SQUID GAME Season 1 Recap | Must Watch Before Season 2 | Series Explained

Summary

Season one of Squid Game follows Seong Gi-hun, a down-on-his-luck man caught in a deadly competition for a massive cash prize. Alongside 455 other players, he is forced to participate in a series of high-stakes games, each more perilous than the last. As alliances form and betrayals unfold, Gi-hun discovers the dark truth behind the games and the sinister forces controlling them. Amidst the violence and loss, he must navigate moral dilemmas, including sacrifices by those closest to him, ultimately leading to an explosive conclusion that reveals the shocking origins of the game and a new mission to end the cycle of brutality.

Takeaways

• 😀 Seong Gi-hun, a down-on-his-luck chauffeur, is deeply in debt, estranged from his daughter, and addicted to gambling.
• 😀 Gi-hun is invited to play a deadly game for a large cash prize, along with 455 other players who are also in financial distress.
• 😀 The contestants are forced to compete in six deadly games, with the prize increasing as players are eliminated.
• 😀 Gi-hun reunites with his childhood friend, Cho Sang-woo, and forms alliances with other players, including the elderly Oh Il-nam and pickpocket Kang Sae-byeok.
• 😀 The first game, Red Light, Green Light, leads to a massacre when players who fail to follow the rules are shot dead.
• 😀 After the first game, the players vote to end the games but return after realizing the prize money is their only way out of their troubles.
• 😀 Detective Hwang Jun-ho infiltrates the game and discovers the illegal activities happening on the island, including the organ harvesting of dead players.
• 😀 The games have been running for over 30 years, and Jun-ho uncovers the shocking truth about his missing brother, who is revealed to be the Front Man.
• 😀 Throughout the games, Gi-hun and his allies face increasingly difficult tasks, including cutting shapes from cookies, tug of war, and crossing a deadly glass bridge.
• 😀 In the final game, Squid Game, Gi-hun defeats his friend Sang-woo, who sacrifices himself for Gi-hun to win the money, leading Gi-hun to reconsider the value of life and money.

Q & A

What is the primary motivation behind Seong Gi-hun's decision to participate in the deadly Squid Game?

Seong Gi-hun is deeply in debt, estranged from his daughter, and struggling with a gambling addiction. His desperation for money, combined with his life troubles, leads him to participate in the Squid Game.

How does Seong Gi-hun meet Cho Sang-woo and what role does he play in the game?

Seong Gi-hun discovers that his childhood friend, Cho Sang-woo, is also a player in the Squid Game. Sang-woo, who is a former successful businessman on the brink of arrest, is another player motivated by financial troubles.

What makes the first game, Red Light, Green Light, so deadly?

The seemingly simple game of Red Light, Green Light turns deadly when players who fail to stop when the doll says 'red light' are shot and killed. This leads to widespread panic and a massacre of the players.

Why do the players vote to end the game, and what happens afterward?

After experiencing the horrors of the first game, the players hold a majority vote to end the games, which leads to their release. However, they return to their lives with no money, and most of them are still desperate for financial solutions.

What discovery does Detective Hwang Jun-ho make while infiltrating the game?

Detective Hwang Jun-ho, while posing as a guard, uncovers that the games have been going on for over thirty years and that the organizers are harvesting the organs of deceased players, selling them on the black market.

How does Sang-woo's character evolve throughout the games?

Sang-woo starts off as a relatively sympathetic character but becomes increasingly ruthless as the games progress. He manipulates his allies and is willing to sacrifice anyone, including his childhood friend Gi-hun, to secure his survival.

What is the significance of Il-nam's role in the game and his eventual revelation?

Il-nam, an elderly player, initially appears weak but later reveals he is the creator of the games. His decision to allow Gi-hun to win in the marble game reveals his complex relationship with the concept of friendship and humanity.

What is the psychological impact on Gi-hun after the events of the games?

Gi-hun is deeply traumatized by the events of the games. Although he becomes wealthy, he is unable to enjoy his winnings due to the emotional scars left by the violence, loss of life, and his role in the deaths of others.

How does the final game, Squid Game, reflect Gi-hun's relationship with Sang-woo?

In the final game, Gi-hun is forced to face his childhood friend, Sang-woo, in a battle that mirrors their past. Gi-hun defeats Sang-woo but chooses to forfeit the money and leave together, showcasing his desire for reconciliation. However, Sang-woo sacrifices himself, solidifying their bond and Gi-hun’s internal conflict.

What does Il-nam's final wager about human decency reveal about the series' themes?

Il-nam’s final wager, testing whether a passerby would help a drunken man before midnight, reflects the series' central themes of human nature, morality, and decency. Gi-hun's acceptance of the challenge and the resulting act of kindness highlights the potential for redemption and hope amid the cruelty of the games.