 |
|
Mai Whelan became the ultimate winner of Netflix’s reality TV show “Squid Game: The Challenge.” Photo from Netflix |
The series, inspired by the 2021 South Korean drama “Squid Game,” concluded its first season as the final episode began streaming on Netflix on Wednesday, reported The independent.
In the show’s highly anticipated conclusion, the final three contestants – Phill, Sam and Mai – competed in two games of chance. Sam then became the first to retire after a play with the press of a button.
Phill and Mai then faced off in a game of rock, paper, scissors, with the eventual winner receiving a key that unlocks the series’ coveted piggy bank. Mai ultimately won against Phill thanks to tracking his choices throughout the rounds and using the information to predict what he would do.
“What I am most proud of is that I did not compromise my integrity to make money,” said the 55-year-old Vietnamese. Weekly Entertainment after her triumph, adding that she was proud to be able to prove that she could still do anything at her age, if she only thought about it.
The audience agreed with her thoughts, hailing Mai as one of the most strategic players on the show who “deserved” to win the entire series.
According to Squire, Mai’s Netflix profile indicated that she moved to the United States when she was eight years old. She then joined the US Navy at the age of 18, but became pregnant shortly after and was rejected by her family. Since then, she has been a single mother and recently a grandparent.
Beginning filming in the UK in January 2023, ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ claims to be the reality TV show with the highest number of participants. It also offers the second highest prize money in reality TV history, just behind “The X Factor US” which rewards its winner with a contract worth $5 million.
Nonetheless, it generated its share of controversy, with some contestants reporting health issues as a consequence of the filming process and viewers questioning the show’s ethics, accusing the show of omitting criticism of its original series on class disparity and capitalism.
