Note: This story contains spoilers from “Squid Game” Season 3, Episode 5.
Myung-gi has always been one of the most interesting characters in “Squid Game” — and that’s saying a lot. The former influencer initially entered the game to win enough money to pay back his crypto debts. But once he sees his ex-girlfriend Jun-hee (Jo Yu-ri) in the same games, his priorities change.
“He has selfishness and greed within him, but I think his prime motivator was to come out with Jun-hee alive,” Im told TheWrap. “But when Jun-hee dies, that motivation is gone, essentially. That’s what triggers his spiral into confusion and losing that sense of justice, morality and a sense of responsibility, even.”
Jun-hee’s death comes at the end of Episode 4. Instead of allowing Myung-gi to help her through the jump rope challenge, she jumps to her death after entrusting her baby to Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae). As Myung-gi navigates his way through the final challenges, he keeps his identify as the baby’s father a secret from the other players. That initially seems to be part of a larger strategy. When Gi-hun needs help the most during the platform game, Myung-gi switches sides, betraying the rest of the players who schemed to push Gi-hun and the baby off the platform and partnering with the former Squid Game winner.
But when Gi-hun, Myung-gi and the baby make it to the final platform, they’re presented with the ultimate test. One of them has to die for the other two to survive. It’s Myung-gi’s reaction to this test that disappointed the actor portraying him.
“He is a really cunning character. I thought having a baby — his baby — would really strike some sense to him to take responsibility as his father. But also his sense of desperation teeters into the realm of thinking the baby possibly could be sacrificed,” Im said. “For me, that was a huge betrayal, just from a personal point of view.”
“Squid Game” is now streaming on Netflix.
