Squid Game

Squid Game may not look like it, but its means of expression say a lot in a small space. Primarily sociological, it examines characters with various bad backstories in an extreme setting, but does it with refinement and unpredictability. At times brutal splatter carnage, at times a slow burn of great emotion. A wonderful gamut of different fates, motivations and development of many characters, where no normal person seems to find their own, but in many situations it is hard not to sympathize with and root for many of them. A brilliant complex drama with at times quirky humour, poignant moments and unadulterated brutality, in a typically Eastern sprawling style. Must see. (01/02/2022)

A well-deserved hit that might even not need a sequel. (05/07/2022)

What at first seems like a low-life drama of a loser and a gambler eventually turns into a sick game that culminates in an inferno in the form of the first game. If this is mainstream Korea, then God bless what will follow. (24/01/2022)

A big surprise and an understandable drop in ratings. Most of the bloodthirsty fans were expecting a follow-up to the first episode, but the creators decided to go for a completely unexpected story development, and for that, thumbs up. It takes balls to take such a turn in a miniseries set up like this. After the second episode it is clear that the story is taken much more broadly and with much more emphasis on a number of characters than we first thought. And that in the end the game itself may not be the main thing. (24/01/2022)

The third episode “goes back to the roots” of the first. The game is more sophisticated and inventive, but it has lost the instant glamour and the element of surprise. It's interesting to watch the characters that this time don't go into the unknown, but instead try to capitalize on the experience from the previous game. (26/01/2022)

A supercharged episode that doesn't let up. First we have the night slaughter, then recruiting the team, a bit of martial arts and a heart attack ending. In addition to the great moments and individual scenes, there’s also the broader development of the story and some side plot lines that will probably play a role later. The best episode so far. (26/01/2022)

As long as the creators stick to the game, it's a fantasy, but when the plot diverts into secondary storylines, it's always a little weaker, with less pull and less wow. The fifth episode is not an exception, and it’s a significant slowdown after the brilliant fourth. At times I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was watching Lost made in Korea. (28/01/2022)

Emotional bomb. Complex, moving, imaginative. The peak of the entire series, and I can’t imagine how it can be surpassed. Even if there were a number of reasons not to watch Squid Game, this episode makes it worth it. (28/01/2022)

A good focus for another game that doesn't surpass the emotional impact of the previous one, but is at least simpler, more arcade-like and straightforward. Understandably, with some tricky situations and confrontations of individual characters. One of the few episodes where even the side story is quite OK and watchable. (29/01/2022)

A step downhill. Fortunately, it's a short episode that doesn't say much, unless you count the would-be shocking twist on the level of a Mexican soap opera. (29/01/2022)

Surprisingly, the last episode doesn't close the proverbial scissors, nor does it really say much. Unfortunately, it's more of a showcase for the main character's odd behaviour, and at the very end they can't avoid leaving an open door for a sequel. The ending doesn't take away from the overall complexity and many positions that Squid Game contains, it's just its unfinished final thread and that's a bit of a shame. (01/02/2022)