Squid Games: My Feelings, Questions, and Thoughts on Season 1
Netflix released Squid Games on September 17, 2021, and it immediately became the number one show streamed worldwide. For someone who has never heard of Squid Games, I would say it is Black Mirror meets Hunger Games. It is definitely very ‘out there’, abstract, and in general a deeper psychological show. The basic layout of the show is that there are 456 people chosen to take part in the game. They are all in debt and are struggling to survive, so they willingly sign a contract and enter the games. The games themselves are a series of children’s games such as “Red Light, Green Light” or “Tug of War” played competitively. For those who win or pass the round, they continue to the next game; however, for those who fail to pass a game they die. So, the games are a life or death situation with a cash prize of $38.6 million dollars for the winner. To anyone in a massive amount of debt the prize is basically a new life. While the games occur, we have ongoing side stories of realizations about the inner workings of the games. We have a cop that snuck into the games in search of his brother who went missing a year ago. We also have the guards working to make a quick paycheck with the organs of the dead players. Throughout the story, the viewer gets to learn more about the players and what led them into the situation. As the viewer continues to watch the show they grow more and more attached to certain characters, which makes their death even more heartbreaking.
Spoilers ahead!!
My Most Shocking and Heartbreaking Moments:
One: The Game Ends?
After the first game, red light green light, most of the contestants were scared and wanted the games to end. So they put it to a vote, the majority decides if the games end or if they continue. Knowing it was an early episode I knew the games couldn’t end so when the majority decided for the games to end I was so confused.
Two: Ali’s Death.
Ali was definitely one of my favorite characters. From his first appearance, we learn of his kind heart, his wife and baby, and his loyalty. It was only foolish of me to think someone in the games wouldn’t take advantage of his kindness. However, to have the person be Sang-Woo who takes advantage of Ali was so unexpected for me and so heartbreaking. Watching Ali’s face drop as he figures out Sang-Woo tricked him is a tv moment I will never forget. The acting in this scene alone was incredible.
Three: Sae-Byeok is Killed.
Although Sae Byeok rarely speaks in the show, the audience becomes invested in her story as we learn about her family, but more specifically, her brother in the orphanage. At the end of the second to last game, Sae-Byeok is struck in the abdomen with glass, and slowly she begins to bleed out. The night before the final games she barely eats dinner and struggles to move. As Gi-Hun talks to her he watches her pass out due to blood loss. Immediately Gi-Hun runs up to the front door and begs for a medic to come in and help, only to turn around and find out that Sang-Woo has murdered her. This plot twist came as a complete shock to me and left me infuriated with Sang-Woo.
Four: Sang-Woo Kills Himself.
After all that Sang-Woo has done during the competition I expected him to come into the final games willing to do whatever it takes to win. So as Gi-Hun and Sang-woo were fighting I was on the edge of my seat. So, when last minute Gi-Hun asked to end the games because he can’t kill Sang-Woo I was so confused. When the camera shifted to see that Sang-Woo killed himself my jaw dropped. This was so unexpected and felt almost out of character for Sang-Woo.
Five: Player 1 is the Host?
After the games end, the viewer gets to follow Gi-Hun as he continues his life now wealthy. We begin to see how the trauma of the games have affected Gi-Hun as he refuses to spend the money he won out of guilt. Suddenly, Gi-Hun is given a paper with a meeting place on it. When Gi-Hun enters the building he finds Player 1, the old man, on his hospital death bed. It is here that Gi-Hun and the viewer learn that Player 1 was the host of the games all along. Looking back now there were small clues all along that Player 1 was different, but I thought he died in episode six when he lost the marbles game. I genuinely didn’t connect the dots until the very end.
Questions I still have left:
I think it would be interesting to have more context with the VIPS. Who exactly are they? How did they get into this position? A massive theme of this show is identity, mostly lack of identity, so this topic couldn’t go too deep but I think the VIPS are so powerful it would be interesting to dive more into their role in the games.
As well as that, I would love more content with the past games. During season one, we learn there have been games occurring for dozens of years and that the games are continuing on. I wonder how have the current rules of the games and the games themselves changed over time? Also, I wonder where are all the winners now? Did they end up working for the games in the future or leaving the games and living a happier life?
Another unanswered question from season one is what happened with the police investigation? Did the cop’s texts with the evidence of the games send? Did he die, as we never see his body? There are so many unanswered questions.
My overall thoughts/feelings/opinions:
When I first started the show I was weirded out by it. To be perfectly honest I almost stopped watching the show after episode one but my investment in the characters kept me going. During the show, there definitely are gory scenes as people die, but the deaths are not shot in a super realistic way which makes it easier to watch. I skipped a total of two scenes the whole show, so in total maybe 30 seconds of super uncomfortable scenes. But once I got invested in the characters I was hooked into the show. I ended up binging the last 4 episodes on a Sunday night because I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.
As for my final thoughts, I really enjoyed this show! While it is very ‘out there’ I found it so interesting and thrilling. At the end of every episode I found myself wondering If I had time to watch another episode. Which, to be honest, definitely kept me up much later at night than I wanted. I already have recommended the show to all my friends and excitedly await their texts of confusion as they finish each episode. I hope there is a season two and with the massive success of the show, I don’t see why Netflix wouldn’t create a season two. I know a second season would take a few years to eventually come out so for now the story is stuck where it is, but there are a ton of unanswered questions left. So for now, I will continue to scroll through theories on social media and wonder what happens next.