Netflix premiered Squid Games in September 2021. It was a fictional show centered around the participants of a life-or-death elimination game by the same name. The original show is a South Korean web series.
More recently, Netflix premiered a reality show on the same concept. But instead of actual death, the contestants are just sent back home. Four hundred fifty-six people participated in a cash prize of 4.56 million.
However, after its premier, the contestants opened up about the harsh conditions of the show. They claim to have suffered injuries. And the contestants are suing Netflix for these injuries.
Squid Games: The Challenge – Legal Battle Between Game Contestants & Netflix
When producing a ‘game’ show, a production house needs to take measures for safety. They need to ensure the safety of the crew as well as contestants on and off the screen. But Netflix might not have had the same safety parameters in check.
Since the Squid Games: The Challenge show’s premier, contestants have spoken up. There is even news that the players are suing the production house for negligence and harm. Express Solicitors’s Daniel Slade is the supervisor of the claims of two such contestants. Slade explained that people thought this was “something fun.” He added further that they “did not expect to suffer as they did.”
Cast testimonials confirm these claims. A cast member, Melissa, who was contestant 326, talked about the Red Light, Green Light game. She said it “did not take five minutes like it looks like in the show.” Meanwhile, Player 358 corroborated this, “My feet were numb, my hands were blue.” He also called it torture.
Some of the contestants also claimed that some people also had to be ‘stretchered off’. All this took a mental toll on the participants. Since some of the players actually needed the money, they ‘braved’ the conditions.
But Netflix has come forward stating that no one filed a case. A spokesperson commented – “We take the welfare of contestants extremely seriously.” The Squid Games: The Challenge premiered on November 22. The second part of the reality show is set to air on November 29 this year.
Squid Games: The Challenge – Contestant Breaks Down, Fans Call Him “Dramatic B****h”
The game takes a toll on the health of people. A majority of the Squid Game: The Challenge contestants suffered physical ailments on the show. However, there had also been an incident of psychological pressure. In Episode 2, viewers saw Contestant 299 having a mental breakdown.
The contestant, Spencer, had to choose a Dalgona candy shape for the group. He chose the umbrella, and evidently, his team mates were upset, as it is a difficult shape. They still made do. However, when Spencer was almost at the end of his turn, he had a mental breakdown. He broke the shape and ended up breaking down himself as well, fearing elimination.
The audience saw Spencer’s reaction. Some empathized with his fears. A majority of the fans, however, called him out as a “Dramatic b***h” on X. Spencer had come on the show in hopes of supporting his parents, so the pressure is understandable. But the viewers still have their own opinions. To know more, see TV Season & Spoilers.