Disappointed By Front Man's Squid Game Season 2 Twist? Watch This 15-Year-Old K-Drama For A Better Ending

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Squid Game season 2.Squid Game season 2 ends with a heartbreaking twist involving Front Man/Hwang In-ho, but for those who want a better ending, Lee Byung-hun's 15-year-old K-drama, Iris, is a good follow-up watch. After an extended hiatus, Netflix's groundbreaking Korean show returns for its much-anticipated sophomore year. The latest ensemble is largely composed of new faces, primarily because most of the players from its debut year ended up dying during the competition, Squid Game season 2 features some familiar faces. Aside from Lee Jung-jae's Seong Gi-hun, who re-enters the underground game, it also sees Lee reprise his role as Front Man.

Front Man's role in Squid Game season 1 was minor. He was mostly behind his mask, commanding the guards who facilitated the deadly competition. It wasn't until later in the run that he was unmasked, as he came face-to-face with his police officer brother, Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon), who successfully infiltrated the operations. In the sophomore year, however, In-ho has a much bigger role. Aside from learning more about his past, he, himself, enters the game. Squid Game season 2 ends, sadly, with equal parts infuriating and heartbreaking reveal about Lee's character.

Squid Game Season 2 Ends With Front Man's Betrayal

In-ho Shows His True Colors

Taking on the number 001, which he takes over from Oh Il-nam (O Yeong-su), the dying creator of the game and the biggest traitor in Squid Game season 1, Gi-hun should have already been suspicious of In-ho. That said, the unmasked Front Man does a great job selling himself as nothing but another player in the deadly games. He maintains a low profile throughout the duration of the game and wins the trust of the other competitors. He's so convincing in his conviction that it makes his betrayal so much more tragic.

The act also solidifies where In-ho's loyalty lies, which is a major disappointment, considering how satisfying it would have been to see him contribute to the downfall of the deadly competition.

As Gi-hun rallies his fellow players, they find themselves somehow winning against the guards. In-ho continues to stay with them until he's isolated. That's when he shows his true colors by attacking the contestants. After quickly resuming his persona as Front Man, his final villainous move in Squid Game season 2 is killing Park Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan), leaving Gi-hun broken. The act also solidifies where In-ho's loyalty lies, which is a major disappointment, considering how satisfying it would have been to see him contribute to the downfall of the deadly competition.

Iris Ends With Lee Byung-hun's Redemption That Squid Game Season 2 Couldn't Do

Lee Byung-hun's Character Redeems Himself In Iris

In an ideal setting, In-ho and Gi-hun would team up to end Squid Game once and for all. Perhaps entering the competition could remind Lee's character of how truly vile the people behind it are, and that he no longer wants to be a part of it. For a while, this was the running theory until In-ho killed Jung-bae. Unfortunately, creator Hwang Dong-hyuk had a different plan in mind. Squid Game season 2 may have failed to do it, but KBS' 2009 K-drama Iris delivers on the satisfying Lee Byung-hun character redemption.

In the action thriller, the actor played Kim Hyun-jun, a South Korean operative who was betrayed by his own intelligence agency. The experience hardened him, resulting in him rubbing elbows with unscrupulous people, both to survive and to seek revenge. At the end of Iris, however, Hyun-jun's true colors were revealed, as he redeemed himself, exposed the people who used him as a pawn, and won the trust of the South Korean government again. Iris also had a compelling love story that K-dramas are known for.

Can Front Man Still Be Redeemed In Squid Game?

Maybe Jun-ho Can Change His Brother's Mind

Closeup of Jun-ho in Squid Game season 2

Killing Jung-bae may be In-ho's worst crime, not because it's the most heinous, but because it personally guts Gi-hun. So far, it's clear that he remains disillusioned and will likely continue carrying out the role of Front Man moving forward. That being said, this doesn't mean that In-ho cannot be redeemed. It will all boil down to Gi-hun's response in Squid Game season 3. If 456 can show In-ho that there are still good people in the world, perhaps, it could be a turning point for his arc.

It's also worth noting that Jun-ho is still a factor in the story. Despite turning evil, In-ho shooting his brother in Squid Game season 1 in a non-fatal way was his attempt at saving him from the danger that he is at the center of. It's highly unlikely that the show will end without the pair reuniting, and perhaps then, Jun-ho can change his brother's mind. That said, redeeming In-ho shouldn't mean that he won't be held accountable for his crimes.