If you thought actual reality shows were bad, just be thankful we don't live in the same universe as those unfortunate characters in "Squid Game." The Netflix series famously put millions and millions of viewers in a chokehold during the height of the pandemic in 2021. It's been quite a long wait to see what happens next after season 1's shocking ending left fans with more questions than answers, not the least of which involved the identity of the mysterious figure running the morbid games in the first place and, more importantly, the uncertain fates of our surviving characters. Considering what a pop cultural phenomenon this South Korean survival/horror series turned into, it was only a matter of time before the streaming platform decided to return to the scene of the crime and recreate that success in a second season.

That time has finally arrived; "Squid Game" season 2 has now been made available to critics,...