The Jun-Ho Theory That Would Change Squid Game Forever
Contains spoilers for "Squid Game" Season 1
As anyone who's been on or even near the internet recently knows, "Squid Game" is not only one of the biggest breakout TV hits of 2021, but it's also on track to become Netflix's most-watched show of all time, according to the company's co-CEO Ted Sarandos (via Deadline). The show is popular enough that fans are still talking about it nearly a month after it premiered on September 17, and most likely will keep doing so for the foreseeable future.
Indeed, "Squid Game" has given fans plenty to talk about. A darkly funny series about the human cost of capitalism, the show is full of Easter eggs and metaphors that only become clear after multiple repeat viewings, and that includes the meanings of the symbols on the workers' masks. On top of that, the show is also a compelling mystery, posing many unanswered questions throughout its first season, though, some of these "questions" might just be plot holes.
One of the biggest questions involves Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-Joon), the police officer who suspects his brother In-ho (Lee Byung-hun) has become a contestant in the show's central, deadly games and sneaks onto the island to learn more. Once there, he discovers that his theory is only partly correct: In-ho was a contestant, but now he's the masked Front Man, the games' on-site administrator.
When Jun-ho discovers this at the end of "Squid Game" Episode 8, his brother shoots him and sends him plummeting off a cliff and into the sea below. However, if one fan theory is correct, that may not be the last we see of the renegade cop.
Don't count out Jun-ho just yet
Twitter user @squidgameburner's theory essentially boils down to this: Jun-ho will return in "Squid Game" Season 2 because the series never shows his dead body. The theory goes on to suggest that Jun-ho will most likely team up with Gi-hun (Lee Jung-Jae), who ended the show's first season by vowing to bring down the games and their organizers.
Movies and TV shows often "revive" characters who were thought to be dead, and there are several clues in Jun-ho's "death" scene that indicate he might still have some life left in him. For example, In-ho hesitates before pulling the trigger and only shoots his brother in the shoulder, which would most likely result in a non-fatal gunshot wound. Additionally, there's the fact that Jun-ho asks In-ho, "Why, brother?" right before he's shot, and doesn't get an answer. That's a literal unanswered question that could definitely be addressed in "Squid Game" Season 2.
The theory also matches up with what those involved with "Squid Game" have said about a possible second season. In specific, "Squid Game" creator and director Hwang Dong-hyuk recently hinted that "Squid Game" Season 2 could delve into the problems with Korean law enforcement and how the system enables the game's organizers. Obviously, that could make In-ho a major focus of Season 2, but it could just as easily mean that Jun-ho will make a comeback.
Right now, there are too many loose ends involving Jun-ho to assume fans won't see him again. However, it'll likely only be when we see "Squid Game" Season 2 that will we find out whether Jun-ho was really killed by his brother or not.