Was it an accident or intentional?
Netflixthe hit Korean thriller series, Squid gamereturned for its planned second season on December 26, 2024. It featured the return of many fan-favorite characters, including the Recruiter, played by the beloved actor Gong Yoo.
Gong Yoo had a lot more screen time in season 2, with Seong Gi Hun (Lee Jung Jae) and a company of loan sharks Sunshine Capital members looking for it. While Gong Yoo starred in episode 1, “Bread and Lottery”, it ended with him losing in his own game of Russian roulette, which led to him shooting himself.
the way his facial expression changes when he realizes he’s lost at his own game 🤌 pic.twitter.com/QVg2IxDew9
— Gong Yoo Archive (@ggyoo_rkive) January 2, 2025
Viewers only see the recruiter point the gun to his chin and hear a gunshot as it fades to black. Episode 2, “Halloween Party,” begins with Choi Woo Seok (Jun Suk Ho) by Sunshine Capital beating up Hwang Jun Ho (Wi Ha Joon) as the policeman attempted to arrest Gi Hun for the alleged murder of the recruiter, who was seen apparently dead and bleeding.
Viewers only praised Gong Yoo’s performance in these first few episodes, as his character died and would never be seen again for the rest of the series.
I said Gong Yoo absolutely stole the show with his single episode like anyone who thought of reprising the role of the recruiter, thank you because psychopath Gong Yoo was 🔥🔥#SquidGame2 #GongYoo pic.twitter.com/24Q18dxcML
— Daisy 💕 (@daisy_dramas) December 28, 2024
gong yoo exaggerates with the asymmetry of his eyes and only smiles with half his mouth when he acts as a salesman to make him seem more upset and unpredictable because in my opinion he literally has two expressions at the same time pic.twitter.com/j39rQflCZ3
— Dion (@ldwshusband) January 1, 2025
However, some eagle-eyed viewers noticed a detail that made some wonder if the recruiter might return. In the first season, Jun Ho was hit by a cliff but returned in the second season. So anything is possible, right?
“Junho is alive and returns to his work. because he loved and valued his brother so much, he just can’t let him go.”
– hajoon on Junho’s role in s2 #SquidGame2 pic.twitter.com/SRSy8lmwrh
— wi hajoon pics (@wihajoonspics) December 4, 2024
In this scene at the beginning of episode 2, as Gi Hun and Woo Seok talk, the recruiter’s eyes seem to open. This clip has gone viral with over 151,000 views at the time of writing.
I knew The Seller was alive 😂😂😂#SquidGame2 pic.twitter.com/MlnxIGklb8
— ^^ (@gongyoo_ni) January 6, 2025
👀👀
I’ve thought about it too, but without a conclusion, some things just don’t need explanation, I guess— ^^ (@gongyoo_ni) January 7, 2025
Some wondered if this was a mistake on the actor’s part, but others believed it was intentional, knowing how experienced Gong Yoo was. Many fans hoped it was a hint of the character’s return.
He probably blinked after staying with his eyes open for too long, it wasn’t intentional, I can’t believe this is intentional 😂
— ^^ (@gongyoo_ni) January 6, 2025
This doesn’t appear to be a mistake on the part of the editor or the actor, as the recruiter’s eyes remained open even when Woo Seok approached to yell at him for killing his boss. He didn’t even blink.
However, that doesn’t mean the recruiter will return either. It is more than likely that the recruiter’s eyes opened naturally when he died, as this is not uncommon.
As a person approaches death, their eyes may open, if only slightly. This happens due to a decrease in muscle tone. Relaxation of facial muscles (as well as medications) can also affect whether or not a person opens their eyes (and begins to move other parts of the body).
This could also explain why some people’s eyes remain open after death. The researchers also noted that eyes that remain open at the time of death could be due to certain diseases (such as those affecting the central nervous system, for example).
— Wanted
Another moment from Squid game 2 went viral after eagle-eyed viewers noticed a camera operator. Read more below.
Attentive viewers of “Squid Game 2” spot an unexpected crew member in the scene