The final episode of the first season of “Squid Game: The Challenge” was made available for streaming this week on Netflix. The reality competition was based on the popular South Korean drama series that premiered on the streaming service in 2021.
The competition pitted 456 contestants against each other to win the grand prize of more than $4.5 million.
Scottsdale resident Melissa Rimsza flew to London in January to participate in the show. While there, she competed in several games as contestants developed strategies for survival. Games included Red Light, Green Light and Battleship.
She said her favorite part was seeing the show be produced.
“Being a reality TV fan, it was really fascinating to see how it all actually works, and also really interesting getting to compare my lived experience with the final edit of the show and seeing how those are the same or different," she said.
Unlike characters in the show, contestants did not face life-threatening consequences. But controversy brewed after players had to spend hours in the cold for Red Light, Green Light. It was portrayed as a 5-minute game in the episode.
“It took about eight hours, depending on how long it took you to finish. It took me about four and a half hours. So I'm glad that it didn't take the full eight as it did for some people," she said.
The public also questioned the conditions faced by contestants and the ethics of making an actual Squid Game.
Rimsza said participants were warned that activities would be “physically straining.”
Her journey on the competition came to an end when another contestant eliminated her in a game of marbles. If she had the chance to participate in another Squid Game, she said she would not do it again but would be open to doing other reality shows.
