Critically acclaimed Netflix series “Squid Game” released its final season last June, leaving curious fans to ask: Where is the show headed next? The show’s meteoric rise to popularity was driven by a bleak and authentic plot, supplemented by Covid-era lockdowns forcing people to stay in their homes. The show captivated audiences through its graphic depictions of debt, greed, and suffering under capitalism, illuminating greater definitions of meaning, purpose, and world betterment.
The show’s ability to convey the effects of rapid consumption and greed, coupled with captivating performances from its cast, led to “Squid Game” being the first Korean show ever to be nominated for an Emmy. However, the success of the show can be considered a miracle when considering the process it took for the show to be conceived at all.
The inception of the games
It all began in 2000. Hwang Dong-Hyun, a film graduate of both Seoul National University and USC, developed the idea for “Squid Game” following frequent trips to a Korean gaming cafe. During the 2000s, Korea was experiencing a massive debt crisis, with many of Hwang’s relatives forced to take out loans to finance their livelihoods. Hwang’s experience at the gaming cafe was no different. He would overhear employees and patrons of the cafe complain about their financial situation, with many wishing that they could participate in “a game to remove all of their debts.” Fascinated by this idea and with many relatives sharing this experience, Hwang meticulously drafted and created the initial script for “Squid Game,” but when pitching the show to numerous Korean studios, his idea was shot down for being too grotesque and unrealistic.
During the 2010s, Netflix sought to expand the brand’s reach internationally, creating subsidiaries in East Asia and Europe. Hwang’s script caught the attention of directors at Netflix’s Seoul office due to his prior work in the Korean film industry. Netflix became particularly interested in producing “Squid Game” due to the show being different from the media traditionally carried on Netflix’s platform. The show that was considered too grotesque and unrealistic was green-lit for the exact reason why it was shot down, proving to be a moment of resilience for the acclaimed director. The show began production in 2019, with the first episode being released in 2021.
“Squid Game”: A story of greed, debt, and humility
“Squid Game” focuses on the main protagonist, Gi-hun, a drunk gambler with an estranged wife and daughter. Before entering the games, Gi-hun chooses to selfishly spend his day at the horse track instead of working to better his life for his daughter, racking up tens of thousands in gambling debt. However, he, alongside 455 others, received an invitation to participate in a set of six children’s games, with the winner receiving enough money to pay off their debts. While seeming like an amazing opportunity, contestants fail to realize that the games are a matter of life and death, with failing to abide by the rules resulting in death. The games were created to provide those who have fallen into a debt spiral, one last opportunity to earn their place in society; however, contestants also do not realize that these games were created for the entertainment of the ultra-wealthy VIPs, as they watch the slaughtering and decimation of destitute people fighting for their chance at survival.
The show’s first season depicts Gi-hun’s struggle to win the games, overcoming numerous threats to his life and even killing a long-time friend. Following his win, he is awarded 45.6 billion won (roughly $33,000,000); however, he refuses to use any of his winnings due to the actions necessary for him to win, reentering back into the games to stop them from ever occurring again. Gi-hun eventually makes it back to the final round and has the chance to win the games for a second time, but chooses to sacrifice himself to save the life of a newborn baby.
Due to the nature of the show, it is a class commentary specifically showing the pitfalls of our system of capitalism that allows for rampant greed in society. Throughout the show, greed is depicted in many distinct ways. The contestants, many living in poverty as a result of their debt, go to extreme lengths, commonly backstabbing and intimidating other competitors to achieve their goal of winning. Between contestants, the only rule is to look out for yourself, with no mercy or respect for others, similar to capitalism’s critique of the “rat race.”
Furthermore, the VIPs depict their greed through their indulgence in the games. While spectating, they treat the games like a gala or sporting event instead of fights to the death. Rather than be horrified by the depravity of man, VIPs bet on contestants’ lives as if they were horses at the race track, separating the contestants’ humanity from their actions for their entertainment.
However, in spite of these constants, the one dynamic force seen throughout the show is Gi-hun, specifically showing that the only way to break capitalistic cycles of greed and suffering is through love and humility. When introduced to Gi-hun, we see that he is a weak man lacking conviction and a moral code; however, once exposed to the horrors of the depravity of capitalism and man, he is inspired to ensure that these troubles never befall anyone else. He was not forced to return to the games and could have used the money to give himself and his family a better life, yet he chose to return, knowing the danger he posed to himself.
Although not a perfect character, Gi-hun continues to put the well-being and livelihoods of those around him first in a system in which doing so is fundamentally disadvantageous. His last and most inspiring act of heroism comes at the end of the series when he chooses to sacrifice his life and winnings to a newborn baby born during the games. Gi-hun could have selfishly chosen to sacrifice the newborn for financial gain, but he understands the actions he must take to correct this situation. Before sacrificing himself, Gi-hun looks into the camera and utters, “humans are not horses,” before falling to his death.
By the series’s end, Gi-hun’s character made a complete 180. A gambler with a dubious moral code found the compassion to put his problems and struggles to the side to help those around him. In the face of life’s crushing responsibilities and mountains of debt, Gi-hun showed us as the audience that although the world may be a bleak and evil place, every life has meaning and is worth living, regardless of socioeconomic status. Hwang’s main messaging throughout the show is that, through love and compassion, only will we be able to fix the depravity and the worst parts of our society. Just like the colossal squid lives at the depths of the ocean, as we continue to rewatch and enjoy the masterpiece that Director Hwang Dong-Hyun created, we mustn’t lose sight of the greater and deeper messaging that lies beneath the scenes of the Squid Game.
