IN Squid gameIn the first season, the key B-plot followed Hwang Jun-ho, played by Wi Ha-jun — a police detective who retreats from his official duties to infiltrate the competition. But he doesn’t have an eye on the billion won prizes; he sets out to find his long-lost brother and with a little maneuvering manages to sneak in on an undercover mission as one of the pink-clad game guards. Of course, what he finds in the first season shocks both the character and the audience—and paves the way for Jun-ho continuation of the journey through the second season.
Jun-ho’s brother is exposed as the brother of the game Front Man in the first season, a guy so cold that he shoots his own sibling (and sends him jumping off a cliff) when they meet again after a long estrangement. This doesn’t stop Jun-ho from trying to find him (again) in season two; if anything, it makes him even more determined. Of course, trying to triangulate which island hosts the games is no small task.
Speaking with DeadlineWi explained that this is the first time he’s played a character in multiple seasons of the show, and he appreciates the opportunity it gave him to really explore Jun-ho, flaws and all: “I’m not saying that Jun-ho is a perfectly moral character, but seeing him risk his life to seek the truth and achieve justice is something I really liked about him as a person. I also thought he was the kind of person we need these days. So I learned a lot from him.”
Jun-ho definitely makes a mistake in season 2 – not being completely honest with Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) about his brother’s true identity was definitely a mistake, as was assuming that he and Gi-hun would be able to outsmart Squid game bigwigs and competitors to sneak a tracking device. There’s also the small matter of the overconfidence (not so accidental, as it turns out) of the ship’s captain who happily agrees to drive him and his well-armed gangster friends as they search for that elusive tiny island.
Suffice to say, Jun-ho has a lot to work through Squid gameis upcoming the third and final season— though Wi feels confident about his performance, especially considering the character notes he received from creator Hwang Dong-hyuk. “Hwang gave me advice that Jun-ho must be very well balanced in terms of emotions,” Wi told the merchant. “Even though he personally goes through a lot of emotional turmoil, he still has to relentlessly pursue and pursue his goals, to the very end.”
Squid game seasons one and two are now streaming on Netflix.
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