When we last visited the Squid Game universe, 456 desperate souls battled to the death for the chance to win the 456 billion won cash prize.
Back then, the world wasn't ready for the emotional ride that was Squid Game in which players were gunned down, slashed and fell to their deaths in their individualistic, self-serving attempts to escape their money troubles in the real world.
It has been two years since we last saw the signature green and white uniform of the players but fans are finally able to re-enter the games, albeit in a different way.
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The reality show, Squid Game: The Challenge, borrowed heavily from its parent K-Drama to bring the real drama to life.
For those wondering, yes, many of the well-known games are back.
The players tried their hands at ddakji, carefully licked and prized their appointed shape out of their dalgona/ppopgi (a Korean honeycomb toffee shaped like a cookie) and endured the trials and tribulations of the infamous Red Light, Green Light race. A task that caused a whole heap of controversy.
It isn't quite the sequel fans had been pleading for since Squid Game's season one finale but it's a worthy consolation prize as viewers patiently wait for season two.
Especially with the addition of the new, tense challenges as well as fresh new ways to eliminate players, giving the franchise some extra intrigue while deepening the suspense.
That said, the key social/moral conundrum remained the same: 'what are you willing to do for the chance to win a life-changing sum of money?'
Squid Game posed this question and then watched their players turn from frightened to constant to rabid challengers willing to backstab, deceive and ruthlessly kill for their prize.
That desperation of the vulnerable, pushing them to the extremities (all for what turned out to be the amusement of an old man at the end of his life) was incredibly exploitative in a dark and morally unscrupulous way. It was good television, perfectly dark for a drama.
The taskmasters behind the mask did a pretty good job at tinkering with the Squid Game formula to make it fit a real-life (blood-less) scenario, but there is something a little unsavoury about watching players double cross each other, not just for fun or in good jest but because this money would actually change their circumstance in insurmountable ways and for some, release them of that financial burden.
Yet that seems to be a key focal point The Challenge was keen to highlight, the vulnerability of the players.
"Who's not in debt?" stated Starla, player 318 three minutes into the first episode.
"We're facing a recession. I'm not getting paid at work for this but you're dreaming, you're taking a chance."
She opened up further, saying: "What's that like to be able to pay off your house? What's that like to be able to pay off your car? I know these may be simple dreams but what's that like?"
Suddenly you're not just watching an extension of the Squid Game universe in which morals will be tested and the best and the worst parts of humanity are explored.
You're in fact watching real people with genuine burdens be emotionally, mentally and physically tested and pitted against one another for cash that could see them unburdened and something about that feels a little uncomfortable.
Later on during episodes, players of The Challenge expressed other reasons for taking part in the show; the need to prove one's self, the thrill of the challenge, representation for marginalised communities and so on. Yet, the show chose to open with its focus on the recession and throughout continued to draw back to means-related struggles, lest we forgot. Which begs the question, why?
Why was it edited in a way so that this became the basis from which the show was built?
Despite the murkiness of the former hanging over the show, Squid Game: The Challenge is a binge-able watch.
As viewers get to know the players episode by episode, they come to find that the other driving factors that led each player to Squid Game: The Challenge help make the show feel a little more well-rounded.
The diversity of backgrounds in terms of races, genders and classes, as well as the inclusion of differently abled contestants and queer representation, also helped to give the show more layers.
Everyone's unique lived experiences impacted their tactical approach to the games, making their approach to forming alliances and overall thought processes fascinating.
Ultimately it's those alliances, whether it be the mother-son duo or the formed friendships that led to one deaf contestant teaching her clique sign-language, that make the show.
This aspect alone, would have been enough of a draw, without the focus being pulled to their personal, fiscal circumstances.
It is that human connection and bonding that fundamentally will prompt you to unconsciously pick your side, place your bets on the winner and have you rooting for them with such emotional investment you may as well be in the game. It is this aspect that makes the show worth your time.
Squid Game: The Challenge and Squid Game are available to watch now on Netflix.
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TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
