Squid Game - What is going on?

 

I'm sure you already heard about Squid Game, also known as Round 6 in some countries. If you didn't… Well, it's not possible. It is a true phenomenon in the streaming platform Netflix, and it has been a target for polemics. Why?

Squid game is a Korean show about a group of people playing children's games in a deadly version to earn money. With the right amount of mystery, drama, and action, the show is about to make the title of most-watched ever on the platform.

The Chosen Ones

When I first started watching the show, I found it a bit creepy. My reaction to the first episode was, "Wow, what the hell?"

One of the first questions that may pop into your mind can be, "Who are these people?" The whole organization is creepy and weird. It will probably make you uncomfortable.

The players, on the other hand, have an exact pattern. They are people full of debts, living in misery, and desperately in need of money. How far would they go to get it? How far would you go?

While the main topic seems to be the games, this show is about values and life decisions.

Surviving has a price

The players are thrown into a situation of fighting for their survival. Naturally, their instinct kicks in. There is a lot of deceiving and treason, but, you also have stories of love, friendship, and sacrifice. 

The mobile of all of this is money, and the players can stop the games if it's the majority's decision. It is voluntary. Yet, as the games proceed, a question is raised: at which point is it too late to give up? When is that point at which you already sacrificed too much? When is it too late to take a step back?

Besides, if you win the games, you'll never be the same person again. The person that entered that crazy challenge stayed there forever. The person who leaves is a stranger. Would you be able to move on?

Polemics

Many polemics have been topics for articles and social media posts about this show. Most of them, non-sense. The show is violent, but you shouldn't watch a show without seeing the suggested audience. It is +16, and it is very informative about containing violence and suicide.

Yet, what shocked me the most, was the need some schools and therapists felt to inform the parents not to let the kids watch the show. 7/8 years old were watching it! Are these people insane? Shouldn't we call child protection?

The search

You can advocate that the show has free violence, with no point to be taught. I understand those statements, but I think differently. The show teaches us a lesson - life is a search. A constant search for something more. And when you have virtually everything, you keep looking for something. Something intangible that makes you feel something. 

Squid Game is about exploring the desperation in others. It is about finding what is really valuable, and the way we, human beings, relate with each other.

The season finale leads us to believe that the story isn't over. Are you ready for a second season?