Squid Game is a show on Netflix that was released on September 17, 2021. The show creator is Hwang Dong-hyuk. There are nine episodes in season 1. Squid Game is a South Korean made survival drama series that involves a group of financially struggling people who are invited to participate in a mysterious challenge featuring a series of childhood games with deadly stakes.
The main character in Squid Game is Seong Gi-hun. He is a 46 year-old man who is in a lot of debt due to his gambling problem. Seong is at a train station when he is randomly offered (by a stranger) a chance to win money by playing a kids called “ddakji”. He plays, but when he loses he is supposed to pay $100 dollars to the guy. He tells him he doesn’t have that amount of money on him so, instead of paying the guy, he is told he can take a slap to the face every time he loses. He agrees, and loses continuously until he finally wins.
When he wins, he is given the money he has been promised, and is also given a card with a number on it. The guy tells him if he wants to win even more money, that he should call the number and listen to the people from there. He calls the number and goes to the location that they’ve directed him to. Once he gets there, a white van picks him up but people in red jumpsuits with masks that have shapes on them grab him and throw him in the van. He is then put to sleep with a gas that is in the car. When he finally wakes up, he finds himself in a huge room with hundreds of players in green jumpsuits, and lots of bunk beds. Each player has been given a specific number. Seong is player 456.
From there they are all told that they must compete in these games for a chance to win a massive amount of money. If they fail to follow the rules, it will result in death. At the time they do not know that they will be killed if they fail to follow the rules of the games.
As the games progress, alliances are formed between the players and betrayals occur. It then later reveals deeper themes in the show like economic disparity, human desperation, and moral dilemmas. Seong wins the games and wins 45.6 billion dollars.
The show has gained global popularity for its intense storytelling, social commentary, and amazing visuals. In fact, Squid Game became the 2nd most-watched TV season on Netflix. It is also the first non-English television series to receive nominations and win the Primetime Emmy Awards. It has received 14 nominations and won six of them, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. It has amazing numbers.
Three years later, Squid Game Season 2 has been released. It was released on December 26, 2024. Many people have been waiting for this to come out, and say that it did its job again by getting 68 million views on its debut, ranking #1 in 92 countries, breaking the record for most views for a show in its premiere week, and breaking into the Most Popular List in record time. It has also become the third most-watched TV season on Netflix, behind Season 1 of Squid Game.
I think it’s safe to say that the new season is also a great season, and will continue to follow the story of Seong Gi-Hun’s life.
