As a seasoned observer of human nature and a connoisseur of survival games, I must say that this latest episode of Squid Game was as gripping as ever. The tension between the players reached a boiling point, and it seems like we’re hurtling towards an explosive finale.
The game in the second last episode of this season isn’t merely intriguing because it involves doors, but it’s downright unsettling. Previously, winning didn’t necessitate someone else’s loss or misfortune. Everybody could participate in Red Light, Green Light, and complete the six-legged race without affecting others. However, Mingle compels players to close the doors after them, essentially condemning those left outside. It’s cruel, twisted, and incredibly captivating television, as by episode six, we have grown attached to these characters, making their betrayals and deaths all the more impactful, like a heavy punch to the gut. This is the standout moment of the season for me, the return to form I’ve been eagerly anticipating.
Essentially, what I previously summarized is that Mingle resembles a game of musical chairs, but instead of chairs, there are rooms with specific capacity limits. The initial round for groups of ten establishes the rules. When time elapses, the doors lock and anyone outside a room with the correct number of occupants faces elimination. (In the absence of No-eul’s intervention, the soldiers’ organ-harvesting operation is thriving.) This rule can put strains on alliances, as it forces people to find new groups if they are left alone; Seon-nyeo ends the round for groups of four with a fresh sense of resentment.
At the point when they’re about to form groups of three, Nam-gyu and Thanos propose a round of rock, paper, scissors as a fun diversion. Meanwhile, Player 380, Se-mi, tries to partner up with Min-su, hoping to find a third member for their group in a not-so-enjoyable manner. However, Min-su plays ‘scissors’, leaving Se-mi on her own. This turn of events is particularly disappointing for Se-mi as she had teamed up with Min-su in the previous episode, expecting him to be trustworthy. Despite her having lied about her age in the past, she had led Thanos and Nam-gyu to believe that she was older than him. Se-mi and Min-su share a moment of relief when they see each other is still alive, but Se-mi avoids returning Min-su’s gaze of relief.
In the same turn of events, two individuals take hold of Yong-sik, pulling him away from Geum-ja. Fortunately, Gi-hun and In-ho intervene, rescuing her. However, when In-ho inquires about her solitude, she sternly warns him and passionately vouches for the goodness of her son’s character. She wants no one to perceive Yong-sik as a bad person, not even Yong-sik himself. After the round, Yong-sik timidly approaches her with an apology, barely able to speak, and it is she who provides him comfort in return.
In the round where everyone should be in groups of six, it seems increasingly possible that those left behind may not survive. The players are having a hard time locating vacant rooms. Initially, Hyun-ju claims one for Young-mi, Jun-hee, Geum-ja, Yong-sik, and Dae-ho. However, when Young-mi tumbles while rushing over, Myung-gi shoves Hyun-ju and rushes in behind her, slamming the door shut. Despite this, Young-mi manages to reach the locked room, gazing through the crack with tears streaming down her face. In her last moments, she affectionately calls out to Hyun-ju using a term that expresses deep respect for an older female companion: “Unnie.
In my opinion, the death in this story can be considered a significant one because the characters we’ve been focusing on were not closely acquainted with those who perished in Red Light, Green Light and all the main characters survived the six-legged race. Young-mi, although soft-spoken and fond of Hyun-ju, may not have been particularly well-developed as a character beyond these two traits. However, her demise has a profound impact on Hyun-ju, which underscores why it’s so distressing for her to witness Young-mi’s death after calling out to her.
Hyun-ju seizes Myung-gi and accusingly blames him for the situation. Yet, Myung-gi counters that if Hyun-ju had stepped outside, she and Young-mi would have perished, along with everyone in the room. “I prevented your deaths!” Myung-gi shouts, glancing around protectively. After he insists someone agrees with him, Jun-hee concedes his point, causing Hyun-ju’s expression to crumble.
The final stage divides participants into duos, as predicted by In-ho. Given there are 50 rooms left and 126 individuals remaining, it ensures at least 26 eliminations. In-ho forces someone away from a door when he and Jung-bae enter a room. However, another player is already present who declines to exit. With time dwindling, In-ho applies a chokehold to the person, ultimately causing their death by snapping their neck with his bare hands. One may question whether there’s a moral disparity between taking a life and preventing someone from entering where they might be killed. Some people might argue there is none, but it’s clear that Jung-bae appears more disturbed by In-ho’s actions than his own.
By the way, there’s been some significant developments in our rescue crew subplot, which adds an extra layer of suspense throughout the episode. Jun-ho’s drone detects a door on the ground that unfortunately turns out to be a booby trap, claiming one life and injuring another. Despite Captain Park suggesting they call it a day, everyone is more determined than ever to find those responsible. After Woo-seok notes they may be under observation, Jun-ho decides to make the mission secretive. He assigns Captain Park with distributing new guidelines about radio and phone usage to the second team. Interestingly, this trust is being placed in a man who seems to struggle with the correct pronunciation of “drone”, but I suppose we move forward nonetheless.
In the resting area, we’re taking a look at the dynamics among our characters. Min-su’s betrayal of Se-mi has won Nam-gyu and Thanos’ favor, and following their partnership in the final round, Jun-hee seems less hostile towards Myung-gi compared to earlier. A hint of optimism appears on her face when Myung-gi proposes a fresh start and co-parenting their child together, but she quickly grows wary as he begins discussing investment strategies. Given that Myung-gi serves as a warning to Jun-hee about the risks young Koreans take in pursuit of quick wealth through unstable cryptocurrencies, it’s understandable why she might doubt his new proposals. On the other hand, Seon-yeo, accompanied by her devoted followers, consoles a mourning Hyun-ju by announcing that she has cast a curse on their entire alliance and wishes for their demise.
To ensure a majority, at least 6 out of 100 opponents (Os) must alter their stance for the supporters (Xs) to win. In-ho advises against provoking the opponents too soon as it may lead to conflict, so Gi-hun avoids persuading anyone before the voting commences. Jung-bae, Se-mi, Min-su, and Hyun-ju join the X supporters, with Yong-sik following suit, becoming the sixth opponent to switch sides. This turn of events brings joy, but they’re not going home as expected. One of Seon-nyeo’s followers shifts allegiance back to the opponents, looking up at the shaman with reverence. The best the X supporters can achieve now is a tie, with In-ho holding the deciding vote. Jung-bae begins to express fear towards In-ho but decides to keep what transpired in the room confidential when he chooses the X side during the vote.
The outcome is undecided, so they’ll have to vote again tomorrow. In-ho suggests the X team should try to persuade some O members to change sides, despite his earlier warning about potential violence… you’re not fooling anyone, mate. The campaigning begins playfully as Yong-sik and Geum-ja target the food lovers in the house, but things soon take a turn for the worse. As the Xs and Os accuse and shout at each other, Gi-hun casts a meaningful glance at the fork on the table today – he’s aware from past events that cutlery can be used as a weapon. It won’t be long before we see evidence of that again.
In this situation, Thanos and Nam-gyu corner Min-su inside a restroom stall, putting pressure on him to alter his voting decision. Thanos views the Squid Game as a chance the universe offered him during his suicidal state, and he’s incredibly frustrated that Min-su might undermine it. Myung-gi accuses Thanos of manipulating the vote, and in response, a group of individuals siding with Thanos step forward to shield Min-su, while those supporting Min-su form another group. The confrontation escalates when Nam-gyu and Thanos provoke Myung-gi by mentioning Jun-hee, leading him to attack Thanos. Although he misses, the altercation enrages Thanos who retaliates, knocking Myung-gi to the ground. As multiple other skirmishes erupt, a frightened Min-su manages to escape.
In a fury, Thanos growls, “Everything – your money, your woman, your life – it belongs to me.” He switches between Korean and English in his curse, shouting, “You worthless… cursed one… wretch!” With the name he bears, his face darkens with rage as he chokes Myung-gi. However, an unexpected noise erupts: Myung-gi has jabbed a fork into Thanos’s neck tissue.
That’s it for now before the final installment! Phew. So far, we haven’t deviated much from a familiar course, even in the way the players are beginning to viciously betray each other. We’ll see if Gi-hun can take any action within this episode to prevent the game from following the same trajectory yet again.
Parting Shots
In the initial Mingle gathering, Seon-nyeo fixes her gaze on Jun-hee’s noticeable baby bump, then hints to Gi-hun that there is a specific motive for his continued existence and being transported here. She subtly exchanges glances between them, but it’s unclear to me what the purpose might be… perhaps I’m overlooking something obvious, and you can provide some insight in the comments below?
In this episode, No-eul seems to have taken a back seat, yet I suspect she was the one in pink, fixated on Player 246, or as some have affectionately called him, Prince Charming. Considering the information from the credits, his real name is Gyeong-seok, but it’s intriguing that our characters haven’t used that yet. I really hope his daughter is safe and sound. It would be heartbreaking for her to find herself in a hospital without knowing where her father is.
In this episode, it seems as though everyone was having a tough time, but if I were to choose a winner, perhaps Yong-sik? This is mainly due to the fact that his mother shows him an incredible amount of unconditional love. When they finally reunited, I found myself shedding more tears than he did.
In a less fortunate turn of events, it was Min-su who lost during the episode. The mere sight of violence seemed to unsettle him greatly, leading unintentionally to a violent altercation. One can’t help but wonder if he had a moment to use the restroom throughout all the chaos.
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2024-12-26 20:54