I watched the first ep of season three of Squidgame on Netflix. The aftermath of the failed rebellion sees our main character Seong Gi-hun in the doldrums and wondering why the Controller hasn’t killed him. The main answer is he wants to see how he fairs in the rest of the games and to manipulate him further for his own ends. Meanwhile, outside, the policeman Hwang continues his search for the island and his brother the Controller while being informed the boat Captain may be a traitor in their midst. The show is great at turning the screws on the characters, and at the episode’s end we prepare for what should be a brutal round of hide and seek in the next games.
I watched the second episode of Squid Game. Boy, this was a brutal episode with the inmates having to play a game of hide and seek where the seekers had knives and were instructed to hunt down and kill the hiders. It was brilliantly shot in a multi-story warren of rooms and hiding places. My only complaint was with the subplot that had a pregnant woman, one of the hiders, giving birth in the midst of all the carnage. With the game only lasting thirty minutes the timeline doesn’t add up. She breaks her water around the fifteen minute mark, and about ten minutes later gives birth. And then she’s up and walking around to make her escape. Is that possible?
I had a binge of the last three episodes of Squid Game season three. So many twists and turns and a nice satisfying denouement (although there is still scope for sequels – LA Squid Games, anyone?). I have to agree with a lot of commentators about this, I really didn’t love the ‘guest’ characters when they showed up in episode four. The way they acted, the way they were written, the whole thing, was so stilted and phony. And they were such awful people, entertaining the idea of putting a baby at risk of death and enjoying the prospect. I really hoped they would get their comeuppance and be put into the Games themselves, but it was not to be. Despite its flaws, I really enjoyed this show, which has become something of a cultural touchstone.