Squid Game “One More Game” Photo-Recap: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

So, just a question for everyone real quick: why the hell do we do this to ourselves? Does anyone have any insight? My blood pressure levels were genuinely ALARMING for 87% of this episode. It’s borderline embarrassing the amount of times I had to quietly (and not so quietly) remind myself that these people are fictional. I care so much about them even though I KNOW they’re going to die! Is it the fact that this season is different? That help is on the way, and it gives us hope that these games will be stopped? I just want my favourites to survive until season three, and having that glimmer of possibility is DRIVING ME TO DRINK (chocolate milk, it soothes me). 

Morgan Freeman was right. Hope is a dangerous thing.

Our lovable team of misfits was the first to make it through successfully, and it was a glorious win for everyone. Mom and son egged each other on by bringing up past foes, while Hyunju oscillated between gentle parenting and straight-up violence. And both approaches worked! Coach MVP! 

I know the other players were cheering partly because they learned tips and tricks with every win, but there was also an element of joy and support that we didn’t really see en-masse in season one. Everyone turning around so Hyunju could play hackysack… they’re playing a murder game where they get more money the more people die, and these people turned around to give her a better shot. I know I’m on repeat with this, but I’m honestly loving these little moments of human decency this season. 

There was a fun montage of a lot of background players getting shot while everyone who has lines made it through: Mean Old Rich Guy, Cartoonist Dad, YouTuber, and Team Sassypants (I thought the drugs would be more of a hinderance, but they seemed to be having a great time). 

Being the last team to go sucked for a few reasons: no one was left to cheer them on, and the track was bloodied from the players who lost. That is a slipping hazard! *tsk* Just no regard for health and safety. 

Fake 001 wasn’t just playing with Gihoon, he was playing with ME. What was this?? Was he just trying to build suspense? Was he messing with them? Was he genuinely freaked out from his own Game PTSD? It can’t be that he wanted them to fail because in the end he saved the day by helping Jihoon hacky his sack. 

For anyone who rolled your eyes at him going into the game, what were your thoughts at this point? I think it’s interesting to see an inverse of the season one ‘twist’. With Grandpa 001, we didn’t know until the reveal at the end (or at least, we weren’t supposed to know) and then we had to retroactively wonder what part of him was real and what was an act. 

But this time we know who Fake 001 is, we know he’s there to be a shit disturber, AND YET, he told Gihoon his real backstory, so it’s not ALL an act. And he seems to be borderline obsessed with Gihoon in a way that might ignite some sort of faith in humanity. Even in their victory, Gihoon was upset by the other team’s failure, and Fake 001 seemed downright fascinated (dare I say smitten???) with that. 

I’m not saying we’re going to get some beautiful redemption story, and I don’t even think I want one, all I’m saying is that even though it seems like a rehash of a season one plot point, it’s an incredibly nuanced and interesting move. 

Anyway, they made it (what a shock!) and then it was time for some team bonding before the second vote. 

It’s funny, at first I definitely thought Thanos was going to be the biggest bully on the schoolyard, but it turns out he’s actually quite chill (if you’re not a YouTuber he blames for losing him his fortune). Instead it’s his lackey who has genuine bully inclinations, trying to boss around the sweet little bean, and looking down on the woman. I suspect he’ll be trouble later on. 

Mom was adorably obtuse when asking Hyunju questions, but since it was coming from a good place, Hyunju was gracious about it. Their team decided to meet at Mom’s house for a home cooked meal, and it’s fine, everything is fine.  

It’s like Front Man is TRYING to get caught. 

Bonding time was over once the guards came in to let them know the body count and hold a therapy session about how unfair it is that not enough people were murdered in the last murder game.  

Voting wasn’t going the way they wanted it to, so Gihoon was gearing up to make another impassioned speech when his thunder was stolen by Fake 001, who shamed everyone for voting to stay. This sparked a lively retaliation which resulted in more people being swayed to the ‘one more game’ camp. Huh. It’s almost like Fake 001’s speech had the opposite effect. How curious! 

All of this felt inevitable, including the undertones of sexual assault, which… *sigh*. Yep.  Since Noeul was messing up their organ harvesting, these boys roughed her up in her room (after taking a few licks themselves, our girl is no pushover) and requested, in no uncertain terms, that she stop respecting the deaths of desperate, struggling people. 

Things were a bit of a bummer during lunch because some of our favourites voted to stay: Bespectacled Son had more debt that his mom knew, Hyunju lost her job and support system when she transitioned, and Gihoon’s Bestie just got cocky. But ultimately our lovable band of misfits are a forgiving bunch, so they all got to have one more bonding sesh before heading into another murder game. What better time to make a fort! 

Welp, he’s gonna die. Rule number one of surviving an action show as the quirky best friend (as told by someone who would absolutely be the quirky best friend) do not, I repeat do NOT show how much your friendships means to the lead character. Front Man smirking in the dark is NOT a great sign!

We even got a fun ladies trip to the bathroom where Mom guilt-tripped the guards into letting them go, then they had a nice snuggle in the stall that won’t be devastating later when we lose Adorable Mom. It’s fine!

Uuuuuuuuuuuggggghhhhhhhh she’s going to die, isn’t she? (don’t tell me) But she is, right? Ugh. My heart. (These people are fictional **deep breath** these people are fictional…) 

MOVING ON. The show checked in with Hot Cop, Fishy Fisherman (yes, he’s been demoted until he proves he’s a mermaid in disguise and not some kind of nosey nelly) and their Merry Band of Mercenaries, and all they did this episode was shape up and literally ship out. 

Okay, so… things are about to get very upsetting. The second game was tense as hell, but it was also a bit silly, and though I was clenched the whole time, I still had a pretty good idea that most if not all of our favourites would make it. And they did! Everyone with a personality trait made it through. But now… now the show is priming to destroy us, and I’m TOTALLY FINE ABOUT IT.

My death predictions for the next episode are as follows: Hyunju’s Little Sister but not Hyunju herself, Bestie (sorry Gihoon, but don’t reminisce with someone about your long history before a murder game!) and Made-it-through-the-Korean-war Mom. Her saying she wouldn’t have a reason to live without her son is NOT GREAT FORESHADOWING, LADY! (don’t tell me!) (these people are fictional, these people are fictional…)

SOME STUFF

• Correct me if I’m wrong, but would voting to go home actually work? Last season they convinced most people to go back, then they tracked anyone who *didn’t*. Did those people survive? Are they just out there blabbing when they’ve had too much soju? I doubt Squid Admin would be cool with that. 

• Having their team go last was clever of Front Man. If they fail, they’ll just shoot everyone except him and go about their days. 

• Except… do the guards know who Fake 001 is, or is he just another player to them? They’ve never seen his face before. How far down does the knowledge of his infiltration go?

• Thanos telling YouTuber to win the whole thing so he can pay him back… it’s honestly a wonder Thanos lived long enough to make it into the Squid Game to begin with.  

• Shaman is confusing me! She seemed genuinely scared during the second game, even though she was very ABOUT IT before. Either way, I long for her death. 

• When the mom was like, “Can’t really say you’re beautiful, but you look fine,” it was just the most ajumma thing she could have done. Just top ajumma-ing right there.   

• It was fun to see Gihoon being his old self for a sweet sec. He’s so different from season one that as soon as they started bickering I was like, “Oh right, this is who he was.” Yes, he’s changed a lot, but sometimes it’s nice to link the character we’re following to the one we got to know. 

• Our guys cheering on the other team only to see them gunned down amidst their own victory? HAUNTING. 

• Either Marine is lying about being a marine, or he was abused by his dad, or has some birth secret. Boy did NOT want to talk about himself. (He’s Front Man’s son! Front Man’s wife ended up giving birth while he was in the game and he doesn’t know!) (I’m kidding, but IMAGINE??? lol)

OKAY BYE THANKS!