Squid face
Robert Fisk

Squid Game should never have been a hit because it was awful

Or #Iwastedsixhoursofmylife

Not recognising the concept of the Midlands and not being a fan of roast dinners are two topics which may be too controversial for a first date.

This year everyone can now add another one: Squid Game isn’t very good.

Squid game Twister
I would have preferred Squid Game if it was about squid playing Twister (“Squid Twister” by Articulate Matter is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Squid face
This is one of the images that comes up if you search for Squid Game in Creative Commons. It isn’t my fault (“OKIMG_0945” by Claudio Marinangeli is licensed under CC BY 2.0)

I’m serious, think back to when you watched it this summer/ early autumn and think about how satisfied you felt with the show.

Did it grip you or, I’d argue, make you feel disinterested and only watched more episodes just in case something interesting actually happened?

I started off watching it after hearing the hype and was hoping to be intrigued and captivated in equal measure.

I watched the first three episodes back to back, not because I was amazed by the storyline but because I thought I’d give it a chance and hoped I’d care more about the characters as the drama developed.

Squid beak
This picture of a man with a squid is better than Squid Game (“Watch Out for That Squid Beak!” by kqedquest is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)
Massive squid
Look at the size of their squid (“Kjempeblekksprut – Giant Squid” by NTNU Vitenskapsmuseet is licensed under CC BY 2.0)
Extra big squid
I’m no expert but this squid seems even bigger than the previous one (“Squid for sale, near Manatutu, Timor Leste” by Kate B Dixon is licensed under CC BY 2.0)

It took me a long time to face going back to the show to watch episodes four to six, again back to back in the hope I’d care.

It came after someone at work told me I had to watch because it was the greatest television event in history.

Sadly during episode six I realised I’d wasted at least six hours of my life for nothing and I was done.

I Googled the end so know what happened and know it wasn’t worth another three hours of time to see how it got to that point.

Baby squid
This baby squid probably would not have enjoyed Squid Game if they’d had a way to watch Netflix (“Baby Squid” by tarotastic is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)
Humboldt squid
I’m told that this is a Humboldt squid (“Spearing a Humboldt Squid” by kqedquest is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)
White squid
This squid stayed white just long enough for a photographer to pap them (“White Squid” by PacificKlaus is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)

Yes it is supposed to be a critique of capitalism and power.

No it isn’t the best example of a TV show with this message in.

And yes I will take a long hard look at myself before believing any of the hype surrounding the next “hot” Netflix show.

Stay safe for another week!