As a seasoned viewer of countless shows and films, I must say that Squid Game has truly taken the world by storm with its unique blend of suspense, action, and a dash of humor. This South Korean phenomenon has captured my heart, much like how the characters are captivated by the alluring promise of life-changing money.
[To the tune of “In da Club”] Go, Gi-hun, it’s your birthday!
Reminder: Our primary character was born on Halloween (October 31). You’ll find him at a club on that day, but it’s not because he’s celebrating his birthday or aging. Instead, he’s there to meet the Squid Game authorities as per the invitation in the Recruiter’s pocket, which stated Club HDH at midnight on Halloween. It doesn’t seem surprising to me that Gi-hun doesn’t attach personal significance to the date, as birthdays can evoke thoughts about the passage of time and might be melancholic if one isn’t content with their life’s progression. Given his mission for revenge, it’s not shocking that he’d skip the birthday festivities. However, it’s fascinating to see how much he’s transformed since initially joining the game. So far in season two, he hasn’t shown a hint of a smile.
While this exposition-heavy episode still doesn’t get Gi-hun back to the game, it lays the final groundwork. First, he needs a team. He’s initially a little wary of Jun-ho and Woo-seok — the former runs into his motel and tries to arrest him for murder, and he’s never met the latter in person — but they both manage to convince him that they’re personally invested in shutting the game down. Gi-hun trusts them enough to show them his “blood money” stash and his impressive collection of guns. After Woo-seok recruits people with experience serving in elite military forces, we’ve got the final group of people who will serve as Gi-hun’s back up in the club. In order to share his live location with them, he has also removed one of his teeth (without anesthesia, which seems a bit masochistic) and hidden a tracker in his mouth.
Jun-ho still hasn’t told anyone that In-ho is the Front Man. We learn that they’re actually stepbrothers and that if In-ho hadn’t already donated his kidney to save Jun-ho, he could have sold it to save his sick wife’s life. Jun-ho raises his voice while trying to assure his mom (and maybe himself?) that In-ho doesn’t resent them for not helping more. He insists In-ho is the only one responsible for ultimately accepting bribes to get the money he needed.
As I pondered whether Gi-hun was planning to take down the enigmatic Front Man, I couldn’t help but wonder what his response would have been if he had answered in the affirmative. However, Gi-hun shook his head, indicating otherwise. It seemed that eliminating the Front Man wouldn’t be enough for him to end the game. Instead, he hinted at the influential VIP clients created by the game master, Oh Il-nam. Was Gi-hun suggesting that eradicating these powerful figures would bring an end to the game? Or was his objective even more profound – to challenge and potentially uproot the very notion that the less fortunate are disposable? While his strategy remained somewhat vague, it was clear that he aimed for something much bigger than just defeating a single adversary.
However, it appears that Gi-hun is convinced that whatever he’s up to will be risky. Before Halloween, he takes time to ensure those dear to him are well. He checks on Sang-woo’s mom and Sae-byeok’s younger brother, Cheol, from a distance to make sure they’re safe and sound. He also connects with the broker he’s been helping to facilitate Cheol’s mother’s escape from North Korea, providing contact details in case of his absence. Lastly, he contacts his daughter, who speaks English but switches to Korean to confirm if he’s the mysterious caller on the line. Essentially, he’s behaving as if he’s preparing for a potentially fatal outcome.
You know who’s not concerned, though? Woo-seok. Maybe he’s repressing his emotions, but on the surface level, he has recovered remarkably quickly from losing his boss-BFF. He’s now functioning as a kinda bumbling side character who provides comic relief, is overly confident that nothing will go wrong, and disses cops every now and again. For some reason, Woo-seok’s the one who accompanies Gi-hun into the packed Club HDH in a horse mask (coincidentally, the animal Gi-hun wants to stop being seen as), but he isn’t much help. By the time Jun-ho uses his gun to force his way into the club, one pink soldier has tased Woo-seok and another has escorted Gi-hun into the same limo that took him home from his last game.
In simple terms,
Through an earpiece, Gi-hun listens to the commotion and draws a gun, firing at the limo’s partition. Since it was bulletproof, he changes his approach by insisting on being reinstated in the game. He argues that the wealthy passengers would enjoy watching him return (as Netflix did), and when the Front Man hesitates, Gi-hun provokes him, implying that he fears being proven wrong, much like Oh Il-nam refused to admit defeat until his last breath, denying that he had lost his bet about a stranger’s kindness on the street.
Throughout much of this scene, half of Gi-hun’s face is bathed in red light, mirroring his experience with Russian roulette in the game with the Recruiter. This has led me to believe that this is a subtle reference to the movie The Matrix. The Front Man explicitly mentions this film and suggests it’s wiser to choose the blue pill for a blissful life. If Gi-hun considers himself a hero who can transform the world by taking the red pill, then he shall be given the chance. Once the limo is filled with knockout gas, the partition lowers to reveal that the Front Man is seated next to him. Addressing Gi-hun as “Player 456”, he welcomes him back to the game. Meanwhile, Jun-ho, who continues to monitor Gi-hun’s tracker, orders his backup team to execute plan B.
In this episode, we encounter No-eul, a North Korean defector who resides in her car and works as a bunny mascot at an amusement park. She develops a bond with a young girl named Strawbaby (real name Na-yeon), who has cancer and requires hospitalization. Strawbaby appears to evoke memories of No-eul’s 1-year-old daughter left behind in North Korea. The only remaining broker for Gi-hun refuses to continue searching for the girl, despite No-eul’s persistent attempts with money. After leaving her job, she receives an invitation to Squid Game, but without any physical violence, indicating she may not be a participant. She contacts the number on the card and subsequently burns it, along with a drawing from Strawbaby.
As I stepped into the final scene, I climbed aboard a truck packed with fellow spectators and transformed into my second Halloween costume: a vibrant pink soldier outfit. To those who knew me as a reserved colleague, perhaps my earlier bunny costume hinted at a hidden kindness within me. But now, with a triangle emblazoned on my face, I can’t help but wonder if there’s more cruelty lurking beneath the surface. Only time will tell what twists and turns this deadly game of childhood has in store for us all. Let the games begin!
Parting Shots
Is Club HDH a tribute to Hwang Dong-hyuk? That’s adorable if true… but let’s hope it doesn’t result in him appearing as an excessively self-indulgent character based on himself within his own series. (Ahem, Taylor Sheridan, I see your cowboy hat.)
In the downpour outside Gi-hun’s motel, I heard an isolated gunshot, despite it not being fully soundproof. Strangely enough, even though the target-practice area seemed merely enclosed by a bathroom door and a shower curtain, no one voiced concerns as multiple shots were fired. Remarkably, this neighborhood seems exceptionally good at minding its own business.
In a grim, suspenseful series like Squid Game, there are surprisingly humorous scenes. One instance that stood out to me was the silent panic shown when Strawbaby inadvertently entered the amusement park’s changing room.
Could it be that the health insurance industry is the episode winner? It’s quite unusual for them to bear the costs of life-saving treatments in this series. Characters like In-ho and Strawbaby’s father frequently find the cost of caring for their loved ones prohibitively high.
The backup team of Gi-hun, who lost during the episode, seemed less effective than anticipated given their military background. I had assumed they would provide more assistance, considering there are bulletproof and long-rolling tires available. It’s puzzling why they didn’t suggest buying such tires if the operation relied heavily on cars. While it’s possible Front Man could have thwarted them in some other way, it seems that additional safety measures could have been implemented. The team was portrayed as elite soldiers, but this mission exposed vulnerabilities that allowed an intruder to plant explosives unnoticed, either during the operation or later on when checking the vehicle. I hope they can make amends with their next plan.
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2024-12-26 16:55