The Squid Game Link You Missed In Netflix's The Silent Sea

Netflix's latest South Korean sci-fi drama series, "The Silent Sea," follows a crew sent to an abandoned moon base to retrieve a mysterious sample. The catch is that they have 24 hours to retrieve the sample, but they are not told exactly what they're supposed to find. Furthermore, one of the crew members, biochemist Dr. Song Ji-an (Bae Doona), is reluctant to go because the last moon mission was a disaster, killing over 100 people, including her sister.

As most science fiction dramas go, the crew runs into problems, and tensions increase. Captain Han Yoon-jae, played by Gong Yoo, stoically follows his orders, not asking questions or caring to know more details than he's given. Fans of the South Korean breakout hit "Squid Game” will notice that Yoo looks very familiar, and in fact, he played the Salesman, the go-between for the players and the deadly competition. He's also joined by Heo Sung-tae, who played the mobster Jang Deok-su. But while they may be the most recognizable "Squid Game" actors in "The Silent Sea," it turns out, they're not the only link between the two shows. 

Before setting off on the mission, "The Silent Sea" shows viewers what a dire situation the Earth is in. Everyone is living on rationed water supplies, and the planet's water supply is expected to keep dwindling. After the introductory credits, the first voice and face we see is that of Daniel C. Kennedy, known only as "American News Anchor." In the newscast, he introduces the audience to the current situation, in which "the world's water supply will be reduced by 40% in the next ten years." Kennedy has been slowly making a name for himself, with roles in the 2015 series "Awl," but like Gong Yoo, Kennedy also has a nameless role in "Squid Game."

Unlike the Panther Mask VIP, or VIP 4 (Geoffrey Giuliano), Kennedy's VIP 2 is never unmasked during "Squid Game," and viewers only see his face in the final episode. VIP 2 is also known as the Bull Mask VIP, and is loud and verbally abusive toward VIP 4 when he thinks he's betting on the wrong players. 

In an interview with The Korea Herald where he spoke about how he played his character, Kennedy said, "I learned that my guy was very dumb. I was just like, 'I'm just going to play it like a dumb frat guy who just is here for fun.' And none of this is really that big of a deal to him. And it's just like another party, like a Super Bowl party." For those interested in seeing Kennedy in a show in which his character does have a name, he's currently in the South Korean drama "Doom at Your Service," where he plays Kevin.