Squid Game: The Challenge review: It’s messy, cheesy, exploitative and one of the best shows I’ve watched

SUBVERSION OF ORIGINAL SQUID GAME

As one would expect, the contestants of Squid Game: The Challenge used the plot of the original Squid Game to guide their decisions in the competition. While the strategy was useful for the first two games, it ultimately backfired once the third game was revealed.

Just like us viewers, the contestants, too, were lulled into a false sense of security – leading to one of the best twists I’ve seen in a while.

In the original Squid Game, the third game to be played was Tug Of War. With this in mind, contestants scrambled to assemble the strongest people in their teams, expecting a game of physical strength.

Once contestants entered the arena, they were shocked to discover that the third game was actually a game of Battleship, sinking any hopes of brawn coming out on top.

This false sense of security was expertly utilised multiple times throughout the show (in ways I will not spoil), which paved the way for many tense sequences.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by how good Squid Game: The Challenge was. It definitely had its flaws but it kept me entertained and on the edge of my seat for five hours straight. And in many ways, that’s all that matters in a show.