Squid Game Recap: Lunch Box

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From my past life as a baby, let me clarify that I have no issues with babies in general. However, I found it surprising that by the second-to-last episode of this season, a newborn infant would play such a crucial role in the storyline. Jun-hee’s CGI (computer-generated imagery) baby seems more like a symbol representing purity and the future generation rather than a tangible character. She appears quite lifelike, doesn’t have a name yet, and predictably can only cry or sleep. It’s unsettling to witness adults contemplating infanticide, and I must admit that my emotional connection to this baby, as portrayed in the show, is not as strong as intended.

It appears Gi-hun has abandoned his previous goal of halting the games, as seen by his decision to walk away from the Front Man in the last episode. Instead, he’s now focused on shielding Jun-hee’s daughter within this system, a role that seems to resonate with him given his own admission about not being a good father to his own child. This can be seen as a turn of events for Gi-hun.

When Gi-hun enters the dorm with In-ho’s knife, he glances at Jun-hee’s baby before approaching a slumbering Jeong-dae and setting the blade on his neck. Previously, Oh Il-nam had given this exact knife to In-ho during their time as players, instructing him to eliminate the “garbage” that threatened them instead. Despite the significant impact of the baby on the situation, the series switches between In-ho and Gi-hun in a way that implies they are both facing similar trials. A younger In-ho once opted to stab an entire row of people. However, as Gi-hun hesitates over Jeong-dae, he recalls when Sae-byeok prevented him from killing Sang-woo in season one by insisting he wasn’t that kind of person – and just like then, he steps back. If In-ho aimed to justify his actions by causing Gi-hun to lose faith in humanity and forsake his morals, instead, he has demonstrated that there is always a choice to act differently.

In summary, it’s indicated that eight players and an infant will all be part of the ultimate game called Sky Squid Game. This game is set up on three towering pillars, each shaped differently (circle, square, triangle). The goal for each player is to force another player off the pillar within a timeframe of 15 minutes; however, the timer won’t start until they press a button on the tower.

In the last two seasons of Squid Game, the decision-making process through voting served as a critique of majority rule not always being the right or fair choice. The characters Jeong-dae and others suggest using a democratic vote to decide who to eliminate. Interestingly, some players advocate for the elimination of the baby, arguing it’s unfair she’s there, and that her death might even be compassionate since she lacks parents to care for her. This argument seems more like political manipulation, as they already formed an alliance with a majority vote in their favor.

However, instead of adhering to the initial strategy, Myung-gi begins exerting personal power moves, deviating from the set plan and gradually asserting influence over the group’s decisions. He contends that if Gi-hun protects the baby but is also eliminated with her, they would need to eliminate an additional person. Instead, he steers their focus towards a seemingly innocuous first target: Min-su, who appears to be under the impression that Thanos and Nam-gyu are restraining him. Myung-gi portrays Min-su as potentially dangerous due to his drug addiction and withdrawal symptoms, which persuades the group to eliminate him first. Nevertheless, Min-su refuses to jump, and no one is willing to risk getting close enough to the edge to push him. In the end, Myung-gi seizes a pole from the pillar that Min-su mistakes for Se-mi’s outstretched hand. “I’m sorry,” Myung-gi says. “I didn’t want to do this.” With a mistaken belief that it is Se-mi’s hand, Min-su apologizes and is subsequently pushed to his death.

The team moves over a bridge towards another tower, and it’s there where Myung-gi instructs Jeong-dae not to initiate the countdown until they’ve separated Gi-hun from the baby. Once more, the group grapples with justifying the act of taking the baby’s life. In a somewhat respectful manner, Player 353 proposes to Gi-hun that he should merely hang the baby on a pole and turn away as it’s sent “to a better place.” If not, Player 353 threatens to push both of them off with the pole. This remark by Gi-hun stirs unease when he wonders aloud how they will determine who to eliminate in the next round if such an event transpires. “What’s your plan?” he challenges, “Are you going to draw lots? Or will you choose the most convenient target?

203, the player who ended another’s life during jump rope, sets the countdown timer as he grows weary of the wait. Gi-hun cautions 353 that his time could be next, noting the murmurs about him among the others. The saying from the dormitory walls – “What happens to me today, may happen to you tomorrow” – has never felt more apt.

In this situation, when Players 203 and 353 got into a scuffle, Myung-gi stepped in with an alternative plan. After multiple rounds of rock-paper-scissors, it was decided that Player 336 would move towards Gi-hun, assisted by the rest of the group using a rope made from their jackets. The team informed Gi-hun that they were going to draw lots, but he was too wary to join them in the center. As suspected, the real plan was for Player 336 to attack him. With his knife, Gi-hun severed the makeshift lifeline. When Gi-hun held Player 336 at knifepoint, Myung-gi approached with a pole. Just as things seemed dire, Myung-gi shouted for Gi-hun to step aside and shoved Player 336 away instead.

Myung-gi claims he supports Gi-hun and admits the baby is his, but people aren’t sure if it’s true. Gi-hun recalls seeing Myung-gi near Jun-hee during a jump rope game. The other players still control the majority and decide to use lots again in the next round. Myung-gi disagrees due to distrust and comes up with an alternative plan. When they run out of options, the O group betrays one of their own (Player 39) brutally beating him so he can be used as a decoy for the next pillar. Gi-hun proposes they use lots again but leave the baby out. In response, Player 203 attacks Gi-hun and Player 353 attacks Myung-gi. The struggle between them puts the crying baby in danger. Despite hanging precariously and being choked, both Myung-gi and Gi-hun successfully defend themselves against their attackers.

Jeong-dae suggests that they continue to bring Player 39 for lunch in the upcoming round. With only 10 billion won of debt, he promises to share his additional 1.4 billion won with Myung-gi and me. “We’ll each have 15.2 billion with you gone,” Myung-gi remarks, using the pole to forcefully push him off. Wow, it seems that greed has once again blinded him. This move is quite unexpected from someone who has been so tactical in his tower gameplay thus far. I may not be a fan of Jeong-dae, but he was unarmed and lacked a majority vote. If saving the baby was truly Myung-gi’s priority, then eliminating more people than necessary before the next round could be strategically disadvantageous because it reduces the available options for the child later on. In the end, Player 39, who had reached the edge after the round, apologized and refused to be a lunch box. Myung-gi tried to calm him down, but a distraught Player 39 had already made up his mind and jumped off the edge. As for Gi-hun, he held the baby a little tighter in response.

In the final stages of the game, with fewer players remaining, No-eul has been tirelessly putting herself in danger for a different child – Gyeong-seok’s daughter. She invades an officer’s quarters, taking him hostage until he erases all traces of Gyeong-seok from the computer. There’s another copy stored in the upper-level records, accessible only to him and the captain, so she leads him towards it. However, the officer resists, and they lose No-eul’s gun during their struggle, which forces them back into the room. Later, when the officer learns that No-eul is acting for Gyeong-seok’s daughter, he wonders if this is her means of dealing with guilt over leaving her own child behind. All No-eul wants is for him to spare both the father and daughter.

Despite No-eul and the officer inflicting mutual wounds on each other, her injuries prove far more devastating than his. She eventually drops her knife and suffers a blow from a shattered glass over her head. The officer is also a North Korean defector, and this illegal organ trafficking scheme holds significant weight for him given his personal loss of a loved one who required a kidney. Having breached his operation, he intends to murder her. Somehow managing to summon the strength, No-eul drags herself to the elevator. In a moment’s notice, just before she could grasp it, he remembers the gun hidden nearby and tries to stop her. However, she seizes the weapon first and shoots him instead. Moments ago, it was agonizing for her even to crawl, but now she manages to stand and drag the officer’s lifeless body to keep the elevator door open as she hunts for the archives, eventually discovering Gyeong-seok’s file.

Regarding Gyeong-seok, he’s battled against the pink troops who started shooting at his boat. Running out of ammunition, he was moments away from being shot when a fortunate event occurred – Jun-ho’s ship appeared just in time, taking out the soldier who intended to harm Gyeong-seok first. The sight of Gyeong-seok and the others in pink soldier costumes confirmed that Jun-ho was on track, although he had already suspected it. Earlier in the episode, In-ho urged Jun-ho to back off, predicting his demise if he delved deeper into this game. However, In-ho ended the call when Jun-ho retorted, “You’ll have to kill me.” So far, it seems that killing Jun-ho is something In-ho has been unable to accomplish, and we’ll find out in the finale whether this remains true. Will Jun-ho succeed in halting the game before Gi-hun, Myung-gi, or the baby face a tragic fate?

Parting Shots

At one moment, Jeong-dae ponders if Gi-hun might be so bonded with the baby due to him being the real father. Similarly, the masked officer muses whether No-eul is putting her life on the line because she harbors feelings for Gyeong-seok. It seems these individuals are quick to assume romantic ties as the driving force. I understand some fans might root for a romance between No-eul and Gyeong-seok, but Gi-hun has always appeared more like a father figure to Jun-hee. Such speculation feels inappropriate.

It appears that the VIPs were taken aback upon learning that Myung-gi is the father of Jun-hee’s child, suggesting they might not have had access to the discussions that took place in the dorm and waiting area before the hide-and-seek game. This lack of context could be significant! I had thought that such details would be included in the comprehensive player profiles, but perhaps the VIPs choose to play without prior knowledge… or maybe Jun-hee was so upset with Myung-gi that she managed to keep the paternity out of any medical records.

discovering Il-nam inside the closet No-eul had opened was quite a startling surprise. It seemed like a lifelike replica or a Madame Tussauds statue, didn’t it? For a moment, I even wondered if he might have been preserved through taxidermy. To be honest, given his peculiar nature, I can’t completely rule out that possibility.

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2025-06-28 02:54