Squid Game “The Man With The Umbrella”

Well, looks like everyone we knew before is back in the games.  At this point, I’d say the set-up is over, so perhaps the show will look more into the mystery behind all this.

That would seem to be the point for the Jun-ho character.  As a cop, he’s inclined to investigate possible crimes.  Granted, he’s both on his own and off-duty, so his investigation is taking place secretly as he jumps a guard, takes the guy out, and puts the man’s uniform on.  And fortunately, he’s quick to learn even when he screws up some basic protocol about whom he can and can’t talk to.  From what little he finds out, his own actions and behaviors are also greatly controlled, and he’s to never be seen unmasked outside his room…a room under constant surveillance.

So, who is behind all this?

Here’s the thing:  the games continue, but now that everyone involved knows the games are lethal, that means the characters on the show are trying to put together more means to actually survive.  That means Sae-byeok and another, louder woman manage to sneak out late at night, where Sae-byeok sees the minions making something with a lot of sugar.  Since she’s from North Korea, that means nothing to her.

It does mean something to Sang-woo.  He’s formed an alliance with Gi-hun, Abdul, and the Old Man.  Because, you know, pooling resources is a good way to get through something like this.  It would therefore be nice if he shared the sugar thing with the others, but he did figure out that the next contest involved carving an image out a sugar candy without breaking the shape.  By dumb luck, Gi-hun chooses an umbrella.  The other shapes were stars, circles, and triangles.  The contestants have ten minutes to finish.

Yeah, Sang-woo isn’t helping.

Now, all the name characters do advance, in part because Gi-hun realizes he can get his shape out faster by licking than by carving it with a needle.  Oh, and Deok-su cheats by using a contraband lighter.

It’s more of the usual Squid Game tension, where gunshots break concentration when some contestants break their shapes.  Jun-ho is there, but he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do.  But then something odd happens:  one losing contestant gets his hands on a gun and takes a guard hostage.  While the other guards mow down the other losers, the man with the gun unmasks the guard to find…a very young man.

Um, are the guards in the same position as the contestants?

The contestant ends up shooting himself while the mysterious Front Man kills the unmasked guard because those guys are not supposed to show anyone their faces.

So…what is going on here?

I would say that this is all about how the corrupt economic system makes us all into the desperate or the monstrous, but I think there’s more to it than that.  Or there should be and that’s just what’s obvious.  Besides, I suspect I would just say that again for every episode.