"Is he really alive?"- Fan theories on Gong Yoo’s Squid Game 2 character go viral over alleged onscreen editing goof-up

The release of Squid Game 2 on December 26, 2024, reignited global fascination with its plotlines and characters. Among the most discussed is the mysterious recruiter, portrayed by Gong Yoo, whose fate in the series becomes a hotbed for fan theories.

Gong Yoo recapitulated his role as the mysterious recruiter, aka the Salesman, a character instrumental in luring participants into the deadly games. His appearances in both seasons played a key role in connecting the ordinary world to the clandestine operations depicted in Squid Game.

In the opening episode of Squid Game 2, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) confronted the recruiter, leading to a high-stakes game of Russian roulette. The game unfolded with each taking turns pressing the revolver's trigger against their temple. Finding this "boring," he escalates the tension by loading four additional bullets, ostensibly increasing the odds to five in six.

As the chamber rotated with a single bullet, the odds of firing the fatal shot increased between the recruiter and Gi-hun. The recruiter's demeanor remained unsettlingly calm, contrasting with Gi-hun's palpable anxiety, who assumed that he could die any minute.

As the game reached its climax, the bullet aligned with the recruiter's turn. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger, resulting in a graphic and shocking self-inflicted gunshot to the head. Despite the apparent finality of the recruiter's demise at the end of the Russian roulette, eagle-eyed fans claimed they could see Gong Yoo open his eyes in the scene. The clip from episode 1 went viral online.

It is important to note that before the recruiter played Russian roulette with Gi-hun, he played the game with Gi-hun's two goons who were tailing the recruiter in episode 1. Astute viewers identified a chilling nuance in the scene: the recruiter used dummy bullets to manipulate the game's outcome.

In the first round, he loaded a single dummy bullet, identifiable by a dented primer, indicating a firing pin had already struck it. In the next round, he added three more dummy bullets and one live round, creating a genuine one-in-six chance of firing a fatal shot.

Hence, fans speculated that the recruiter could have done the same while playing with Gi-hun. Unbeknownst to Gi-hun, the recruiter (Gong Yoo) must have filled a dummy bullet in the gun while playing Russian Roulette at the end of episode 1.

Some viewers suggested that the recruiter may still be alive and would return in Squid Game 3. Others stated that Gong Yoo must have blinked accidentally in the scene, and the production team had failed to edit it from the final video.

These theories, fueled by alleged editing oversights, made internet buzz with speculations for Squid Game 3. One fan wrote:

"Is he really alive? was this in an episode? I haven't watched the series yet - is this a recording from the set?"

Discussions proliferated across social media platforms, with fans dissecting scenes frame by frame to uncover hidden clues. While some argued these were mere production errors, others believed they were deliberate misdirections planted by the creators to maintain suspense and intrigue.

"Now I need to know if this was intentional or not lmaoo why does he look like he was waking up from a nap or bad dream," one fan wrote.

"He was never alive after that gunshot, GongYoo probably trying to open his eyes during this convo cuz he thought the camera wont capture his eye’s angle," another fan said.

"They never showed us what happened with the body. I have questions," one other fan added.

Fans debated whether Gong Yoo's character's actions in the dramatic "death" scene were scripted, accidental, or hinting at a potential return.

"Is that on script or he accidentally open his eyes when he thought won't be visible in camera," one fan questioned.

"Im torn between knowing no one can survive that hit + knowing that Gong Yoo is too good of an actor to make this accidental," another fan shared.

"I've a sneaking suspicion that, in spite of the dramatic 'death' scene, The Recruiter will be back!" one other fan added.

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Squid Game 2: Release and overview

Squid Game 2 premiered on Netflix on December 26, 2024, with 7 episodes. It showcased Seong Gi-hun's (Lee Jung-jae) choosing not to board the flight and give up on his only chance to reunite with his daughter so that he could stay in Seoul and end the deadly games.

Haunted by his experiences, Gi-hun reentered the deadly competition, driven by a resolve to knock down the organization from within. The season delved deeper into the mechanics of the games, the psyche of its 456 participants, and the shadowy figures orchestrating the events, such as the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun).

The second season of Squid Game brought forward a stellar cast, including popular names in the Korean entertainment industry:

• Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun
• Lee Byung-hun as the Front Man
• Wi Ha-joon as Hwang Jun-ho
• Yim Si-wan as Myeong-gi
• Kang Ha-neul as Dae-ho
• Lee Jin-wook as Gyeong-seok
• Park Gyu-young as No-eul
• Park Sung-hoon as Hyeon-ju
• Yang Dong-geun as Yong-sik
• Kang Ae-shim as Geum-ja
• Jo Yuri as Jun-hee
• Choi Seung-hyun aka T.O.P as Thanos
• Lee David as Min-su
• Won Ji-an as Se-mi
• Lee Seo-hwan as Jung-bae

The conclusion of Squid Game 2 was marked by a brutal suppression of Gi-hun's attempted revolution against the game's organizers. The Front Man, portrayed by Lee Byung-hun, quashed the uprising, resulting in significant casualties among the participants.

Gi-hun survived the ordeal, but his close ally, Park Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan), met a tragic end as he got killed by the Front Man who had entered the games under the disguise of Player 001. The season closed with Gi-hun's fate hanging in the balance, setting the stage for the series' final installment. Additionally, Jun-hee, No-eul, and Hyeon-ju made it out alive as well.

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Squid Game season 1 and 2 are streaming on Netflix.