Except it's not, because three years later, the world in which "Squid Game 2" (streaming now, ★★ out of four) returns is drastically different than it was in 2021. And part of that difference is the effect of "Squid" itself: What was once a deeply shocking satire and critique of capitalism has become so popular and ubiquitous that it's too easily reduced to punchlines and memes.

Now, Squid Game Season 2 is finally here. The seven new episodes of Squid Game are stunning, shocking, heartbreaking, and even exhilarating. Squid Game Season 2 is good! It isn’t quite as good as the spectacular first season,