Therese Sta. MariaWarning: Spoilers ahead.
Like the rest of the Internet, we are still hungover from Squid Game, considering the last episode was kind of a cliffhanger. From its famous Dalgona candy to the viral games, the show has been nothing short of a pop culture phenomenon throughout the world. Memes and opinions are going around like wildfire, but nothing beats the theories that keep the fans hopeful for a season two. Among the thought-provoking theories out there is actually about the protagonist, Seong Gi-hun and his relationship with the elderly man Oh Il-Nam.
Also read: ‘Squid Game’ Accused of Plagiarising Japanese Movie ‘As the Gods Will’
The Squid Game theory about Gi-hun
Both Gi-hun and Il-nam are players in the survival game and are given opposite numbers. Il-nam was delegated number 001 while Gi-hun was given 456, which was the very last number. This may signify that the two men actually belong to two opposite ends of the spectrum, as we eventually discover that Il-nam was the mastermind behind the survival games. On the other hand, Gi-hun took every opportunity to help save lives.
This observation doesn’t mean much until you consider the Squid Game theory that Gi-hun might actually be Il-nam’s son. While you’re processing that, take these scenes into account:
In episode three, we discover that Gi-hun is lactose intolerant while he asks the guards for chocolate instead of milk. Upon overhearing the request, Il-nam tells Gi-hun that he must have been spanked by his dad when he was younger. Gi-hun asks Il-nam how he knows and Il-nam replies that he used to do the same thing to his son.
In episode six, where the pair plays with marbles in a makeshift town, Il-nam says the area looks similar to the neighbourhood where he used to live; and later on, he finds the “house” he lived in with his wife and son. Gi-hun likewise described the alley next to Il-nam’s area to resemble the place where he grew up, further indicating a connection between the two.
In the last episode, Gi-hun takes the prize money home. Despite the fact that he’s filthy rich like Il-nam, who we discover was the true villain of the story, we see him “abandoning” a child (Kang Sae-byeok’s younger brother) to an older woman. This was perhaps the same way his rich father, speculated to be Il-nam, abandoned him. Unlike Il-nam though, Gi-hun keeps the money with extreme guilt, which is completely opposite to how Il-nam used his money to operate a death game business. The supposed father-and-son duo were in contrast to each other, as foreshadowed by the numbers they were assigned during the games.
Will this Squid Game theory lead to anything?
The silver lining is that Gi-hun doesn’t look like he’ll end up like Il-nam. We see him ditching his flight on the way to see his daughter because of the same games that kept Il-nam away from his family. However, it looked like Gi-hun’s intentions were to put an end to the atrocious game Il-nam created.
Also read: Squid Game Fans, Try the Dalgona Challenge at This Singaporean Cafe!
What happens next, only season two can tell. So we wait with bated breath until news of another Squid Game season is confirmed. In the meantime, why don’t you mull over this Squid Game theory? Better yet, drop us your wildest theories about this K-drama on the comment section of our Facebook page.
All images credited to Squid Game IMDB | Official Page
