The Front Man Almost Played One More Round

Warning: This article contains minor spoilers for Squid Game season 3.Following the release of the third and final season of Squid Game, the show’s creator revealed that he almost involved the most prominent villain in a bit more of the action. The biggest twist of Squid Game season 2 was seeing the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) go undercover as another player in the games in order to see Gi-hun’s (Lee Jung-jae) attempts to end the games up close and manipulate the outcome. In-ho fakes his death during Gi-hun’s failed revolt after the third game — but by Squid Game season 3’s ending, he has revealed the truth to Gi-hun.

In Squid Game in Conversation, a BTS feature also now available on Netflix, Squid Game showrunner Hwang Dong-hyuk reveals that he considered having the Front Man exit the games a bit later, so he would have been a participant in the Hide-and-Seek sequence seen in season 3. However, Hwang decided that In-ho’s departure, happening as it does in the show, was “the cruelest option” and made the most sense “plot-wise.” Check out his full comments below (translation from Korean provided by Netflix):

I agonized over his exit too, how he’d go. I wrote one version where he left later, staying till Hide-and-Seek. But killing Jung-bae [Lee Seo-hwan], then leaving the games, I thought that was the cruelest option, while faking his own death, so I wrote that. And plot-wise, those moments created major turning points, which determined the larger story and overall arc of seasons 2 and 3.

What The Front Man Playing Another Game Would Have Meant For Squid Game

It Would Have Disrupted The Pacing & Segue From Season 2 To Season 3

The Front Man exiting the games just before the cutoff between seasons 2 and 3 created a clear structure for the overarching story, as plot points such as Gi-hun’s temporary emotional defeat needed to happen before the fourth game. In-ho’s leaving allows the Hide-and-Seek storyline to play out the way it does, especially concerning the confrontation between Gi-hun and Dae-ho (Kang Ha-neul). His murder of Jung-bae is one of the series’ most harrowing moments and has a huge, vital impact on the story — which would have been hard to pull off if he had left later.

Squid-Game-Season-3-Ending-Why-Gi-hun-Made-That-Ultimate-Decision-In-The-Final-Game-Explained-By-Star-&-Creator

Squid Game Season 3 Ending: Why Gi-hun Made That Ultimate Decision In The Final Round Explained By Star & Creator

Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk and star Lee Jung-jae break down why Gi-hun made that ultimate decision in season 3’s final round.

Essentially, if Hwang had tried to write the Front Man’s exit after Hide-and-Seek, it would have meant potentially moving Hide-and-Seek up to season 2, and thus rushing some of the other developments of the sophomore installment to make that happen. Or the clear cliffhanger of the failed rebellion wouldn’t have been Squid Game season 2’s ending, but early in season 3, altering the trajectory of the last few episodes. It was a delicate balance, and this event needed to happen earlier for the best sequencing.

Our Take On The Front Man’s Cut Fourth Game Storyline

It Would Have Been Riveting To See, But We Get It

Lee Byung-hun as the Front Man playing Mingle in Squid Game

I fully see why Hwang needed to get In-ho out of the games by the end of the second season. But like Hwang, I believe, I am mourning the possibilities of the Front Man being in the Hide-and-Seek game, one of the most intense and well-designed parts of the show. The suspense of this episode is already incredible, and having the show’s most dangerous and manipulative character there would have taken it to another level. However, some trade-offs had to be made in order for Squid Game overall to be at its best.

Source: Squid Game In Conversation