With the announcement that Squid Game will officially get a season 2, Netflix executives are now referring to a "Squid Game universe," which represents a pretty risky maneuver - at least creatively speaking. To be sure, Squid Game season 1 was an unparalleled success for the streaming service, easily snagging the title of most viewed Netflix original show of all time with 1.6 billion hours viewed. At the same time, the series might not be able to go the distance that Netflix seems to think it can.
Due to its enormous popularity and cliffhanger ending, Squid Game viewers have been theorizing about what the show could do in season 2 ever since season 1 dropped. This was in part supported by the fact that the series' creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, revealed that he was already mapping out future seasons in his head before Netflix ever gave the official green light. While some more outlandish theories, such as Sae-byeok being alive in Squid Game season 2, have been debunked for the better, others have actually been somewhat confirmed by Hwang, such as a "Darth Vader transformation" for the show's protagonist, Seong Gi-hun.
With a few good lingering questions left unanswered after Squid Game season 1, such as the Front Man's backstory (bolstered by some meaningful teases by the show's creator and stars), it looks like the officially confirmed season 2 will have decent material to work with. However, the implication that there will be a larger "Squid Game universe" filled with even more content is troubling. While the success of season 1 lies in the shock and novelty of the game itself, excessive spinoffs, prequels, and/or sequels run the very real risk of growing too repetitive and running the franchise into the ground.
Squid Game season 1 contains big twists that allude to events outside of its own storyline, such as the Front Man reveal, the old man twist, and Gi-hun's ending decision not to board the plane. While these moments add complexity and depth to the main story, they alone might not be able to sustain themselves as spinoff concepts within a "Squid Game universe." A prequel about the Front Man would mean rehashing the games again to show his rise to power, which would be decidedly unoriginal. A similar endeavor telling the old man's story might not have enough drama to keep viewers engaged. While Gi-hun's crusade against the games, which season 1's plane scene sets up, makes a good basis for season 2's plot, Squid Game will still need to find ways to make its next episodes fresh and surprising, rather than simply copying Hwang Jun-ho's one-man infiltration from season 1 - or jumping into a predictable season 2 villain arc for Gi-hun without proper development.
In short, while Squid Game is a very strong series and an unquestionable smash hit, most of this comes down to how well it tells a self-contained story over its original nine episodes. Hopefully, season 2 will be able to continue the series' success and its signature dark vibes while still striking out on its own original path. As far as the "Squid Game universe" goes, Netflix might be counting its chickens far too early.