Squid Game Season 3 Episode 5 Recap

Season 3 of ‘Squid Game’ continues to plummet Gi-hun toward a dark demise as his plans of saving other destitute, desperate players like him steadily turn to dust around him. As such, by the last round of the Game, the former winner stands alone in the aftermath of the death of his friends. Yet, something still compels him to keep going: Jun-hee’s newborn baby, who has now been ruthlessly turned into one of the ill-fated players. This decision is met with outrage by the other players, though not for the reason one would assume. The remaining players are angered to know the baby now has a claim to the prize money. That is, until they find out that they can choose to eliminate her in the upcoming round. Consequently, Gi-hun has a tough decision ahead of him, not just about the baby’s fate but also that of every other player. SPOILERS AHEAD!

Gi-hun’s Dilemma Parallels the Front Man’s Past

In the previous episode, the Front Man, In-ho, gives Gi-hun a harrowing choice. Earlier, the players were given a hint about the next game. The guards inform them that they would have to choose three participants to eliminate in order to win. This news bodes well for Jeong-dae and the rest of the players. They strike up a deal and agree to pick Min-su, Gi-hun, and the baby off in the next day’s game. As such, alone and without any support, the former winner stands a low chance of surviving and ensuring the kid’s survival. Thus, In-ho’s offer arrives as a lifeboat of sorts. The Front Man gives Gi-hun a blade and the option to murder all the other players while they sleep. By doing so, he and the baby will automatically win the Game and be allowed to survive.

On the final night, Gi-hun finds himself faced with a gruelling decision to make. However, what he doesn’t know is that years ago, In-ho was given the same choice by the Game’s creator, Il-nam. Back in 2015, when In-ho was a player, he received the same dagger from the old Front Man. In the end, he used the blade to his advantage and killed every single surviving player to confirm his own death. The monstrous act clearly left a mark on the man, likely compelling him to dedicate himself to the Game as the next Front Man for years to come. Nonetheless, Gi-hun surprises him when he refuses to make the same choice. Even though he comes close to committing the atrocious act of mass murder, he’s unable to mindlessly kill the others, even though they pose a threat to him and the baby. As Sae-byeok’s memory reminds him, deep down, he’s a good person who can’t stoop to such levels, no matter the cost.

The Final Game Begins

Since Gi-hun chooses against eliminating his competition in their sleep, the next morning, the Game moves forward with the final level. The final game that the players have to play is the Sky Squid Game. The arena has three pillars lined up in a row: a circle, a triangle, and a square. The players begin on the square pillar, where they must press a button to start the level. Afterward, they’ll have 15 minutes to push one player off the pillar and to their death. From there, they can move on to the next pillar, where they’ll have to do the whole thing once again. Ultimately, the game only requires three sacrifices, allowing the remaining six to win and split the pot among themselves. However, nothing is stopping them from going through more than one sacrifice on each round.

From the get-go, the sacrifices are clear to Jeong-dae and his group. Nevertheless, the group doesn’t know that they have the father of Jun-hee’s father, Myung-gi, in their midst. As such, when the time comes to make the first sacrifice, the failed crypto YouTuber manages to manipulate them to his advantage. Sacrificing either the baby or Gi-hun remains a difficult task given the latter’s firm hold on the kid. Any attempts at grabbing the kid or pushing the older man off will likely result in their joint death. This would mess up the posse’s plan of surviving the game as a joint front of six players. Consequently, Myung-gi is able to convince the others to make Min-su their first target. Given his growing problems with drug withdrawal, he makes for an easy enough prey. In the end, he uses a metal pole to push Min-su off the pillar, completing the first round.

No-Eul Confronts Her Commanding Officer

While the finale game unfolds, another conflict unravels in a different part of the Island. After No-eul rescues Gyeong-seok and puts him on a boat out of the horrid place, she returns to ensure his safety. Even though he might be able to run and save his life right now, the Game organizers have an extensive file with his information, including his family details and home addresses. Therefore, as long as that file exists, the single father and his daughter will never truly be free of danger. For the same reason, No-eul has returned to make sure that the file ceases to exist. Off-the-bat, she makes a beeline for the facility’s ventilation system through which she breaks into her Commander’s office. Initially, she makes him delete Gyeong-seok’s information from all databases.

Yet, one final hard copy remains in The Front Man’s office. Therefore, she holds him at gunpoint and uses his security clearance to break into In-ho’s office. Nevertheless, once there, a fight inevitably breaks out between the Commander and the guard. During the altercation, the boss learns the reason behind No-eul’s desperate attempts to save Gyeong-seok, whose daughter reminds her of her own child, whom she had to leave behind in North Korea. Ultimately, after sustaining many wounds, the guard manages to kill her boss for once and for all. Meanwhile, Gyeong-seok manages to make it out of the Island alive, thanks to Jun-ho, who finds his boat in the open sea. This fateful meeting also reveals the Island’s exact location to the former detective.

Myung-gi Switches Sides and Reveals His Relation to Jun-Hee’s Baby

Back to the final game, the transition from the first pillar to the second proves to be incredibly problematic for the players. The issue of separating Gi-hun from the baby arises again, as Jeong-dae and the other five players attempt to keep hold of their fragile partnership. Any attempts at pushing the man off before taking the baby from him will result in a disbalance, requiring another sacrifice for the next round. Consequently, no one is eager to be the one to push him off the pole themselves. Eventually, Myung-gi finally plays his card and pitches an idea to the group. After letting fate decide their roles, the gang ties up their suit jackets together to create a tether for one of them.

The chosen player’s job is to sweet-talk Gi-hun into handing over the baby to him while Myung-gi stands with the pole to push the man off the pillar. In order to trick their nemesis, Jeong-dae and the others claim they have made the decision to vote out someone by drawing lots to make it fair for everyone. Nonetheless, Gi-hun remains skeptical of the idea, especially when it requires him to part ways with Jun-hee’s baby. In the chaos that follows, Myung-gi manages to use the pole to push the chosen player off the pillar, fulfilling the level’s need for sacrifice. When his change of heart draws suspicion from Jeong-dae and his new ally alike, he finally reveals that he is the father of the baby. The revelation arrives much to the surprise of the players and the VIPs alike.

A Bloodbath Breaks Out on the Second Pillar

Once Myung-gi switches onto Gi-hun’s side, Jeong-dae and the others are at a disadvantage. Both men are armed with a dagger and a pole, giving them an upper hand. Therefore, once the father announces his intention of making it out of here alive with the baby, it becomes clear that the kid can no longer be their third sacrifice. Still, Jeong-dae and the others come up with a solution. They turn on one of their own, the weakest link, and begin beating him up to a pulp. The group then coins the term “lunchbox” for their victim, sharing their plan to carry him over to the third pillar and use him as an easy sacrifice.

Naturally, Gi-hun is horrified at the idea and remains adamantly against it. Instead, he urges the others to stick to the idea of drawing lots for everyone except the baby. As a result, it isn’t long before a fight breaks out between the players. Together, he and Myung-gi are able to fight off most of their adversaries, leaving only Jeong-dae alive. Although he tries to talk himself out of the situation, Myung-gi refuses to show him mercy and pushes him off the pillar. In the aftermath, he, Gi-hun, the baby, and the beaten-up player are the only ones left. Thus, it becomes clear that the father is planning on using the lunchbox idea to win the Game. Nonetheless, the player makes a move first and throws himself off the pillar, refusing to be a tool in someone else’s easy win. Ultimately, this decision leaves the surviving players in an impossible situation.