The final game is about to begin on Squid Game: The Challenge as the season 1 finale will begin streaming tomorrow at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET. But before the first season wraps up, get to know the eliminated players.
Synopsis: Inspired by the TV series, “Squid Game,” real-life contestants compete in a series of high-stakes children’s games in pursuit of a $4.56 million cash prize; their strategies will be put to the test, while competitors are eliminated around them.
Neil Bui: When it comes to reality shows, the producers love making a clear villain on the show. Did you feel any of that on The Challenge?
Bryton (Player 432): From the producers, no. From the people there, yes. The crazy thing is villain is just a wild word to use for me because I’m not a so-called villain, like I’m a good guy, I’m a nice guy, I’m a normal person. But being in an experience like that, somebody has to step up, not everybody can just be ducked off in the corner. We’re there to make good TV, you’re not there to pitty pat along and make friends and kiss ass all day. You’re there to make good TV and I knew that and my personality, I knew it was going to fit pretty well.
Neil Bui: How does one prepare for Squid Game: The Challenge?
Stephen (Player 243): I know how one should prepare and I know how I prepared. One should prepare like Rick did. One shouldn’t prepare like I did, which was watching the show for the first time on the way to the reality show. But I honestly didn’t get a chance to do much preparation, I was more so going to rely on my skills I’ve made throughout life whether that’s athleticism, my artist drawing and painting skills, and my keen eye for details. I was going to rely on all that and just take a conservative conservative approach but Rick will tell you how to be prepared for a show like Squid Game.
Rick (Player 232): I learned through life being 69 years old… prepare. I had watched the show several times and when they gave me that first inkling I could be accepted for this, I made cookies every night. I made eight cookies and cut them out. I practiced marbles with the wife, Red Light Green Light with the children, I researched the internet on anything I could find that might help me. ‘How do you get through Red Light Green Light,’ I read about the difference between tempered glass and regular glass, the rules of Squid Game itself, I could beat anybody in Squid Game, I would practice hopping on one foot, at the YMCA I go to I hired a person to teach me how to stop and go and balance. I put everything into this.
Stephen (Player 243): I always thought I was competitive until I met Rick, my goodness.
Neil Bui: What was going through your mind deciding “is this the person I want to work with at this period of Squid Game: The Challenge”?
Dani (Player 134): I think we had the opportunity to kind of start forming alliances by talking to people and things like that but obviously we never knew what game we were walking into. And with dalgona, like there was no strategy whatsoever. We just picked and I picked my favorite number so I got in line number three, there was no strategy behind it.
Spencer (Player 299): Yeah, I didn’t really focus on forming teams with anyone or alliances as much as just trying to make as many friends as I could.
Neil Bui: Would you do it all over again?
Lorenzo (Player 161): Oh yeah, right now yeah, no doubt I’ll do that again. It’s a once in a lifetime experience so yes. And also I love the pressure. I feel some people are put down by pressure and it doesn’t help them. I work under pressure. That’s my favorite environment to work in. I think a lot of people, especially these days that we work with our phones, unless there is something imminent happening to you like you just don’t care that much. But if there is something like happening constantly to you then you start putting in real effort and it’s almost like organic strengths that come out of you. It’s almost like a survival instinct that comes out of you and it’s like ‘okay I’m gonna have to do that’ in the moment. You might think ‘oh I can think that through’ ‘that challenge I can be strategic about it.’ Forget about all of that, when you’re there in the moment, there’s no premeditated strategy that will help you.
