***Warning: Spoilers ahead!!***

About a month ago, the TV show Squid Game was released onto Netflix and became an instant hit. It was and is still in the Top 10 Trending Shows on Netflix, despite being out for a while already. While many argue that the show is overrated, I would argue that it fully deserves the hype it receives. Squid Game offers memorable characters, a unique story concept, and many nail-biting moments. 

Like many other shows/movies, Squid Game’s first episode started off extremely slow-paced and, quite frankly, a bit boring. In retrospect, it sets up the characters and background pretty well, and you get to see the first game. 

If you have already watched Squid Game, I’m sure you already know that the sixth episode is a tough one to get through. As someone who still cries every time I watch The Lion King, I cried one hundred times harder when I found out what the challenge was, and that was before anyone even died. I still haven’t gotten over Sang-woo betraying Ali, Gi-hun manipulating the old man to give him all his marbles, or Lee Yoo-mi sacrificing herself for Sae-byeok. Although all the episodes before this one showed that Squid Game was dark and twisted, this challenge brought it to another level. For some reason, also, it didn’t wrap around my mind that only one player could win the game until after this episode. I felt empty after finishing this episode, knowing that the game would only get sadder and I’d have to get used to my favorite characters dying any moment. 

Another great episode was the eighth episode, where the remaining 16 players had to cross a glass bridge that consisted of strong, tempered glass and glass that would break and cause death by falling if stepped on. This episode made my hands sweat profusely and had to have been one of the most intense games on the show.

Another great moment was when the older, crazy lady, Han Mi-nyeo, helped Sae-byeok sneak through the vents and later yelled at the guard; this was probably the only moment of comedic relief within the entire series. I was traumatized most by the scene where Deok-su, the middle-aged, rude guy, and his group of friends started killing the other players; the flashing lights and screams of horror were all too much for me. 

As much as the show was realistic and unparalleled to any other works, there were some aspects that I was not the biggest fan of. My first note is that Sae-byeok’s death felt extremely rushed and anticlimactic. Sae-byeok was one of my favorite characters, yet I barely felt any sadness when she died. She was literally alive one second, and then murdered the next. While I was watching her death scene, all that went through my mind was, Oh, I guess she’s dead now. Additionally, I wish there were more scenes and interactions between Han Mi-nyeo and Sae-byeok, because I was looking forward to them being a mother-daughter duo. 

Unfortunately, the last episode of the season was anything but intriguing. Most of the scenes post-game just felt like filler and build-up for the upcoming second season. The episode began with a jaw-dropping final battle between Sangwoo and Gi-hun and proceeded to decline in quality as the minutes went by. If you were to ask me what happened after Gi-hun won the game, I’d only be able to tell you that the old man was the mastermind behind the entire game. Aside from the anticlimactic ending, the other eight episodes were amazing.

Squid Game is a perfect mix of darkness, tragedy, and comedy. It reminds me of a modern rendition of The Hunger Games. I recommend watching this show even if you’re not into K-Dramas or films that are in a foreign language, as the great concept and characters will amaze you.