Squid Game: The Challenge Proves the Marbles Game is Even More Brutal IRL

Netflix's Squid Game: The Challenge found a way to emotionally damage viewers all over again with the Marbles Game.

By Kofi Outlaw

Netflix's Squid Game: The Challenge is back with its second batch of episodes, and viewers have been waiting on the edge of their collective seats for Episode 6, "Goodbye". Now that it's here, we know, for certain, just how brutal Squid Game's infamous "Marbles Game" is when played in real life. 

When the first batch of episodes for Squid Game: The Challenge ended, the contestants got a brutal surprise: they thought they were partnering up for a picnic with a close friend or ally – only to learn they had picked their opponent for the dreaded Marbles Game. 

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(Photo: Netflix)

(SPOILERS)  Well, Episode 6 of Squid Game: The Challenge is about as emotionally heavy as you would think – with the first point of tension between the players being deciding how to even play their games. From there, the drama unfolded quickly: 

Mother vs. Child – The main event of this episode is the storyline the producers milk until the end – but we'll get to it first. Player 301 (Trey) and his mother, Player 302 (LeAnn) had to battle it out – and they did so with full competitive spirit, as is the way in their family, given LeAnn's history as a professional athlete. Now, it's never directly acknowledged but the edit of the footage hints that LeAnn throws the game by sending a few marbles wide of the intended target. But then: who could blame a momma bird for protecting her baby? LeAnn is ultimately the one eliminated, while an emotionally shaken Trey advances. 

Dead Together – While most players negotiated some kind of tossing or guessing game with their partners, Player 399 (Aurora) and Player 065 (Dan) exemplified the darker side of the competition. Dan and Aurora could not even agree on what kind of game to play: Aurora refused to play a sporting game, while Dan refused to do anything but a physical challenge. When the clock was winding down, the two finally agreed to play a tossing game – but when there was no definitive winner, they could not even agree on how to determine one, and both ended up getting eliminated. A sad example of human relations, if ever there was one. 

Sympathy Cards Do Not Apply – Player 393 (Jackie) and Player 382 (Tim) quickly went from friendly competitors to a nasty rivalry. When Jackie claimed she wanted the win to continue representing the hearing-impaired community in the competition, Tim argued that he too was hearing-impaired, and called her out for never bonding with him. He accused Jackie of trying to use a tactical sympathy guard, creating ugly tension between the two during their competition. In the end, Jackie wins and moves on.

So Long, Friends – The majority of Marbles Game showdowns simply saw good friends in the competition having to take the emotional hit of ending each other's dreams of winning. Players 278 (Ashley) and 229 (Phalisia) were two of the closest comrades in the show, but after an earnest game of trying to toss marbles into a watering pail, Phalisia goes home. Leadership figures like TJ (182) and Dan (204) had to compete against, and ultimately eliminate, close allies and/or friends, leaving them both more exposed. One of the more emotional storylines saw Jada (097) and Mai (287) share harrowing life stories and financial hopes before Mai sent Jada home. Happy guy Phill (451) saw his spirit dimmed by sending home buddy Brad (337) – and for all her scheming in earlier episodes, Chaney (179) was ultimately sent home by buddy Charles (221). The most noble pair were Kyle (087) and Mikie (254), who refused to let the game tarnish their bond and simply waited it out until the last minutes for a single winner-take-all turn, which sent Kyle home. 

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As with the entire series, Squid Game: The Challenge has proven that the original Squid Game's Marbles Game episode wasn't just incredible drama and TV episode writing: it captured the real spirit of human friendship, and what can happen when it is tested. 

Squid Game: The Challenge is now streaming on Netflix. 

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