Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Squid Game season 3.
Jun-hee gave birth during Squid Game season 3, and the fate of Player 222 led to the show’s darkest storyline. From the moment Jun-hee’s pregnancy was revealed early in season 2, it was easy to predict that her baby was going to play some kind of role in the story. Considering how cruel Squid Game can be, I never thought that Jun-hee and her child were going to have a happy ending. Even still, what Squid Game season 3 did to Player 222 was even more shocking than what I was expecting.
With most of the Squid Game season 3 characters, including Gi-hun, having lost all hope, the show needed to give our remaining protagonists something to fight for. Jun-hee didn’t have a lot of friends in the game, but both Geum-ja and Hyun-ju were willing to sacrifice everything to protect her and her child. Unfortunately, Myun-gi had other priorities. Player 333’s reckless decision to kill as many opponents as possible led to a series of tragic events that left Jun-hee all but alone as she tried to protect her newborn daughter.
Jun-hee Gave Birth To During The “Hide-And-Seek” Game
Player 222 Had To Be Protected While Giving Birth
It was clear that Jun-hee was going to give birth during the games, but the circumstances of it all were even worse than I could’ve imagined. Jun-hee entered labor during Squid Game season 3, episode 2, in the middle of the Hide-and-Seek game. The first game of the season and the fourth overall, Hide-and-Seek saw half of the players hunting down the other half that would try to find the maze’s exit in the meantime. Jun-hee, Hyun-ju, and Geum-ja were all on the blue team, meaning they were meant to hide and find an exit.
Jun-hee was originally supposed to be on the red team, but Myun-gi convinced her to switch teams with him.
When Jun-hee entered labor, she and her friends were supposed to be quiet to avoid drawing attention. The three of them became obvious targets for the red team, and had it not been for Hyun-ju, Jun-hee and her child would have been killed right there. Fortunately, not only was Hyun-ju brave enough to fight anyone who would try to attack Jun-hee and the baby, but Geum-ja had plenty of experience delivering babies.
While it seemed like Jun-hee, her friends, and the baby were all going to make it, the situation only escalated after Hyun-ju was killed by Myun-gi. Player 333 wanted to eliminate as many blue team players as possible, and he attacked Hyun-ju from behind without realizing that she was helping protect Jun-hee and the baby. The fact that Hyun-ju could have completed the game but chose to come back for Jun-hee only made her death at the hands of “MG Coin” worse.
Why Squid Game’s VIPs Asked For Jun-hee’s Baby To Be Considered A Player
The Baby Had To Complete The Jump Rope Game Just Like Everyone Else
Squid Game season 3 had a lot more in store for Jun-hee and her baby after episode 2. At the end of the Hide-and-Seek game, we found out that some of the pink guards clearing up the room were actually VIPs who wanted a more immersive experience. The VIPs were even more disturbing in season 3 than they were in the first season, especially after they demanded that Jun-hee’s baby be considered a contestant in the remaining games. As a result, Jun-hee’s daughter would have to complete the next games to survive.
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Squid Game Season 3’s Games |
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|---|---|
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Game |
Episode(s) |
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Hide-and-Seek |
3×1, 3×2 |
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Jump Rope |
3×3, 3×4 |
|
Squid Game |
3×5, 3×6 |
The Front Man‘s job as host was to entertain the VIPs, which is why he agreed to everything that they asked. For the Jump Rope game, Jun-hee’s child would have to cross the bridge just like everybody else; otherwise, she would be eliminated. This was a major turning point in the final season, not only for Jun-hee but also for Gi-hun, both of whom were ready to sacrifice themselves if it meant saving the baby. Gi-hun risked his life by crossing the bridge while carrying the child, and fortunately, he succeeded.
Jun-hee Sacrificed Herself So That Gi-hun Could Survive And Protect Her Baby
There Was Not Enough Time For Gi-jun To Come Back For Jun-hee
While Gi-hun crossed the bridge with Jun-hee’s daughter and saved the child’s life, Player 222 had yet to complete the game. However, after twisting her ankle during Hide-and-Seek, Jun-hee could barely walk and would not be able to complete the Jump Rope game. Gi-hun promised that he would come back and help her cross the bridge, but there was simply not enough time. Player 456 was ready to go back for Jun-hee, but Player 222 knew that it would be pointless and would cost his life.
As heartbreaking as Jun-hee’s death was, it gave Player 456 a purpose for the rest of the season.
Knowing that Gi-hun was the only remaining player she could trust to keep her daughter safe, Jun-hee preferred to take her own life instead of letting Player 456 risk his life for her. Player 222 asked Gi-hun once more to take care of her daughter and jumped, thus making sure Player 456 would not go try to back. This was one of the most heartbreaking moments in Squid Game, even more so because of how little time Jun-hee got to spend with her daughter.
As heartbreaking as Jun-hee’s death was, it gave Player 456 a purpose for the rest of the season. Gi-hun had been broken ever since his rebellion failed at the end of Squid Game season 2, but being asked to protect Jun-hee’s daughter helped him find some strength. Gi-hun didn’t know that Player 333 was the child’s father, meaning that Player 456 believed he was the only person there who cared about the baby.
Why Jun-hee’s Baby Replaced Her As Player 222 For The Final Game
The VIPs Suggested That The Baby Replace Her Mother As The New 222
The VIPs’ cruelty in Squid Game season 3 seemed to know no limit. Even after Player 222 died so that her daughter would at least have someone to care for her, the VIPs were still not entertained enough and suggested that the baby would officially join the games as Jun-hee’s replacement. In their twisted logic, either the baby would have to be eliminated along with the mother, or the child would have to become the new Player 222 and participate in the final round as an actual contestant.
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The Front Man advocated for the idea of having the baby be the new Player 222, most likely to avoid having to kill the child immediately. In-ho also knew that, with the baby becoming an official player, the remaining contestants would be less inclined to vote for the games to stop since they would have to split Squid Game‘s prize money with one extra person. The Front Man’s prediction was correct, and once the remaining characters were told that the baby now had the right to the prize too, most of them decided they needed to play the final round.
Squid Game Season 3’s Baby Storyline Showed The Lowest Of Humanity
Most Of The Players Were Willing To Kill The Baby To Win More Money
Squid Game‘s seasons 2 and 3 were all about the Front Man trying to prove a point to Gi-hun. In-ho believed that humanity was not worth fighting for, and that deep down, most people were miserable and deserved to be treated as trash. Gi-hun, on the other hand, was trying to stop the games because he believed people can always do better, no matter how awful life can get. After the baby joined the games, the Front Man got to show Gi-hun the worst of humanity.
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All of the remaining “O” players wanted to kill the baby so that they would not have to split the money with one more person. Player 100 and his allies were openly talking about killing a newborn so that they could get more money, showing no signs of hesitation or remorse. Once some of the rules of Squid Game season 3’s final game were announced, the “O” players quickly decided they would kill the baby first.
Jun-hee’s baby was not only a character in Squid Game season 3 but also the symbol of how differently Gi-hun and the Front Man perceived things. Player 456 still had hopes for a better future, whereas the Front Man could only see how horrible the world could be.
8/10
- Release Date
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2021 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
- Showrunner
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Hwang Dong-hyuk
- Directors
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Hwang Dong-hyuk
- Writers
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Hwang Dong-hyuk
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Lee Jung-jae
Seong Gi-hun / ‘No. 456’
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Jeon Young-soo
Game Guide
