The South Korean web series Squid Game, which enthralled viewers with its concept when it first premiered on Netflix in 2021, has ended after three seasons. The final season, which premiered on 27 June, left the internet baffled over the way a birthing scene involving Kim Jun Hee, aka Player 222 (Jo Yuri), was handled. Some even think it had ‘misogynistic’ or ‘propaganda’ undertones. *Spoilers ahead*

Player 222’s birthing scene

The second season showed how Player 222 decided to take part in the Squid Game despite being heavily pregnant. In episode 2 of season 3, she gives birth in the middle of a highly tense game with the help of Jang Gerum Ja, aka Player 149 (Kang Ae Sim). Not only does she give birth quickly in the middle of a game, but she even walks a few minutes after that. People on the internet wondered if the male creator, writer, and director of the show, Hwang Dong-hyuk, was aware of how childbirth works.

‘Her broken ankle had more impact than childbirth’

Numerous frustrated people on X (formerly Twitter) made posts on the ridiculousness of it all. One person wrote, “even outside of the other baby plot issues it was so strange to me how junhees water broke out of nowhere with no buildup to it and she literally WALKED OFF childbirth ??? like her broken ankle impacted her more than giving birth with no real medical care bow does that work.”

Another ridiculed the plot points of Squid Game, “Squid game 3 was realistic. Gihun made it to the final games twice. Junhee gave birth in less than 15 minutes, no bleeding, nothing, but her broken ankle was treated as more painful than childbirth. The baby didn’t have diapers and was fed twice but still survived.” One even shared a meme, writing, “player 222 gave birth to her first child in less than 10 min, when actually first labour lasts maaaaaany hours.”

A fan of the show even questioned why the director had added the scene if he wasn’t aware of how childbirth works, “lowk i cant get over how hdh had junhee give birth completely unmedicated and then walk it off 5 minutes later…why did you add it if you didnt know anything about it.” Another wrote, “the fact that junhee gave birth in under 10 minutes and then walked it off like she was doing it every other week is making me ctfu WHO WROTE THIS!!!!”

‘This is misogynistic propaganda’

At the end of the three-season ordeal, Player 222’s baby ends up winning the game, a twist that received mixed responses. Many reactions to that ranged from calling it ‘propaganda’ to ‘misogynistic’.

A frustrated X user posted a meme, writing, “They definitely tried to make this season of Squid Game into propaganda for South Korea’s declining birth rate #SquidGame #SquidGame3.” Another wrote, “How it feels watching s3 of squid game just for it to be misogynistic, transmysogynistic, and a bunch of prolife bulls**t.”

A person posted a hilarious meme, writing, “can’t take squid game s3 seriously they’re saying the newborn baby counts as a player.” Another questioned the series ending, “I’m sorry but having your entire series boil down to all your main characters basically sacrificing themselves for a baby that hasnt even uttered a word is just stupid. How is the audience supposed to root for the baby when we just met the baby two seconds ago?? #SquidGame.”

Squid Game is a dystopian thriller about a secret contest in which 456 players in financial hardship risk their lives to play children’s games.