid Game" season two showing Kang Ae-sim amid a group of people in green tracksuits.
Kang Ae-sim plays Jang Geum-ja, Yon-sik's mother.

No Ju-han / Netflix

Geum-ja (Player 149) is Yong-sik's mother. She joined the game to help her son pay off his debt.

Geum-ja is played by Kang Ae-sim.

Hyun-ju
This is a still from "Squid Game" showing a group of people in green tracksuits looking up while on bunk beds.
Park Sung-hoon plays Hyun-ju in "Squid Game" season two.

No Ju-han / Netflix

Hyun-ju (Player 120) initially faces discrimination in the games because she is a trans woman. She's a former special forces soldier.

Hyun-ju is played by Park Sung-hoon.

Young-mi
young-mi in squid game. she's a young woman with hair slightly past her ch8in and bangs. she's illuminated in blue and pink light, and there's a tear rolling down her cheek
Kim Si-eun as Young-mi in season two of "Squid Game."

No Ju-han/Netflix

Young-mi (Player 095) befriends Hyun-ju in the games, and refers to her as unnie — a term that younger women use to refer to older women they are close to.

Young-mi is played by Kim Si-eun.

Seon-nyeo
seon-nyeo in squid game. she's a middle aged woman sitting on the top bunk of a sack of beds, looking pensively up toward the ceiling. she wears black eyeliner around her eyes, and has her pulled back
Chae Kook-hee as Seon-nyeo in season two of "Squid Game."

No Ju-han/Netflix

Seon-nyeo (Player 044) is a shaman who often behaves melodramatically and unpredictably in the games.

Seon-neyo is played by Chae Kook-hee.

Gyeong-seok
lee jin-uk as park gyeong-seok in squid game. hes a middle aged man with a shadow of facial hair, straight hair and wearing a green tracksuit
Lee Jin-uk as Park Gyeong-seok in season two of "Squid Game."

No Ju-han/Netflix

Gyeong-seok's (Player 256) daughter Na-yeon has cancer, and he joins the games to fund her expensive treatment.

Gyeong-seok is played by Lee Jin-uk.

Read the original article on Business Insider

There are 2 twists in the 'Squid Game' season 2 finale. Here's what the ending means for season 3.

A still of a man in a green jumpsuit looking away from the camera with the sky in the background.
Lee Jung-jae returns to the death game in "Squid Game" season two.

JuHan Noh / Netflix

  • "Squid Game" season two has two major twists that reframe the story's direction.
  • Season three will arrive in 2025, so there won't be as long a wait between seasons.
  • Here's what happened in the explosive finale and how it will impact season three.

Warning: major spoilers ahead for "Squid Game" season two.

"Squid Game" season one ended with hope, but the second concluded with death and misery after an electrifying finale.

The global sensation returned for a second season after the first became Netflix's biggest surprise success.

Season two returns to the gritty world where a secret organization runs a gameshow where contestants can win a fortune playing a series of children's games.

If they lose, they are killed, and the prize pot increases with each death.

In season one, Seong Gi-hun is the only survivor of the games, wracked by guilt and grief after watching his friends die one by one for him to win. He decides to take down the organization, but the plan goes awry in season two, landing him back in the competition.

This time, the game makers add a new feature where contestants can vote to leave after every game. But most are so desperate for the prize money that they continue.

Gi-hun leads a revolution that is foiled by a saboteur.

A still of "Squid Game" season two showing Lee Byung-hun in a black outfit sitting on a couch.
Hwang In-ho (Lee Byung-hun), the leader of the games, infiltrates Gi-hun's new friend group and outwits them.

No Ju-han / Netflix

In season two, Gi-hun forms a new crew, including Player 001 — Hwang In-ho, the leader of the games who enters in disguise.

They work together to survive the games and eventually agree that they must end before everyone dies. But other players still want to continue, leading to a tied vote in episode six.

In the finale, the players who want the game to keep going attack and kill other players so they will have the majority in the next vote.

Gi-hun and his allies hide during this massacre, and when the guards come to break it up, the group attacks the guards, steals their weapons, and starts a rebellion.

The rebellion fails, though, due to In-ho's betrayal.

Since his reveal in episode three as a player, it's been clear that In-ho has infiltrated the games to sabotage Gi-hun's plan to stop them. But he doesn't play saboteur fully until the rebellion.

Gi-hun and Park Jung-bae (Player 390), Gi-hun's friend from outside the games, head to the command center, but In-ho stops the rest of the group from following, keeping them divided and easier to defeat.

He splits the group further, sending two on a mission to get ammo, from which neither returns.

He takes two more players to help Gi-hun, but shoots them both in the back. He then sends a radio message pretending to die himself.

The guards overwhelm and kill the remaining rebels, apart from Gi-hun, Jung-bae, and the two players who returned for ammo.

In-ho switches outfits to the signature mask and a black jacket of the games leader and confronts the now-captured Gi-hun and Jung-bae. They don't realize that In-ho has betrayed them because he has changed his voice and appearance.

In-ho then shoots and kills Jung-Bae right in front of Gi-hun.

It's a tragic ending to the season, putting Gi-hun in a difficult position. He is now captured, his rebellion has been crushed, and he has caused the death of his close friend.

This leaves Gi-hun with two possible paths for season three: give up on his plan to destroy the games or be fueled by his loss and rebound with an even better plan. It's likely Gi-hun will also learn that In-ho is the leader of the games in season three.

A second group of characters is also betrayed

A still of "Squid Game" season two showing Korean men with guns in the forest.
Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun), In-ho's brother, tries to find the games to save Gi-hun in season two.

No Ju-han / Netflix

Outside the games, Gi-hun recruited a group of people to help him stop the games, including Hwang Jun-ho, In-ho's brother, and Woo-seok, a member of the criminal underworld.

They plant a tracker on Gi-hun, but when that plan fails, they search multiple islands nearby to find the game center. They use a boat run by Captain Park, a fisherman who saved Jun-ho after his brother shot him to protect the games in season one.

In the finale, Captain Park is revealed to be another saboteur working for the organization that runs the games. He kills one of the crewmembers working with Jun-ho and sabotages the team's drone.

The rest of the crew does not know yet, leaving another exciting mystery to be uncovered in season three. Will Gi-hun's allies find out Captain Park's identity and find the game island before he kills them all one by one?

Season three debuts in 2025, so hopefully, fans will soon find out what happens next.

Read the original article on Business Insider

'Squid Game' season 2 follows its explosive ending with an unusual post-credit scene

A still from "Squid Game" season two showing Lee Jung-jae in a green jumpsuit looking at something off-screen in front of a group of people blurred out in similar green jumpsuits.
Lee Jung-jae rebels against the games in "Squid Game" season two.

No Ju-han / Netflix

  • "Squid Game" season two has an emotional finale followed by a scene interrupting the credits.
  • It is the first time the series has tried something like that.
  • Here's what it teases for the third season.

Warning: major spoilers ahead for "Squid Game" season two.

The highly anticipated second season of "Squid Game" is out, and it ends with a chaotic and tragic finale.

Season one was a surprise hit for Netflix when in 2021, becoming a global sensation through word-of-mouth and social media trends. Netflix hopes for the same success with the second season, which debuts in the middle of the holiday season.

In season one, a group of people struggling with debt signed up for a competition where they played children's games to win a fortune.

What they realize too late is that the losers of the games are killed, leaving only one survivor, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-Jae), Player 456.

At the end of season one, Gi-hun vows to stop the deadly competition, but his plan is foiled in season two, and he finds himself competing again.

Gi-hun leads a revolution against the guards in the final episode

A still from "Squid Game" season two showing Lee Jung-jae and Lee Seo-hwan in green tracksuits
Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun and Lee Seo-hwan as Park Jung-bae in "Squid Game" season two.

Dong-won Han / NohJu Han

He tries to unite the contestants against the game, but they mostly insist on playing, enticed by the prize money.

In the finale, this boils over into a massacre when the players who want to continue the games attack those who want to leave.

Gi-hun and his allies use that chaos to overwhelm the guards and start an uprising against the game makers. But the rebels are eventually cornered and defeated. Gi-hun survives, but his best friend, Park Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan), Player 390, is killed in front of him by the antagonist, Hwang In-ho (Lee Byung-hun), Player 001.

Gi-hun will likely seek revenge in season three, though his spirit may be broken by his failure and the loss of his close friend.

The post-credit scene teases one of the next games

Squid Game robot doll
The Young-hee in "Squid Game" season one.

Netflix

After Jung-bae's death, the credits for the director and cast appear on-screen.

Then, a small scene shows a group of players walking into a new game room. This room includes a train signal stand, a hanging doll resembling the Young-hee doll from "Red Light, Green Light," and a boy doll facing the first.

The boy doll is likely Cheol-su. In June 2022, Hwang Dong-hyuk said in a statement teasing season two that the show will introduce "Young-hee's boyfriend, Cheol-su."

Young-hee and Cheol-su are characters from old South Korean textbooks and are well-known as best friends.

Cheol-su is not assigned to a specific game, but the other signs in the scene may indicate that the game is somehow related to trains.

Read the original article on Business Insider

'Squid Game' season 2 is a torture chamber for its protagonist — but not for audiences

lee jung-jae as gi-hun in squid game. he's a middle aged man wearing the games green tracksuit, the jacket unzipped. he looks forlorn as other players walk by him, and the room is lit in pink
Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in season two of "Squid Game."

No Ju-han/Netflix

  • The first season of "Squid Game" was extraordinarily good TV, and season two is no exception.
  • In the three years since season one aired, "Squid Game" has also become a cultural sensation.
  • "Squid Game" season two follows similar patterns as the first — but it works to great effect.

Before "Squid Game" was a cultural phenomenon, it was an astoundingly great television show — and luckily, season two of the Korean-language drama reminds us exactly why.

The South Korean series about a death game for the economically downtrodden exploded after hitting Netflix in September 2021. Not only was it the most significant non-English hit in Netflix history, it quickly became one of Netflix's biggest shows ever.

That popularity spilled from the small screen to myriad even smaller screens, becoming an internet phenomenon whose biggest symbols — the pink-clad guards, green jumpsuits, and even star Lee Jung-jae's beaming face — became inescapable memes eventually divorced from their original meaning.

That's part of why the return to creator Hwang Dong-hyuk's blistering fever dream is so gripping. "Squid Game" season two brings the cultural phenomenon back to Earth and executes the nigh-impossible, continuing what could have been a complete story in a way that's just as cutting as its predecessor.

choi seung-hyun as thanos in squid game. he's a young man with purple hair, wearing a green track suit and pumping his arms in the air while whopping. there's a machine with two buttons on it behind him, and several pink-jumpsuit-clad guards
Choi Seung-hyun as Thanos in season two of "Squid Game."

No Ju-han/Netflix

Back to the game

In its first season, "Squid Game" struck viewers with sheer novelty: its sharp class satire, grounded in childlike aesthetics, was dissonant in a way that was both disturbing and wildly compelling. While there's no way to recreate that shock factor in season two, the series doesn't need to reinvent the wheel to be excellent. In fact, its iterative nature is a thematic strength.

Season two is functionally a torture cycle for Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), the victor of the games. Burdened with a 45.6 million fortune won through the deaths of his companions, Gi-hun puts it to use attempting to shut the games down. This time, he's the one with power, funding a citywide manhunt for the games' ddakji-playing recruiter (a once-again show-stealing Gong Yoo) and incentivizing his employees with a substantial reward. Unfortunately, Gi-hun's crusade puts him back where he started in the games, with his life on the line.

This time, however, he knows exactly who his enemy is: the Front Man, also known as Hwang Jun-ho's (Wi Ha-jun) elder brother, In-ho. This season, the gamesmaster has a much more involved role — one that actor Lee Byung-hun, finally unmasked, handles with grim, enthralling aplomb. He is equal parts Gi-hun's foil and torture master, slowly working to dismantle his still-idealistic worldview by repeatedly exposing him to the horror of human nature.

lee byung-hun as the front man in squid game. he's wearing an angular black face mask, and a black jacket with a hood that conceals his identity
The Front Man in season two of "Squid Game."

Netflix

That makes season two's repetition of familiar games, like "Red Light, Green Light," or character beats, like Gi-hun encountering an old friend in the games, incredibly effective. Even though he's been dealt the same cards — frankly, better ones, given that he's no longer bound by his debts — Gi-hun must struggle against human hubris and avarice.

There are, of course, new challenges. Season two introduces several new games that are just as superlatively designed as their predecessors. This cycle's new mechanic, a chest badge to indicate which players vote to leave or stay in the games, establishes a rote but still compelling division between the players.

New players make an impression

A still from "Squid Game" season two showing Kang Ae-sim amid a group of people in green tracksuits.
Kang Ae-sim as Geum-ja in season two of "Squid Game."

No Ju-han / Netflix

Wisely, Gi-hun takes a backseat for much of season two to make room for the show's captivating cast of new characters.

Choi Seung-hyun (a rapper known by the stage name T.O.P) is an easy standout and sure-to-be fan-favorite as Thanos, a braggadocious rapper burned by a failed crypto investment. Kang Ae-sim is easy to emotionally invest in as Geum-ja, a woman who joined the games to pay off her son's debts, only to discover he agreed to play as well. Former soldier Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon) is the most compelling of the bunch: a transgender woman, she faced discrimination after transitioning, leaving her in debt after she was fired from her job while pursuing gender-affirming surgeries.

Lee shows up once again to work this season, deftly handling the nuances of Gi-hun's plight and changed character. Most striking are the moments where he falls back into Gi-hun's childlike innocence from season one, most frequently due to the actions of his former gambling buddy Jung-bae, played by a painfully endearing Lee Seo-hwan. Still, Lee pulls off the determined, beleaguered savior well.

lee jung-jae and lee seo-hwan as gi-hun and jung-bae in season two of squid game. they're both middle aged men wearing green track suits, sitting together and looking at each other. gi-hun has a red x on his chest, while jung-bae has a blue circle
Lee Jung-jae and Lee Seo-hwan as Gi-hun and Jung-bae in season two of "Squid Game."

No Ju-han/Netflix

For the most part, Hwang (who still mostly wrote season two himself, this time with a few assistants) juggles the series' myriad character arcs and plot lines well, though some threads don't hold up as well as others. The weakest of the bunch is Jun-ho's quest outside the games to locate the island where they're held and also, presumably, Gi-hun and his brother. While his arc posing as a guard in season one provided valuable insight into the process of the games, this time, his search is mostly a distraction with little payoff in the confines of the season.

Ultimately, though, "Squid Game" manages to live up not only to its preceding season but the myth of the franchise itself. Success can bring crushing pressure, and with it, an impulse to iterate. In this case, though, the iteration works in service of the show's point: there is no escape: not for the game's players, and certainly not for Gi-hun.

"Squid Game" seasons one and two are now streaming on Netflix.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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