The Office Character Who Wouldn't Stand A Chance On Squid Game
In "Squid Game," broke people are bribed to compete in children game-inspired death challenges to win millions of dollars. In "The Office" the characters are simply asked to do their mundane office jobs (though chaos always ensues from Steve Carell's Michael Scott). The two shows are worlds apart. However, if the characters from "The Office" were to find themselves in a "Squid Game"-type scenario, how would that play out?
Well, looking at the events of "Squid Game" there are a few things that can make or break someone's progression in the games. Most of the games come down to fate and chance, such as what shape you pick in the dalgona challenge or what team you assemble during tug of war, but there are some things a character can have — or do — that will better their chances. As seen with Gi-Hun (Lee Jung-jae), being kind and likable can help you a lot: his generosity got most people on his side, including Player 001 (O Yeong-su). On the contrary, as seen with Sang-Woo (Park Hae-soo), being manipulative and focusing solely on self-preservation can also get you far, but could just as easily lead to your downfall. Furthermore, being an annoyance, being too headstrong, or just overall unfavorable could lead to your death -– prime examples being both Mi-Nyeo (Kim Joo-ryeong) and Deok-Su (Heo Sung-tae).
Maintaining determination and strategy are also essential to the games. These qualities can save you at the last moment, like when Gi-Hun's team was able to quickly save themselves from dying in tug of war. All of this being established, there is a character from "The Office" who does not meet the qualities needed to stand a chance in "Squid Game." This is who they are.
Kelly Kapoor would not survive the Squid Game
Kelly Kapoor (Mindy Kaling) probably wouldn't stand a chance in "Squid Game." She does not lack determination — as we have seen her pursue Ryan throughout "The Office" — but she is not the most likable coworker. Right off the bat, it is safe to assume that Kelly's reception in "Squid Game" would have a similar vibe to both Sang-Woo and Mi-Nyeo. Firstly, Kelly has Sang-Woo's manipulative side -– she is a master manipulator. For example, she once told Ryan (B. J. Novak) that she was pregnant, even though she wasn't, sheerly to guilt-trip him. Secondly, it is no secret that Kelly shares the same level of annoyance and pestering as Mi-Nyeo. When Kelly and Ryan went on their first date, Kelly shares this information with Jim (John Krasinski) who is seen slowly trying to leave the room because of how long she is talking, and let's not forget when she wore white to a wedding. Kelly's manipulative and annoying qualities could get in her way if she participated in these life-or-death games.
Meanwhile, the other characters may want to get rid of her somehow, or she may find herself without a team, the same as how Mi-Nyeo couldn't find a team for tug of war or a partner for marbles. Someone may even try to kill her off when the fights begin to break out in the bunk beds. Kelly would have to take a major chill pill to secure herself a longer spot in the games.
Ryan would probably get in Kelly's way
Kelly's ultimate downfall, though, comes in the form of her one true love, Ryan. Kelly would most likely want to get through the games together with Ryan which would probably not end with the best results.
If Kelly is too preoccupied with saving Ryan, it could lead to her death in the process. Throughout "The Office" we see Kelly constantly pursue Ryan even when she tries to act like she is uninterested or has moved on. This would most likely carry over into "Squid Game" and might lead to her elimination because she isn't as focused on her survival. Gi-Hun proved that you don't have to be entirely selfish to survive the games, but Sang-Woo and Sae-byeok (HoYeon Jung) also showcased that you do need to maintain a certain level of self-preservation.
Furthermore, Ryan is not the most reliable or trustworthy. Ryan and Kelly have always been on-again-off-again with Ryan leaving many times, like when he left for Thailand after Kelly lied about being pregnant. Presuming that they were in the games together, what if he ultimately decided to save himself and leave her in the dust? Or even worse –- what if they ended up partnered together for marbles? Whether Ryan tricked Kelly, or genuinely won, the result would be tragic.
Simply based on her relationship with Ryan and her overall nature, it does not look like Kelly has the best chances at surviving "Squid Game." But who knows? Maybe Kelly is secretly a super strategic girl boss who would get through it with ease.