Your Squid Game Questions, Answered
Spoiler alert, obviously.
by AVA LABORDE ★ OCTOBER 25, 2021
If you've been on TikTok in the last two weeks, chances are you've heard of Netflix's new show, Squid Game. The show centers on 456 players with massive debt, competing for a cash prize of 45.6 billion won (roughly 38 million USD). In the first episode, the players are struck with the shocking realization that elimination from the game wasn't just a lost opportunity; it was the loss of their life. While the characters navigate six lethal children's games, they battle betrayal, mourning, relationships, and more, leading to a powerful commentary about our capitalist society. Here are some answers (and theories!) for every fan's most pressing questions.
Why the kid's games?
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Fighting to the death is unsettling enough as it is, so why did the director have to ruin our childhoods too? At first, I thought the games were selected to add another creep factor (as if the show needed any more), but after doing some deep diving, TikTok theories proved me wrong. Many fans argued that childhood games were products of the host's nostalgia. While the season finale confirms some truth to the latter, director Hwang Dong-hyuk revealed that he used children's games so viewers could pay attention to character dynamics rather than trying to understand the rules. Although this tactic successfully aimed my focus on the characters, I can tell you for sure that the kids I babysit won't be playing Red Light Green Light with me ever again.
What's with the masks?
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For everyone besides the players, anonymity is key. The guards, VIPs, and Front Man are all clad in different masks to protect their identity. While we know that the masks are intended to guarantee secrecy, what do the different ones mean? After finishing all nine episodes, I feel pretty confident in my answer: it's all about the angles. The more angles on the mask's shape, the more power the person has. When we meet The Front Man (who we thought was in charge) he is wearing a black mask composed of multiple sharp angles. However, in the last episode, the host is revealed wearing a diamond-encrusted animal mask. Although the Front Man’s mask gives him some pretty sick bone structure, the diamonds create thousands of angles, showing that the host is the most powerful of them all.
Was the show lost in translation?
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While I was satisfied by the end of the show, I quickly found out that there was still something left to be desired. A viral tweet from fan Youngmi Mayer explained that watching with subtitles altered the show's meaning. Namely, Player 212’s character is entirely different in Korean and English. Subtitles changed her lines to exclude profanity, which takes away from her tough exterior. Rather than appearing as a *gangster,* she is seen as a desperate romantic who partakes in violence to appeal to the guy she likes (not very girl boss of her). We also miss out on the fact that she's really smart. In episode 6, as she struggles to find a partner, the subtitles show her reasoning with other players by saying, "I'm not a genius, but I still got it worked out." In reality, what she really said is, "I am very smart. I just never got a chance to study." If English viewers could see her through a lens of untapped potential, her actions would appear intentional and clever rather than simply annoying.
Who are the guards?
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Okay, so this is the one I don't have an answer to (which makes it infinitely more fun). There are SO many theories, but my favorite is that the masked guards are past winners and players from discontinued games. Hear me out: the theory claims that before the game, players were involved in gambling, stealing, gang activity, and corporate fraud, which indicates that they might not be the most responsible people with money. Also, if the guards had played the game themselves, the amount of violence likely desensitized them, allowing them to eliminate players without remorse. Some theories say that the winners blow all of their prize money and must return to the game as guards to earn it back. Finally, what really tied this theory together for me was Gi-Hun dying his hair bright red after winning the games. Obvi its still just a theory, but many fans (including yours truly!) think his new ‘do might mean he’ll join as a guard in the next season and attempt to destroy the game from within.
Wait… are we even getting the next season?
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Honestly, we better. Following Netflix renewal patterns, all signs point toward season two, but the director explained that the grueling creation process means it’s likely we won’t be getting more episodes anytime soon. Even if we might not get it in this lifetime, he gave us some insight into what might be in store for next season. We can expect exploration into the police officer, guards, and Head Man. Basically, we're not hearing "no," but don’t hold your breath.
I don’t know about you, but there wasn’t a single episode that didn’t keep me on my toes. Squid Game is certainly one of the best shows to hit Netflix, and its viewership reflects that. Hopefully, the pressure of 111 million viewers left on a cliffhanger will convince the director to get things moving. For now, all we can do is wait, and avoid business cards with shapes on them at all costs.
Cover Photo Credit: Pinterest