Squid Game’s Front Man Easter Egg Breaks The Show’s Continuity

One of Squid Game‘s Easter eggs breaks the show’s continuity after The Front Man’s identity reveal. Netflix’s hit Korean TV series might have similarities to other mainstream properties like Battle Royale or The Hunger Games, but it is an original creation of Hwang Dong-hyuk. Set in present-day Korea, Squid Game follows 456 people as they play deadly versions of popular children’s games for a chance to win 45.6 billion won. Unlike some of the biggest TV shows in recent memory, Squid Game isn’t connected to an existing IP or franchise, but viewers have become fascinated with it nonetheless.

As Squid Game progresses, the character known as The Front Man grows in importance and mystery. It isn’t until the eighth episode of the show that his identity is revealed. Squid Game includes the twist that The Front Man is In-ho, the brother of police officer Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon). The reveal comes after Jun-ho learns In-ho was a former champion of Squid Game, and it concludes with In-ho seemingly killing Jun-ho. On top of the surprise that the mysterious character is Jun-ho’s brother, Squid Game also used this twist to unveil Lee Byung-hun plays The Front Man. Lee Byung-hun is the most recognizable star in Squid Game for most audiences, and it turns out his popularity actually breaks the show’s continuity.

Although Lee Byung-hun’s face isn’t shown until Squid Game‘s eighth episode, the show directly references the actor in episode 6. The episode revolves around the players pairing up to play any game involving marbles, where the winner moves on and the loser dies. This includes Player 067 pairing up with Player 240, and they decide to delay the inevitable and spend the allotted time talking. During the conversations, Player 240 references the 2015 movie Inside Men and is surprised that Player 06y/Kang Sae-byoek hasn’t seen the film. As Player 240 tries to explain what movie it is, she says “Lee Byung-hun is in it.” Since Squid Game then reveals that Lee Bynug-hun is The Front Man and not a version of his real self, the show’s rare pop culture reference breaks the universe it exists in.

Squid Game making this continuity mistake is rather surprising. The show could’ve used any number of movies for Player 240 to reference or even another star of 2015’s Inside Men. So far, there is no great explanation for why Squid Game did reference Lee Byung-hun by name either. Dong-hyuk has been trying to make the show for a decade, so it is possible this reference was written before Byung-hun joined the show. There’s also the chance that Dong-hyuk wanted to include the mention as a fun piece of foreshadowing that Byung-hun was part of Squid Game‘s cast – after all, plenty of Hollywood movies and TV shows have made cheeky references to previous roles their stars have been in.

Although Squid Game breaking its continuity with the Lee Byung-hun reference, it is hardly the first piece of entertainment to do so. The Marvel Cinematic Universe, for example, has made similar continuity breaks many times. One of the more recent was Avengers: Endgame referencing Hot Tub Time Machine, a movie that Winter Soldier actor Sebastian Stan also appears in. Squid Game‘s break is a bit worse since it mentions the actor by name, but for now, it can be considered merely a fun nod to the biggest star in the cast.

About The Author

Cooper Hood
(5633 Articles Published)

See also  Bridgerton Star Phoebe Dynevor Lands Next Movie Role In New Drama

Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. He joined Screen Rant in late 2016 following a year-long stint with MCU Exchange, which came after first developing an MCU blog of his own. He graduated college in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Media & Public Communication, with a minor in Media Production. Cooper’s love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn’t until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Every year Cooper looks forward to seeing the latest blockbusters from the likes of Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, but also loves the rush to catch up on Oscar films near the end of the year. When he isn’t writing about or watching new releases, Cooper is a fantasy football obsessive and looking to expand his Blu-Ray collection – because physical media is still king! Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper.

More From Cooper Hood