This article contains spoilers for the first five episodes of Netflix’s Squid Game: The Challenge.
If there were two prominent faces during the first string of episodes for Squid Game: The Challenge, they were No. 232 Rick and No. 243 Stephen. Netflix’s newest reality competition show, a spinoff of the South Korean scripted mega-hit Squid Game, released its first five episodes on November 22.
The show spent a lot of time with these two men. Stephen began the game with his friend Chase, who was promptly eliminated during the first challenge, “Red Light, Green Light.” Looking to build relationships with others, Stephen gravitated to Rick, one of the oldest players to show up at the English filming location.
Rick, who celebrated his 69th birthday during the first episode, and Stephen forged a sort of father-son bond and became ride-or-die allies. However, sadly for them and their fans worldwide, their games ended abruptly — but at least they left the dormitory together.
During episode 5, No. 229 Phalisia received the opportunity to eliminate three competitors of her choice. After taking out No. 130 Jakoben, she set her sights on breaking up the “Gganbu Gang.” Rick and Stephen were focal points of the all-male alliance, and Phalisia called out Stephen and Rick’s numbers, directly resulting in their demise.
Screen Rant interviewed the duo a few days after the batch of episodes dropped. First, Rick showed off his Squid Game: The Challenge tattoo. The unfinished piece on his left arm featured his player number, the “Red Light, Green Light” doll, and the shapes from Dalgona — the cookie-cutting challenge. He also gave a nod to the Gganbu Gang by having the squad’s name tattooed.
“Absolutely incredible,” Stephen said, reacting to the ink. “Rick, you inspire me in every single way. Oh my goodness. I would never be brave enough to do anything like that.”
“This is going to be taken to the grave with me,” Rick replied.
It was a ‘stab in the heart’ for Stephen when he and Rick were eliminated
They then jumped into the happenings of their time on Squid Game: The Challenge. Stephen admitted that he was a “very needy” guy. So, after Chase was sent home, he looked to cling to someone else, and that ended up being Rick.
“When he was gone, I was just like, ‘Dangit, I don’t even want to be here — but, $4.56 million,” Stephen reflected. “I had a lot of internal conflict after that. But hey, I powered through it, got much farther than most people.”
Stephen had said in confessionals a few times during the show that his strategy was to lay low and stay out of sight and out of mind. But, his relationship with Rick was hard to ignore, especially after Rick chose him for a special task. Their connection was the reason they were both booted out, which Stephen called a “stab in the heart.”
Rick said he’s had difficulty “shaking that one off” but said he’d do it all again. “I’m glad I had the friendship,” Rick said. “Maybe that was a handicap, Doing it again, I would still find a Stephen out there.”
The 69-year-old said that he hoped his smaller stature and older age would help propel him in the game by lowering his threat level. And if he were to leave, it would be because of him faltering in a challenge, not through an ousting he had little control over. “You were too nice, Rick,” Stephen said. “You were too charming. People were gravitating around you, such as myself, and people noticed it, and that’s kind of on us.”
Rick went on to say that he didn’t hold any blame or anger for No. 229 as she had “every right” to end anybody’s campaign for the life-changing check. “I’m not happy about it,” Stephen laughed.
Lastly, they spoke about the side quest they went on alone. Rick was asked to select one person to come with him, and naturally, he picked his 30-year-old companion. And when they entered the kitchen, they were met by Ddakji, a staple Korean game featured in Squid Game.
Rick and Stephen went back and forth attempting to flip folded paper by slamming down another. Rick was clearly the more seasoned Ddakji player, and he was announced as the winner. The two had begun playing without thought about any sort of consequences, but once Rick was victorious, it quickly dawned on them that Stephen was potentially about to be escorted out of the kitchen — and out of the compound.
But, Rick earned a candy bar instead, and the duo was safe.
Rick said in the interview that in the brief moment, he feared he had just eliminated Stephen. “That would have ruined the game for me,” he said. “There would have been no more joy for the rest of the series.”
Well, the two survive, but unbeknownst to them, their time on Squid Game: The Challenge was about to run out anyway.