Squid Game--the reality show version

[Morrus]

Not the original drama (which was awesome) but the newer reality show based on it. We're 3 episodes in now.

It's... better than I expected it to be. I really didn't understand how they could possible make it work--and being eliminated from a competition is very much not the same stakes and drama as being shot (which, uh, no thanks!), and those lower stakes makes for different behaviour on the part of the contestants--but it's still quite watchable.

Anybody watch it?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

No, but since I'm a backer of Deathmatch Island, I probably should.

 

[GreyLord]

Not the original drama (which was awesome) but the newer reality show based on it. We're 3 episodes in now.

It's... better than I expected it to be. I really didn't understand how they could possible make it work--and being eliminated from a competition is very much not the same stakes and drama as being shot (which, uh, no thanks!), and those lower stakes makes for different behaviour on the part of the contestants--but it's still quite watchable.

Anybody watch it?

Didn't watch the original. I did hear and read about it (for a while it was one hot topic).

How would they call a game show "Squid Game" if it really doesn't replicate what was done in the show though?

It seems it would be the game only in name.

(that said, I wouldn't want to watch a game that replicated the show as that would be rather horrifying in real life).

 

[Morrus]

How would they call a game show "Squid Game" if it really doesn't replicate what was done in the show though?

It seems it would be the game only in name.

It’s the same but they don’t kill people (obvs).

 

[Sacrosanct]

I don't like it. Then again, I don't like any show whose entire premise is to exploit the suffering of others for entertainment value. These are desperate people deep in debt, and they're put in situations like this to exploit their poor situation. It's like the producers missed the entire point of what the original show was trying to say.

 

[Morrus]

I don't like it. Then again, I don't like any show whose entire premise is to exploit the suffering of others for entertainment value. These are desperate people deep in debt, and they're put in situations like this to exploit their poor situation. It's like the producers missed the entire point of what the original show was trying to say.

I didn’t get the impression they were desperate people deep in debt? They just seem to be standard game show contestants. Some of them appear to be quite wealthy, in fact.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I don't like it. Then again, I don't like any show whose entire premise is to exploit the suffering of others for entertainment value. These are desperate people deep in debt, and they're put in situations like this to exploit their poor situation. It's like the producers missed the entire point of what the original show was trying to say.

 

[Sacrosanct]

When I watched the first part of ep 1, I was wondering why so many people were diving on the ground during red light green light. Apparently the 5 minutes was only when the doll wasn't facing you. Time stopped when she was. And it took 7 hours in near freezing temps to do that game. Which makes sense if you had to stay in the same position for an hour to dive and lay on the ground. And i guess there's a pending lawsuit by 3 contestants that got injured in that game.

That was about when I stopped watching it.

 

[Morrus]

When I watched the first part of ep 1, I was wondering why so many people were diving on the ground during red light green light. Apparently the 5 minutes was only when the doll wasn't facing you. Time stopped when she was. And it took 7 hours in near freezing temps to do that game. Which makes sense if you had to stay in the same position for an hour to dive and lay on the ground. And i guess there's a pending lawsuit by 3 contestants that got injured in that game.

That was about when I stopped watching it.

I dunno what to say. It's a game they're choosing to play and they can stop playing at any time. It's all voluntary. I'm not telling you what to watch or not to watch (watch or don't watch what you want, of course, for any reason you want), just clearing up why I don't mind watching it.

(I mean, if it turns out they aren't adequately screening potential contestants or targeting vulnerable people, then I'm absolutely on the same wavelength as you--but there's no indication to my knowledge that that is the case. I'm willing to be proved wrong.)

 

[Older Beholder]

Yeah, I binged it on release. Just waiting for the last episode to come out next week.
Reality TV has always interested me on multiple levels. This is great reality TV, it gets the balance right between game show and social experiment.

I think they did a great job of adapting the original series, the classic games: red light/green light, dalgona, marbles, glass bridge are all there. But the stuff they've added has all been great and equal to the original games.

It's interesting that the best reality in some time comes from adapting a scripted show.
Watching Survivor last night after a Squid Game binge felt like watching reality TV 'lite'