Squid Game: The Challenge review – it's messy, cheesy, exploitative and one of the best shows I've watched

The past week was a great one for entertainment television: David Tennant made his triumphant return to Doctor Who – to the delight of fans; and CM Punk made his triumphant return to WWE – to the chagrin of Seth Rollins. And yet, despite witnessing these two iconic moments in pop culture, I had the most fun with a surprise third player: Netflix's Squid Game: The Challenge.

As its name implies, the reality competition is based on the hit South Korean drama and sees 456 contestants competing in a series of children's games to win US$4.56 million (S$6.1 million). The first five episodes of the show were released on Nov 22 while the next batch will be released on Nov 29.

Honestly, I had no intention of watching the show. The trailer made it seem like it was a watered-down remake of the OG Squid Game, with cheesier reactions. Plus, YouTuber MrBeast had already beaten Netflix to the punch two years ago with his own stunning recreation of the Squid Game sets. Coupled with reports of unfavourable conditions on set (which has led to at least two contestants seeking damages), it was clear that this show had a lot going against it.

Then word got out that 74-year-old retiree Danny Yeo was the sole Singaporean to participate in Squid Game: The Challenge. This meant that I now had to watch the first batch of episodes of the show to see just how far Yeo made it so I could write about it for work.

Spoiler alert: Not that far. Unfortunately, viewers did not get a chance to see and get to know Yeo as the show did not air clips of him, and he was eliminated during the first game Red Light, Green Light.

Still, props to Yeo for going on this adventure.

By the time I realised Yeo wasn't going to be on screen, it was too late. Despite getting the metaphorical green light to stop my research and turn off my TV, I was already hooked.

Spoilers ahead.

CHEESY BACKSTORIES, WITH A TWIST

As expected, Squid Game: The Challenge starts with a litany of confessionals from multiple contestants – each with their own backstory. Some are doing the show to pay off their debts, others are doing it to support their family. Sure, it's cheesy but that's where the beauty of it lies.

By relying on standard reality TV tropes, the editors of the show lulled me into thinking that these were the contestants we'd be following throughout the competition. 

And then the first game happened.

In a twist that would make Game Of Thrones proud, by the time Red Light, Green Light ended, only about half of those who were interviewed remained in the competition – which goes to show that you should not get too attached to the players. 

Any preconceived notion I had about the show was immediately put to rest. It was clear that Squid Game: The Challenge was able to replicate both the tension and emotions of the original Squid Game.

The best part of it all: This wasn't even the show's finest twist.

DIVERSE RANGE OF PERSONALITIES 

One of the areas Squid Game: The Challenge excelled was in its contestants. Whether you liked wholesome or trashy characters, the show gave equal focus to all sorts of personalities – from the wholesome duo of Rick and Stephen to the manipulative Dash.

The star player in this cavalcade is undoubtedly Bryton Constantin aka Player 432. The former college football player has achieved notoriety for his confidence and abrasive personality. In one of the show's most memorable scenes, he threatened to hurt another contestant once the show was done filming for calling him a "frat boy". In another scene, he commanded another contestant on the other side of the room "to stop crying" even though she was not on his team.

Constantin was a villain I loved to hate which made his elimination in the third game one of the most cathartic moments I've felt while watching reality TV.

SUBVERSION OF ORIGINAL SQUID GAME

As one would expect, the contestants of Squid Game: The Challenge used the plot of the original Squid Game to guide their decisions in the competition. While the strategy was useful for the first two games, it ultimately backfired once the third game was revealed.

Just like us viewers, the contestants, too, were lulled into a false sense of security – leading to one of the best twists I've seen in a while.

In the original Squid Game, the third game to be played was Tug Of War. With this in mind, contestants scrambled to assemble the strongest people in their teams, expecting a game of physical strength.

Once contestants entered the arena, they were shocked to discover that the third game was actually a game of Battleship, sinking any hopes of brawn coming out on top.

This false sense of security was expertly utilised multiple times throughout the show (in ways I will not spoil), which paved the way for many tense sequences.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by how good Squid Game: The Challenge was. It definitely had its flaws but it kept me entertained and on the edge of my seat for five hours straight. And in many ways, that's all that matters in a show.