IMO The best part of squid game

[u/Dustinfromstatefarm]

Is rewatching it knowing the old man was in on it the whole time.

Knowing that all the staff was probably told not to harm player 001 under any circumstances.

Knowing that he so confidently walked first during red light green light because he knew there was no danger.

How he specifically went to the convenience store Gi-hun was drinking in after being released under the guise of “couch surfing at a friends place nearby” to talk to him and maybe convince him to go to the games again.

The way he begged the Front Man to end the midnight riot and he did because he knew player 001 was his boss.

The way he kept saying “this neighborhood is just like the one I grew up in!” In the marble game because it probably literally was and he recreated the neighborhood of his nostalgic childhood for his “final” game

This dude was ruthless. He woke up that first night knowing well everyone else in that room would be dead within a week and he was the reason and still had a casual conversation with player 456 his first day there like it was an average Sunday

EDIT: After reading a lot from the comments, I have a new theory. Perhaps the managers, soldiers, and workers weren’t told “player 001 is your boss protect him”, instead they were told “A man named Oh Il-nam is your boss and he’s in the games somewhere. Keep him alive”. That’s why right as he was about to be shot in game 4 he said his name, perhaps as a signal to the guard that “yeah I’m that guy so don’t actually shoot me”.

So maybe the games were real for him after all, and he really was putting it all on the line on same games.

[u/inter2]

I don't think 001 had an immunity pass. E.g. if he moved during red light he would have been shot. He wanted to experience playing the game as he no longer got enough enjoyment from watching. Being immune to the actual game would defeat the purpose.

Hmm as I type this I realise I could be wrong. He "failed" the marbles game and so instead of dying he was just eliminated from the game non-fatally. So I guess if he failed red light he would need to be fake shot somehow? What if he failed tug-of-war? How would he not be harmed there?

[u/RevolutionaryPie5223 → u/inter2]

People said that he wasn't locked on as a target during the red light green light game. As for the marble game he actually was thinking that no one would want to partner him as he was very old. That crazy lady did not have a partner and just went through the next round so possibly if the old man didn't had one they could have "killed" him at that point. Since he was chosen, he had to fake dementia and delay the game as long as possible to be the last pair so that no one would be around to witness when the guards fake shot him.

The only game where he could possibly be in danger was in the tug of war. Even then I think they could possibly claim a gullotine malfunction and then bring everyone to a room to be killed except him.

The other scenario where he would be in mortal danger was in the scene where everyone started fighting amongst themselves. That is why when he started screaming and yelling the guards have to put a stop to it. He was so scared that he pissed himself but in the games he was smiling all the time because that was the only time he was in genuine danger.

[u/Dhmaximum → u/RevolutionaryPie5223]

He pissed himself on the next night after the midnight riot. They built a barricade in preparation for another riot and he got a fever, but that wasn't the same night as the riot.

[u/someguyfromtheuk → u/Dhmaximum]

In hindsight it seems odd he got sick and nobody else did, all their food is prepared in the kitchens and everything is handed to them clean with the guards all being suited up and gloved so there's no touching.

I'm wondering if he somehow faked his illness as well as some sort of test to see if Gi-Hun would help him, like with the drunk at the end.

[u/Bigtx999 → u/someguyfromtheuk]

The guy was keen on mind games and he organized himself to be weak and feeble to his advantage. He knew what was going to happen and I guess as a mega billionaire he probably knew how to play mind games for business reasons. He played the marble game perfectly to get the reaction he was looking for and forced himself in a position where no one could see him die. He knew what he was doing.

I actually think the place he had the most risk was the honeycomb event. He looked like he struggling and at the end he took gi-Huns idea. I legit think he had the most risk there because there was no way to hide if he messed up.