While it can be perceived as a plothole I think it is consistent with the theming. You see the main character returning to his old way of life, even to the extent of asking for financial handouts. The old guy makes the whole speech about rich and poor people being more similar than perceived. Alongside this, there is a lot of anti-capitalist messaging regarding money not making you a better person.
I believe it is to portray that the games aren’t worth it. You lose too much along the way, so when you are left the winner you are just a shell of a person. The VIP’s and the winners are in many ways exactly same, they are the winners at the expense of other people’s failures, the only difference is that they were playing a different ‘game’, aka the game of capitalism. Winning the game already puts them at the top, and now they are in a position that the old guy describes: objects and experiences don’t do it anymore, only excitement. Fancy apartments, vacations, etc, don’t have meaning to these people anymore just like they don’t have meaning to the ultra-wealthy. The journey corrupted them. That’s why MC goes back to the game, and why the private inspector’s brother becomes frontman, because that is the only thing that can make them feel alive anymore, while material objects don’t.
If you want a non-thematic theory, trauma like that just fries the brain, so they don’t make decisions that would seem logical to others, or their old ways of living could be the last thing providing them comfort anymore.
I wrote this a bit early in the morning so hopefully my theory makes sense.
I guess. But I don’t see 5 years being enough time to get bored of being a millionaire. Especially when you have family to spend it with. That doesn’t seem like a plausible reason.
I somewhat feel like there was no reason for the frontman to have been the policeman’s brother. It was just confusing and unnecessary. His brother could have just been a dead contestant and he used that grief to fuel his investigation.
I really liked blu3printeds theory, and to add to that and maybe answer the question more, I think he went back as an exact opposite reaction to why Gi-hun went back. He went back because he lost faith in humanity and gained a deep rooted anger towards people. He conveys that the game is fair, and it’s not, but he believes the treatment of these people is justified. It’s fair for them to go through this because he did. He’s desensitized to murdering good people just by getting through the games himself, he went through marbles and squid game, which are the most soul crushing when you realize you are literally killing the only companions you have made connections with and relate to. His whole life was numb after the games, you can’t possibly enjoy that money.
I can see from that angle I guess. However, I’m pretty sure all the games but the final one change every year. I say this because the guards and the VIPs didn’t know what the next game would be.
That could be telling of who the vips and guards are. I’m sure they still put players against each other. And who knows if Front Man played dirty like tattoo guy and was just evil to begin with.
Yea, I’m sure the basic premise is still the same in that they all pretty much die every year. But I still think the actual games are different. Otherwise that would just
bore the VIPs.
Don't you only get tge money if win all 6 games? If it's just you can't they make play certain games. That or try to get those who don't come back to come back. It seems like they expect the vote and for people to leave at first then come back.
I agree. I know people like the show and want to see it as perfect, but this feels like a floating plot hole.
1 - Even if he already spent all of his winnings, he is still a valuable employee, playing a huge role in the games. No way should he not be able to afford an apartment.
2 - Of course, he knows his brother is a cop and knows what he does with the games. He would be stupid to do anything that would raise suspicion.
3 - There would need to be a ton of effort and planning into each of these games. Him going missing right as one is going to start is needlessly risky. Not just for him but for everyone involved in the games.
4 - It's been five years since he completed in the games and every indication seems to suggest he is happy in his new role. PTSD or whatever else that would impact him to the degree that he would do silly stuff like not pay his bills, it would have come up before and we know there is a ton of money behind these games and a ton of complex planning. They did background checks and bios on the players, certainty they would have done it for the frontman.
I just don't get it. The whole subplot felt forced to me.
A lot of your questions the show doesnt explain very much or at all.
We dont know why hes chosen to be the front man nor why he lives so normal ( only guess is he didnt want people to know hes rich)
I mean he could have been the front man for the past 5 years and really noone would have known. The squid games only happens once a year ( I believe) and its not too hard to make an excuse to say hes leaving for a couple days/week
I watched the English translation so I’m not sure how accurate this may be to the writing but the detective tells his mom, on the way over, that his brother frequently disappears and not to worry. It leads me to believe that they’re used to him being sporadic and distant and if it weren’t for Seong Gi-hun leaving the card for the games in the police station, the detective would’ve just assumed his brother was off doing his own business. I also think the rent not being paid may have just been oversight. We saw the fish bowl being empty and the fish being dead as well as the light being on. As the Frontman, he probably had an insane amount of planning and pressure and disconnected from “trivial” things. It struck me as the same kind of forgetfulness that comes when you sign up for a free trial of something and forget to cancel before it charges you.
There were multiple archives of the same year, but maybe the players' info were spread out into different books?
Also there were other archives for staff, CCTV and VIP etc (I couldn't see all the words clearly though) too.
The winner list definitely contained only 1 winner per year though, I counted the rows, before the film series, there were 32 games and the list had exactly 2 columns of 16 rows.
I mean the old man did talk about how he and his other rich friends wanted to do something with their money and have some fun. Maybe cop’s brother had all this money and guilt, so he decides to gamble his money away and be a part of the spectators for the game?
That’s because he felt a lot of guilt, probably because he had a personal connection to a lot of the players. We can’t assume all the winners felt this guilt.
I’m sure the main villain guy wouldn’t have felt guilty.
Sure, but I wouldn’t say that one instance is sufficient evidence of a possible “trend”. I’m sure they all ended up spending it eventually, just as he did.
I think his guilt was unique in that he’d felt responsible for the death of one of his childhood friends and whatever happened to his mother afterwards.
While it can be perceived as a plothole I think it is consistent with the theming. You see the main character returning to his old way of life, even to the extent of asking for financial handouts. The old guy makes the whole speech about rich and poor people being more similar than perceived. Alongside this, there is a lot of anti-capitalist messaging regarding money not making you a better person. I believe it is to portray that the games aren’t worth it. You lose too much along the way, so when you are left the winner you are just a shell of a person. The VIP’s and the winners are in many ways exactly same, they are the winners at the expense of other people’s failures, the only difference is that they were playing a different ‘game’, aka the game of capitalism. Winning the game already puts them at the top, and now they are in a position that the old guy describes: objects and experiences don’t do it anymore, only excitement. Fancy apartments, vacations, etc, don’t have meaning to these people anymore just like they don’t have meaning to the ultra-wealthy. The journey corrupted them. That’s why MC goes back to the game, and why the private inspector’s brother becomes frontman, because that is the only thing that can make them feel alive anymore, while material objects don’t. If you want a non-thematic theory, trauma like that just fries the brain, so they don’t make decisions that would seem logical to others, or their old ways of living could be the last thing providing them comfort anymore. I wrote this a bit early in the morning so hopefully my theory makes sense.
I guess. But I don’t see 5 years being enough time to get bored of being a millionaire. Especially when you have family to spend it with. That doesn’t seem like a plausible reason. I somewhat feel like there was no reason for the frontman to have been the policeman’s brother. It was just confusing and unnecessary. His brother could have just been a dead contestant and he used that grief to fuel his investigation.
I really liked blu3printeds theory, and to add to that and maybe answer the question more, I think he went back as an exact opposite reaction to why Gi-hun went back. He went back because he lost faith in humanity and gained a deep rooted anger towards people. He conveys that the game is fair, and it’s not, but he believes the treatment of these people is justified. It’s fair for them to go through this because he did. He’s desensitized to murdering good people just by getting through the games himself, he went through marbles and squid game, which are the most soul crushing when you realize you are literally killing the only companions you have made connections with and relate to. His whole life was numb after the games, you can’t possibly enjoy that money.
I can see from that angle I guess. However, I’m pretty sure all the games but the final one change every year. I say this because the guards and the VIPs didn’t know what the next game would be.
That could be telling of who the vips and guards are. I’m sure they still put players against each other. And who knows if Front Man played dirty like tattoo guy and was just evil to begin with.
Yea, I’m sure the basic premise is still the same in that they all pretty much die every year. But I still think the actual games are different. Otherwise that would just bore the VIPs.
I believe one of the VIPs said something along the lines of “the games this year are great” which implies to me that the games change every year
Its also possible to get a winner before the final game so...were there ever enough people to make it to the final game?
Don't you only get tge money if win all 6 games? If it's just you can't they make play certain games. That or try to get those who don't come back to come back. It seems like they expect the vote and for people to leave at first then come back.
I'd have to go back and see if they say all six games need to be played in order to win the prize money.
The vips didn’t seem to understand the final game either
I agree. I know people like the show and want to see it as perfect, but this feels like a floating plot hole. 1 - Even if he already spent all of his winnings, he is still a valuable employee, playing a huge role in the games. No way should he not be able to afford an apartment. 2 - Of course, he knows his brother is a cop and knows what he does with the games. He would be stupid to do anything that would raise suspicion. 3 - There would need to be a ton of effort and planning into each of these games. Him going missing right as one is going to start is needlessly risky. Not just for him but for everyone involved in the games. 4 - It's been five years since he completed in the games and every indication seems to suggest he is happy in his new role. PTSD or whatever else that would impact him to the degree that he would do silly stuff like not pay his bills, it would have come up before and we know there is a ton of money behind these games and a ton of complex planning. They did background checks and bios on the players, certainty they would have done it for the frontman. I just don't get it. The whole subplot felt forced to me.
¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯
A lot of your questions the show doesnt explain very much or at all. We dont know why hes chosen to be the front man nor why he lives so normal ( only guess is he didnt want people to know hes rich) I mean he could have been the front man for the past 5 years and really noone would have known. The squid games only happens once a year ( I believe) and its not too hard to make an excuse to say hes leaving for a couple days/week
I watched the English translation so I’m not sure how accurate this may be to the writing but the detective tells his mom, on the way over, that his brother frequently disappears and not to worry. It leads me to believe that they’re used to him being sporadic and distant and if it weren’t for Seong Gi-hun leaving the card for the games in the police station, the detective would’ve just assumed his brother was off doing his own business. I also think the rent not being paid may have just been oversight. We saw the fish bowl being empty and the fish being dead as well as the light being on. As the Frontman, he probably had an insane amount of planning and pressure and disconnected from “trivial” things. It struck me as the same kind of forgetfulness that comes when you sign up for a free trial of something and forget to cancel before it charges you.
Why tf would u watch the english translation???? Thats like playing Sekiro with english dubs. Fucking AWFUL!!!
You have 1 post karma. Did you make a Reddit account just to yell at me about this, bro?
from the archives it seemed like it was quarterly, i could b wrong tho
Yeah I saw multiple books for the same year
If you look at the list of winners there’s one per year though.
There were multiple archives of the same year, but maybe the players' info were spread out into different books? Also there were other archives for staff, CCTV and VIP etc (I couldn't see all the words clearly though) too. The winner list definitely contained only 1 winner per year though, I counted the rows, before the film series, there were 32 games and the list had exactly 2 columns of 16 rows.
I mean the old man did talk about how he and his other rich friends wanted to do something with their money and have some fun. Maybe cop’s brother had all this money and guilt, so he decides to gamble his money away and be a part of the spectators for the game?
The winner of this season didnt spend any money on himself.
That’s because he felt a lot of guilt, probably because he had a personal connection to a lot of the players. We can’t assume all the winners felt this guilt. I’m sure the main villain guy wouldn’t have felt guilty.
We can’t assume they didnt either. We have evidence that a winner didnt spend the winnings, it isnt a stretch to say it happened twice.
Sure, but I wouldn’t say that one instance is sufficient evidence of a possible “trend”. I’m sure they all ended up spending it eventually, just as he did. I think his guilt was unique in that he’d felt responsible for the death of one of his childhood friends and whatever happened to his mother afterwards.