Squid Game: The Challenge should not be a thing
Netflix's competition takes all the wrong lessons from the South Korean hit that inspired it
TV Features Squid Game
If you’re brave enough to press play on Netflix’s Squid Game: The Challenge, prepare to be disappointed and, even worse, bored. The reality series is an utterly dragged-out, inauthentic mess that takes all the wrong lessons from the 2021 South Korean hit that inspired it. The takeaway from Squid Game should not be “Hey, let’s make this scary shit real” or “What if we got people to sign up for a non-fatal version of a show that depicted the fear of dystopian capitalism and then treat them like garbage for the sake of entertainment?”
Plus, The Challenge isn’t even amusing, which could have at least been its saving grace. It seems to exist to shock and awe, but fails spectacularly at both. If the creators thought having the same shiny, freaky set as Squid Game—which was released two whole years ago—would be exciting enough, they were wrong. The show borrows some competitions from the original series, but some are new and prolonged for poorly manufactured drama. The contestants are reduced to caricatures. What’s more, the show is neither exciting nor inventive—and it has nothing to add to Squid Game’s overarching message. Here, the stakes are slim. So it raises simple questions: What is the point? Why does something so lacking in morals, common sense, and even fun exist?
You’re probably asking, “Don’t a lot of reality TV shows fall under that generic umbrella?” But Squid Game: The Challenge is particularly fucked up. Unlike other heightened competition reality shows, this one stems from Squid Game, which examines how the common man is forced to fight to the death—literally—to survive. It’s not just about the bloody, cruel games the players are forced to battle in, but who orchestrates them for personal enjoyment. Squid Game is a sharp anti-capitalist TV show. The Challenge is just a trashy and often sad rip-off.
Four hundred and fifty six people sign up to voluntarily stay in the Squid Game set, sleeping on bunk beds in a claustrophobic dormitory and trying to pass all kinds of physical tests and mind games. (Juicing enough oranges in 30 minutes so everyone can get a “treat” is one of them.) Through talking heads, some contestants reveal reasons for partaking in this. Understandably, they want the hefty $4.56 million cash prize, no matter how painful, emotionally draining, or embarrassing the cost.
Despite some relatable backstories, Squid Game: The Challenge never connects. It’s hard to care when contestants “die,” as black dye bursts onto their clothes and they drop on the floor in tacky fashion. Or when they rabidly lick dalgona cookies in a bid to then crack them with a needle. Or when only one of them receives a burger and fries, but the rest frantically descend on the tray for a fry or two. Or when a French man suddenly becomes a villain because he’s “a little rude.” Or when a couple of women “clean” carefully littered toilets.
Squid Game: The Challenge’s singular bonus point is that it’s not shy about eliminating the valuable players who get more focus. (It’s their version of decapitating Ned Stark when you least expect it.) But if you think about it, there’s no choice when a whopping 456 people are involved and several of them need the limelight to make this effective. So, technically speaking, even the one good thing is a default, not a strategic storytelling choice. Beyond copying Squid Game, no strategy seems to have been involved anyway. What was involved was loads of money in recreating sets, figuring out cookie recipes (apparently, it took months upon months), and coming up with that record-breaking winning sum.
In an interview with The Telegraph, executive producer Tim Harcourt dismissed criticism of the show by saying, “Well, I’ve got two teenage boys and [those critiques] wouldn’t even enter their mind as to what that show is about. They see it as being a fantasy game world.” Squid Game: The Challenge is anything but a fantasy. It’s reality TV at its brutal worst.
53 Comments
This is like all of the people who read/watched Fight Club and started a local fight club.Meanwhile I ate my way into these beautiful bitch tits.
I am Jack’s approval.
I don’t understand the fretting over this show’s morals. The contestants aren’t being put in real danger, which makes it as morally dubious as every other reality show that points at contestants embarrassing themselves for a shot at a big prize. That The Challenge is a spin-off of a show that was explicitly criticizing that kind of entertainment makes it embarrassingly tone-deaf, but I don’t understand how that’s makes it more immoral than it already is (or isn’t, if you’re the type of person that never had a problem watching reality TV). If “missing the point of a critical text” was a moral failing in and of itself, I would have to have some very uncomfortable conversations with people that throw Great Gatsby-themed parties. Please don’t make me do that.
The most offensive thing to me is premiering two years after Squid Game. Mr. Beast cobbled a knock-off much faster.
I don’t think review “fretted” over this show’s morals. It asks how it exists, given its lack of morals, common sense, and fun. The latter two qualities – particularly the last – are arguably the most important part of a reality show. As you note, many other reality shows are as immoral, but I don’t really see why it isn’t germane to a review to include on the list of qualities it’s missing. Not all reality shows are as immoral in the sense that they openly exploit the desire people have for money to make them embarrass themselves. I think this show would have had to do something subversive to the format (and in a more timely manner, ideally) because of what’s it’s based on to avoid this level of exploitativeness. But I did not interpret this review as fretting about its morals in particular.
But framing the question of how it exists given its lack of morals implies that this show needed morals to exist. In addition to bringing up plenty of valid critiques (this show really doesn’t sound fun at all), this review returns to the idea that The Challenge’s existence is “fucked up” because it’s based on an anti-capitalist show about contestants fighting for survival. As BedandBreakfastman pointed out, there’s already a reality show literally called Survivor. By virtue of the fact that no one is actually being killed on the show, it seems morally on par with the reality shows Squid Game was satirizing in the first place, and tone-deaf spin-offs that miss the point of the original aren’t anything new, nor have I ever seen their morals criticized.We can agree to disagree, but it sure feels like fretting to me.
Yes, I think your interpretation is that the ding about lack of morals was singled out in relation to the source material. I didn’t interpret it that way. I don’t think reviews are obligated to ensure that a point of criticism is novel to the individual piece of work with a genre. But fair enough. nor have I ever seen their morals criticized That is surprising to me. I most certainly have, and not infrequently.
I’ve seen reality shows criticized for their morals, and I have seen spin-offs criticized for missing the point of the original, but the way this review is worded gives me the impression that they thought that missing the point of Squid Game is a moral failure in and of itself, and that’s what’s new to me. I’ll concede that I’m misunderstanding what the reviewer is trying to convey. I think clearer writing would help avoid confusion, but maybe it’s just me.
they thought that missing the point of Squid Game is a moral failure in and of itself, and that’s what’s new to meyes when it comes from netflix itself; or any creator trying to profit of of it (MrBeast) it’s ABSOLUTELY a moral failure to miss the point of squid game; specially when the point is shoved in your face with absolutely zero room for interpretation. ffs this show is the opposite of subtelty when it comes to its message (not saying it’s a bad thing)
Okay. Well, agree to disagree, I guess.
Yeah, if this is the online crowd’s idea of “dystopian”, then their standards for “dystopia” are too low. (Course, we knew that already.) It’s a dumb game show they slapped the name of a popular series onto. Nobody would have a problem with this show if it were called anything other than “Squid Game”.People do seem to go a little nuts over game shows—The Price is Right is apparently “capitalist propaganda”, and The Masked Singer is treated like it’s a crime against God.
yeah let’s rejoice as all the shit our culture is throwing at us and never say anything bad about it. Yes “nobody died” but the level of cynicism you have to go to to make a real tv show called “squid game” when you made a show with the same name with an extremely obvious discourse about how it’s extremely wrong is staggering.
Sci-Fi Author: In my book I invented the Torment Nexus as a cautionary tale Netflix: At long last, we have created the Torment Nexus from classic sci-fi novel Don’t Create The Torment Nexus
Netflix: At long last, we have created a scale replica of the Torment Nexus from classic sci-fi novel Don’t Create The Torment Nexus. Would anyone like to pay us for the privilege to take a photo of themselves in the Torment Nexus? *makes money hand over fist*
so you understand how it’s “tone-deaf” (that’s putting it mildly) but it’s ok because the contestants “aren’t really killed”? culturally this is a catastrophe. that it’s not an isolated incident doesn’t make it better.
Yes, I understand how this show is “tone-deaf” and agree that it’s putting it mildly. I wouldn’t go as far to as say that it’s “ok,” but I think the fact that the contestants aren’t really being killed makes it exactly as morally questionable as any other reality show that features contestants competing to win giant sums of money by pretending they are playing for their lives (like Survivor). That it’s based on a show that was explicitly criticizing what they recreated just makes it embarrassing and cringe IMO.
Man, Capitalism is just insanely, insanely good at this. It’s truly a marvel.
Robocop and Starship Tropper video games (what is it about Verhoeven?)The Rambo sequels (and Rambo cartoon!!!)The list is likely bottomless. If you can’t beat something on morals, then package it, commoditize it, and sell it.
Why is it still called “reality” tv at this point? All aspects of every show are heavily produced and scripted. Real people don’t talk like the ones in these shows do.(Yes I know that’s the point of the article. I wasn’t addressing this show specifically.)
Because game shows are for your grandparents, documentaries are for nerds, and scripted TV involves – ugh – unions.That’s pretty much why.
They don’t specify which reality.
Whats weird is, we do have real, unscripted competition shows. We call them sports.
America had 5 major ones:FootballBasketballBaseballHockeyMTV’s The Challenge.
When I clicked on this I thought it was going to be a (p)review of a second season to the show. The moment I found out it was a reality TV spinoff I think I barfed in my mouth a bit
that is the appropriate reaction
when only one of them receives a burger and fries, but the rest frantically descend on the tray for a fry or twosomehow this aspect strikes me as the most dystopian. as dumb as it is to artificially recreate death games for “reality” tv, the fact that they’re just straight up demeaning humans by forcing them to fight over food on tv is somehow worse.
Not sure if you watched, but all the contestants were fed. They fought over that guys burger because people suck, and people who are drawn to “reality” TV shows suck even more. Ever watch Black Friday videos?
Why would anyone watch this when there’s a new season of Takeshi’s Castle out?
I don’t think this one is that bad. This reality show concept is pretty light compared to 90 Day Fiance and Dance Moms.
“Well, I’ve got two teenage boys and [those critiques] wouldn’t even enter their mind as to what that show is about.”Is that where we’re setting the standard now? If a teenage boy doesn’t have a problem with it, it’s fine? ‘Cause I think we can aim a little higher.
I would say that this guy is basically a real life, non-parody version of Jack Donaghy making MILF Island…but MILF Manor has already been done. So at this point reality TV is far beyond satire.
Not using red dye packs ….I’m out. Belongs on cbs
Yeah even setting aside the complete contradiction of the original show’s message, the pressure in the original came from the knowledge that death was on the line. You take that out of the equation and all you’ve got is a bunch of dumb games wearing dated Halloween costumes.
The same problem that Zombieverse had: knowing that no one truly thinks their life is at stake undermines the very premise of a “reality TV zombie apocalypse.”
“Well, I’ve got two teenage boys and [those critiques] wouldn’t even enter their mind as to what that show is about.”It’s super shocking that a guy who has spent the last decade producing banal, morally bankrupt reality television would produce banal, morally bankrupt children over that same period.
Initial take: Wow this completely missed the point of the show, that’s embarrassing.Second thought: I guess that just makes it a reality competition show, something that people already like? Not the worst thing in the world to see if these games are exciting in an unscripted context.Rethinking: But actually, these interview answers ARE the dumbest, most tone deaf things in the world. The first thought was correct.
$4.5 mil is an effin lot of reasons. I’ve only watched one episode so far and its weirdly addictive at the moment.
All the money they spent on this could have been better put towards producing more episodes of “The Floor is Lava” which is uncomplicated, stupid fun.
yeah no shit
There’s a book from Amélie Nothomb; a french writer; called “sulphuric acid” which is about a game show that tries to emulate Auschwitz (where they absolutely kill people). I wonder if netflix is thinking about adapting the show from the book. (this is about how I feel about the squid game live show for context)
Because entertainment executives are lazy morons?
Hey, they may be lazy and morons, but they . . . what was the third thing you said?
funily enough this reads like the average MrBeast video. In a way the MrBeast version is more genuine because that’s exactly the kind of awful stuff he does; even without a model in every video.
Sci-Fi Author: In my book I invented the Torment Nexus as a cautionary taleTech Company: At long last, we have created the Torment Nexus from classic sci-fi novel Don’t Create The Torment Nexus
Can’t wait for next year when Netflix releases a games show based on the Hunger Games.
I put this in because it’s easy to work out while sports or shows like this are playing. The first episode and a half were entertaining and tense. After that, it’s boring.
One thing I do like is that it was split into two. It makes for an easier binge while avoiding online spoilers. I wish other shows, scripted, reality, and otherwise would do this.
Still looking forward to S2 of the scripted version.
it’s fine. why the hate?
If people don’t die at the end of each game, it literally can’t be anything like Squid Games. Otherwise, it’s just childhood street games.
I don’t think anybody ever expected the show to be any good. My question is: why are the exploding ink packs black? Shouldn’t they be red?
Counterpoint: It was as engrossing as the scripted show. A dystopian capitalist nightmare sure, but a really engrossing one, and there’s no real danger so it’s the same as every other reality game show a la Survivor. I’m in for season 2