Withthe recent trailer droppingforSquid GameSeason 3, it’s about to be game over for one ofNetflix’s most acclaimed global hits, and things have never looked quite so dire for television’s most desperate players. Between Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) drawing the full ire of the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) and his fellow rebels set to suffer for their uprising at the end of Season 2, the stakes have never been higher for a cast sure to lose even more members before the games come to an end. This sense of inevitable catastrophe will undoubtedly keep viewers glued tothe grand finale come June 27, but it’s also important to remember where creatorHwang Dong-hyuk’s series began, especially sinceSquid Gamewouldn’t be what it is today without five crucial minutes.
At the end ofSquid GameSeason 1, Episode 1, what is nowthe series' first game of Red Light, Green Lightwas played and changed everything both the characters and viewers thought they knew about the survival thriller. Up until this point, the story only hints at the true nature of its bloody competition, withthe Salesman’s (Gong Yoo) creepy pitchand his organization’s covert tactics making it clear that the series' central tournament is an underworld affair. During the five minutes players have to crossSquid Game’s first field of play, however,the massacre that takes place takes things further than anyone could have imagined, setting the stage for the horrors to come and Gi-hun’s bitter character arc in the process.
Red, Light, Green Light Sets the Tone for ‘Squid Game’s Unique Horror
This crucialscene ofSquid Game’s first seasonis most notable for how it ushers in the true tone of the series. Again, prior to this first event,the show comes off as something of a typical crime thriller, with Gi-hun horribly in debt, chased by loan sharks, and occupying the bottom rung of a society clearly stacked against him. The violence that does occur is relatively restrained, comparable to the less excessive gore you’d expect to seein another battle royale-style drama, likeThe Hunger Games. That all changes with Red Light, Green Light. The scene’s execution prioritizes realism and unflinching violence,forcing the audience to listen to nothing but the screams of its slaughtered playersand the gunshots raining down on them from the unfeeling walls.
This harrowing combination showcases the bitter fate reserved for those exploited by the games, but it also sets the stage for the gore ofSquid Game’s future subplots, such asthe organ-harvesting schemedepicted later in the season. At the same time, this scene offers the first real example ofwhat makesSquid Game’s challenges so horrifying. It’s not for nothing thatthe Red Light, Green Light animatronic dollis frequently used as the series’ definitive symbol. Combined with the playfully colorful arena, both highlight the games' sickeningly childlike aesthetic, underscoring how what is terrifying for those without means is used as an equally entertaining nostalgia trap for those VIPs with more wealth than they know what to do with.
‘Squid Game’s Most Crucial Season 1 Scene Kicks Off Gi-Hun’s Journey as a Haunted Hero
On a more personal note, what makes this scene so crucial toSquid Game’s main story is how it affects its main character. Like the rest of his terrified competitors, Gi-hun goes through his own transformation during these five minutes, andwhat he enduresultimately informs his character arcthroughout the rest of the series. As you’d expect of anyone suddenly entering a childish arena with guards who look like they love geometry a little too much, Gi-hun doesn’t immediately take the game seriously, but his indifference is shattered as soon as players begin getting eliminated. At this moment,Gi-hun crosses a point of no return and is forced to make impossible choicesin order to survive, instilling in him the terror and unfairness of the games for the very first time.
Not only is Gi-hun forced to abandon a player who clings onto him for support during the game, but he also only manages to survive because Player 199, or Ali (Anupam Tripathi), catches him before he can attract the doll’s motion sensor. Both actions expose Gi-hun to the senselessness and emotional tollofSquid Game’s challenges, subsequentlytearing down his carefree personality and leaving him with an air of sadnessthat never goes away. In this regard, Gi-hun is situated in a similar position as the audience, transforming from someone mildly entertained into a witness to a massacre that feels wrong in ways he can’t immediately explain. The Gi-hun who walks out of Red Light, Green Light alternates between panic and disbelief, but, asSquid Gamecleverly indicates using its pre-game pictures,the man with the goofy smile never actually walks out at all. The part of Gi-hun that could believe nobody was truly crueldied alongside the first characterswho moved in front ofSquid Game’s doll.
‘Squid Game’s Newest Teaser Is Already Setting Up This Player as a Major Threat in the Final Season
This creepy player is more of a problem than you might think.
‘Squid Game’s Stakes Have Only Gotten Bigger With Each Season
Of course,Squid Gamehas plenty of iconic scenes, and Gi-hun’s character certainly undergoes more impactful development during his final losses in Season 1. What ultimately makes these five minutes so powerful is how they establisha uniquely dark toneSquid Gamehas only expandedsince its sadistic doll first spun around to stare down the audience. Remembering Gi-hun’s terror upon first being exposed to the brutality ofSquid Game’s challenges, for instance, reminds us justhow much he personally understands about the tournament’s cruelty and how far he’s comesince running in terror before Red Light, Green Light’s snipers. Conversely, with two seasons of horrors now under the world’s viewing belt, this scene is also a reminder thatSquid Gamecan always find ways to make even the cruelest gamelook tame in comparison to later challenges, demonstrating howboth the heroes and villains of the show have developed new ways to growsince its first episode.
At a time when most audience members are probably desensitized toSquid Game’s violence due to the sheer number of challenges we’ve witnessed, rewatching this scene is also useful forremembering the weight of the games’ cruelty and the true stakes of the tournament. At the end of the day,participating inSquid Game’s terrifying challengesdoesn’t just risk the lives of its players, but also the humanity of those forced to choose between their morals and their survival in order to see another day. While Gi-hun may start out as another petrified participant, he has since come to encompassa hero willing to risk his own humanity to preserve the humanity of others, one who was set down the path to Season 3’s final confrontation the moment he took his place behind the white line.
Squid Game
