Squid Game was a massive hit for Netflix, but the wait for new episodes has been long. Fortunately, the streamer gave audiences a spin-off to enjoy while they wait for more details on Squid Game Season 2. And I'm dropping the hot take right now that Squid Game: The Challenge is better than the original series.
I think it's a bold take in the mainstream, in general, to claim any reality television show trumps a scripted series, let alone the reality show spinoff of a scripted series. That said, I have some compelling points for those who haven't checked out the show on the 2023 TV schedule with their Netflix subscription.
With all that said, let's get into why Squid Game: The Challenge isn't just one of the best reality TV shows out right now, it's legitimately better than the series for a few key reasons.
It's All The Fun Of Squid Game With None Of The Death
When I watched Squid Game for the first time, my immediate takeaway was how cool of a premise it was for a reality show. That is to say, I wasn't on board with the killing, but given it's a fictional show where no one playing actually died, it was fun to see the participants compete in the various challenges that were set up. So now, imagine watching that play out in a real series, but no one dies. Each contestant does have a dye pack attached that explodes when they're eliminated though, which is great for dramatic effect.
While there was no death, there are some contestants complaining about injuries sustained after the show. These complaints prompted a Squid Game: The Challenge producer to fire back that the show had to be difficult to participate in, which I do back given the sheer amount of what's being offered to the winner.
I'm sure some cynical people would argue the lack of death negates the stakes, but that's far from the case. Even if people aren't fighting for their lives, there is $4.56 million on the line, and it's led to some pretty wild decisions across the series. I'd put some of the cutthroat calls these players made against anything that happened in Survivor and Big Brother this season. Plus, I'd argue it easily trumps any blindside or betrayal from either show this year.
This series taught me that it isn't death that makes the game compelling, it's the players and how far they'll go for the grand prize. Considering Big Brother brought back the best competition it ever did this year, that's high praise from me.
The Drama And Tension Makes Characters Out Of Participants
One unexpected surprise of Squid Game: The Challenge is that among the 456 players that were in Season 1, quite a few of them made for compelling characters. At times it felt like watching a scripted television show with the way the drama played out, but maybe it's easier to craft compelling storylines when there's such a huge cast to pull content from.
Without getting too deep into spoilers, the show does a great job gravitating toward certain players and getting viewers attached, only for them to be unexpectedly cut a couple of episodes later. The series also excelled at keeping competitors on their toes, and it set them up for painful moments where they'd have to cut people they'd worked with most of the game. It makes for fantastic television, especially when you don't know who is going to win.
The Outcome Is Unscripted, Which Shows The True Challenge Of Squid Game
The original Netflix show was entertaining, but in the spirit of a reality television show, it was a bit bland. We knew Gi-Hun was likely going to win the entire thing because he was the main character. So, the show set up other narrative twists in the Season 1 ending of Squid Game that gave audiences something beyond the outcome to look forward to.
There is no main character in Squid Game: The Challenge, so there's no telling while watching who stands the best chance of being the winner at the end. With that perspective, it's also clear that making it to the end of this game requires just as much luck as skill. There are plenty of times where players leave this game and none of it was through anything they could control. It's hard to show that when Gi-Hun has to get to the end each time in the Netflix series, and that's a large reason why this reality series is the definitive winner between the two in my mind.
Stream both Squid Game and Squid Game: The Challenge right now on Netflix. Personally, I'd put both on the list of best shows to binge on Netflix right now, even if I do think the reality show spinoff is the superior option.
