'Squid Game: Challenge', Netflix's reality show hit as exploitative and cynical

Serving up emotional blackmail, feeding off negative emotions, and making use of manipulative tactics, "Squid Game: Challenge", a spin-off from the massive hit "Squid Game", doesn't even bother to disguise its intention to hook the viewer. Some will find themselves unable to tear their eyes away from the screen, while others will gratefully thank Netflix and hold out patiently for the next season of the original Korean series.

This strategy is almost as old as capitalism itself. If it's successful, it deserves a sequel. 2021's "Squid Game" is no exception. It's not just a very popular series, it's also part of pop culture. So, it's predictable that Netflix, while biding time for the second season, decided to monetize the series' success. Hence, the idea of a reality show where, like in the series, 456 participants partake in brutal children's games was born. Only one will eventually walk away with the grand prize of $4.56 million.

"Squid Game" highlights something we've seen countless times in popular culture - a critique of capitalism. Although the series uses broader strokes than other South Korean exports of recent years (like the Oscar-winning "Parasite"), it's just as captivating in its satirical representation of the world, making it easy to get drawn in. Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk conceived his version of "Hunger Games", presenting viewers with a world so dehumanized it breeds ruthless competition fueled by desperation and human vulnerabilities.

Attempting to recreate this in a gameshow format, "Squid Game: Challenge" mimics the original quite closely. From the costumes and set designs to the dystopian atmosphere, the replica is faithful. But of course, nobody dies in "Squid Game: Challenge" - elimination from the game is met with a faux blood explosion on their costume.

Having watched two of the five available episodes on Netflix, with four more set for release on November 29, and the finale on December 6, I can't help but feel that Netflix has utterly misconstrued the series' message about the devastating impact of social inequality. Here, we merely observe strangers behaving abominably while competing for an enormous prize. Given the context, it ends up being quite similar structurally to many other mindless entertainment shows that flood television these days.

The flaw intensifies when you realize that in "Squid Game: Challenge", there are no stakes, so it's a stress-free watch centered around the question: "I wonder if they'll recreate this or that game from the series well". To fill this gap, the producers resort to... emotional blackmail and manipulations. This is primarily directed towards the players. Right from the beginning, they establish one person as the main antagonist. A youth's wisdom that 'compassion is a weakness' is all it takes for us to develop negative feelings. Netflix blatantly instructs us to dislike this character and hope he's knocked out early.

But the ill-treatment of the participants doesn't end there. There are cheap tactics like the tearful stories of a father wishing to win the money to better his daughter's life. The players are subjected to psychological tests constructed to put them in the worst possible predicament - they must obtain someone's phone within two minutes, or they're out. It's a cheap shot because it instantly makes viewers dislike a specific fortunate character.

On occasion, the show manages to be quite engaging. The first game with the spinning doll can be surprisingly entertaining as we see many failing to cross the finish line. The Dalgona cookie task looks more interesting - the tension here was created by the participants, divided into groups, failing to reach an agreement about who gets the trickier option of carving out the umbrella shape.

Unfortunately, the character's excessive theatrics often dilute these occasional points of interest. I understand the need to inject emotion, but it's hard not to laugh at how overdramatic everything has been directed. Netflix also made a significant mistake in the running time of the first episodes - they last almost an hour, appearing needlessly stretched obviously, and many scenes are just fillers. We're inundated with people gossiping and sharing their mildly interesting stories.

Despite everything, "Squid Game: Challenge" might still appeal to viewers. It's a well-produced copy of a universally beloved series. Some might also argue that the program itself serves as a perfect metaphor for late capitalism. Through it, Netflix is looking to further increase its wealth off a modified version of a product that has already brought it immense profits.

The problem lies in the stark difference between the series and the reality show. In the series, at least there's the illusion that someone cares for the ill-fated and underprivileged. In "Squid Game: Challenge", all we're given is mindless entertainment. Cultural theorists like Jean Baudrillard or Fredric Jameson might find value in this simulacrum, but I'll pass. I'd much rather wait for the second season of the original.