First of all, I am very aware I am late to the party with this one. Where was I? I was enjoying life! I am joking. I think, by the time I heard about Squid Game and the series taking the world by storm, I was episodes behind and I wanted to get into it, however, it just slipped past me. Weeks became months, became years and I even tried to start the show before the real-life gameshow started and the second season, but there is so much to watch and, well...here we are, a few weeks after the second season and I have binged this in a few days. Now that I have finished the show, maybe an hour ago now, I am actually still buzzing from what I have experienced. I never understood the "hype" or why people liked it or the reason why people were watching it. And sure people will have their own reasons, but for me, something that started quirky, colourful, and somewhat comedic in places that gradually turned into something dark, well...I say gradually, but that first death does not fail to shock you so by the end of the series, the show will have you react like, "Wait, what?"
Seong Gi-hun comes across as a down-on-his-luck absentee father to his 10-year-old daughter and lives with his mum. He does a little work here and there, but nothing consistent or permanent. It is implied he is a heavy drinker and gambler and he owes a huge debt. He is always asking his mother for money as she is the only person in their home consistently working, so when Seong Gi-hun is troubled for the money that he owes, he decides to take up the offer of participating in a game to win a lot of money when he is approached by a mysterious salesman so he can repay his debts and provide more for his daughter. However, there are rules to the game and consequences for those who lose or fail. People will be eliminated from the game and will not go home with the cash prize.
As the episodes go on, you are first introduced to Gi-hun, his life and what is happening in it, but there are a few other characters you also follow learning more about, their backstory and what is going on in their life. There is the pickpocket, the accountant, the gangster, the old man, the police officer and the lonely woman among many others. Everyone owes money, so everyone has that common objective/goal, but when the game designers start to raise the stakes, this is when everyone realises, that it is every man/woman for themselves, but you also need to work as a team in some games so tension is running high. The Police officer's story is different to the rest of the contestants in the game due to his own motives which become clearer as the episodes go on.
So going in, I had an idea about the series, I mean of course I did, I am very late in watching the show, but simply watching the show puts things into perspective about how brilliant the show is and how weird and diabolical the gameshow these people are participating in is. The first episode hooks you immediately and the next few shows are simply an introduction to the other characters and their backstory with a sprinkling of the games. There are a few cliffhangers but the twist at the end is something that really caught me off-guard, actually, there are a few twists. There might have been an episode or three that was really emotional. I even tweeted (or X'ed) that episode, because I really was caught up in my feelings. Some characters were 'done dirty' and although I understand the game at this point, but damn, people can be ruthless to meet their own ends.
The characters are great, the acting (and voice acting [since it was dubbed]) was great, and the storyline had me hooked and intrigued. You get to grow with these characters and although it IS dog-eat-dog, some of the participants formed a little, family/group, strictly to survive to the end, but when it is all said and done, there can only be one winner and brutal doesn't even quite cut it. The side plot with the doctor was also a little flimsy at first but I understood it at the end, but all in all, a very entertaining show with a great soundtrack/score. I am really interested in a second series because of how this show ended, it would be very intriguing to know where we go from here.
