section_path: Reception/Critical response
section_name: Critical response
paragraph_text: Critical response
  
  The publications noted that this season received more mixed responses from critics and viewers, with the BBC reporting that critical reaction ranged from "sensational" to "a letdown". On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of 93 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "While Squid Game ' s return can't help but lose the element of surprise, some absolutely diabolical challenges and a knotty moral outlook keep this sophomore season thrilling." On Metacritic, the second season has a weighted average score of 62 out of 100 based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
  
  Laura Martin from the BBC gave the season 4 stars out of 5 and said it rivalled the production quality of the first season. Annabel Nugent from The Independent also gave the season 4 stars out of 5 and said while it was not as shocking as the first season, it was still captivating in its violence. Rebecca Nicholson from The Guardian gave the season a less positive review due to issues she found with its plot development and pacing and rated it 3 stars out of 5. Kelly Lawler from USA Today gave the season 2 stars out of 4, calling the plot outlandish and the end unsatisfying.
  
  IGN writer Alex Zalben drew comparisons between Gi-hun and the people behind Squid Game, arguing that the way he commands the people he hires to find the Recruiter mirrors the controlling nature of the games. He also believed that Gi-hun's "seeming heroism" is self-centered, that it is done for redemption more than for the good of others. Gi-hun's development in season 2 was well-received by Gizmodo writers Germain Lussier and Cheryl Eddy, praising actor Lee Jung-jae for managing to capture his shift into a character with "darker intensity" who is struggling with survivor's guilt. The Hollywood Reporter writer Daniel Fienberg felt that, compared to his performance in season 1, where Lee acted with "live-wire dexterity" and being big in both his portrayal of Gi-hun's comedy and trauma, his "one-note haunted aspect" in season 2, while well performed, is less interesting than season 1.
  
  The publications noted that this season received more mixed responses from critics and viewers, with the BBC reporting that critical reaction ranged from "sensational" to "a letdown". On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of 93 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "While Squid Game ' s return can't help but lose the element of surprise, some absolutely diabolical challenges and a knotty moral outlook keep this sophomore season thrilling." On Metacritic, the second season has a weighted average score of 62 out of 100 based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
  
  Laura Martin from the BBC gave the season 4 stars out of 5 and said it rivalled the production quality of the first season. Annabel Nugent from The Independent also gave the season 4 stars out of 5 and said while it was not as shocking as the first season, it was still captivating in its violence. Rebecca Nicholson from The Guardian gave the season a less positive review due to issues she found with its plot development and pacing and rated it 3 stars out of 5. Kelly Lawler from USA Today gave the season 2 stars out of 4, calling the plot outlandish and the end unsatisfying.
  
  IGN writer Alex Zalben drew comparisons between Gi-hun and the people behind Squid Game, arguing that the way he commands the people he hires to find the Recruiter mirrors the controlling nature of the games. He also believed that Gi-hun's "seeming heroism" is self-centered, that it is done for redemption more than for the good of others. Gi-hun's development in season 2 was well-received by Gizmodo writers Germain Lussier and Cheryl Eddy, praising actor Lee Jung-jae for managing to capture his shift into a character with "darker intensity" who is struggling with survivor's guilt. The Hollywood Reporter writer Daniel Fienberg felt that, compared to his performance in season 1, where Lee acted with "live-wire dexterity" and being big in both his portrayal of Gi-hun's comedy and trauma, his "one-note haunted aspect" in season 2, while well performed, is less interesting than season 1.