The Small Detail In Squid Game's Finale That Means More Than You Think
From the very beginning, Netflix's "Squid Game" had plenty of twists and turns that led to some pretty jaw-dropping moments. These moments undoubtedly helped to launch the series into a massive worldwide success. In fact, the series has been so successful that it has officially trumped "Bridgerton" as Netflix's most-watched original series, with 142 million households tuning in within the series' first four weeks (via Business Insider).
The series puts a deadly spin on a South Korean game show in which contestants must compete in children's games in the hopes of winning a huge cash prize. But what the contestants don't initially know is that one mistake in a game will result in a brutal death. The show does an excellent job of combining moments that made us squirm with moments of heartbreak. In addition, the production contains a ton of small details and easter eggs throughout its nine episodes that are sure to have viewers rewatching to get a closer look. One such detail from the series finale that is seemingly insignificant actually has a deeper meaning than what you may have initially thought. Spoilers ahead!
The location of Seong Gi-hun and Oh Il-nam's final meeting is significant
Easily the biggest plot twist to come out of "Squid Game" is the true identity of Oh Il-nam (Oh Yeong-su), aka player 001. Throughout the "Squid Game" competition, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), aka player 456, forms a close-knit bond with Oh Il-nam. Notably, Gi-hun goes out of his way to help protect Il-nam, who happens to be dying of brain cancer — until he tricks the old man to win the marble game. Eventually, Gi-hun wins all of the games and parts with 45.6 billion won, along with immense trauma from the competition.
In a shocking twist, Gi-hun receives an invitation to the seventh floor of a building to revisit his "gganbu," which means "neighborhood friend." It turns out, Il-nam never died in the games and was actually one of the masterminds who created the competition to entertain himself and his rich friends. Other than revealing his secret, Il-nam brought Gi-hun to the seventh floor to play a game with him. Specifically, Il-nam and Gi-hun bet to see whether a passerby helps a homeless man on the cold streets below. Interestingly, Gi-hun meets Il-nam for this final game on the seventh floor of a building where all of the other floor numbers in the elevator are removed except the "7." This alludes to the fact that Gi-hun survived six games in the competition and was about to play his last, seventh game with Il-nam by his side — just like all of the other games. This is just one of the many hidden details in "Squid Game" that is easily overlooked on the first watch.