This review may contain spoilers
Wasted potential
The show started off very strong but slowed down a lot in the 2nd half especially from episode 9 onwards.The cast had huge potential, which unfortunately wasn't fully exploited. You could already see in the first episodes how different and clever all the contestants were this year and they all seemed likeable. This year's concept of sending contestants to the death room every day was both the most interesting and the worst thing that could have happened to this show.
Why?
Well on the bright side, we saw the most interesting, exciting and fair matches of the season in the Death Room. It was a fair fight and we saw fair, good winners and losers. It was a real pleasure to watch these games, even if one of them was very lengthy.
The negative thing about the whole thing was that 2 camps formed immediately after the first night and the production simply did nothing to break up these camps and the tensions that arose. In my opinion, this had a negative impact on the show. Games in which all the participants played together as a group without losing any participants were completely missing. As a result, the further the show progressed, the more intolerable the character traits of some of the participants became and the rifts could no longer be overcome.
The main games seemed more like a sideshow in which the camps fought each other and the initially playful manipulations became more personal in my eyes over time in order to eliminate the competitors of the manipulating string-puller. The very first game was really good, it was exciting, funny and you could root for it. The main game in episode 6 almost felt like bullying. That was the first time I found the actions of some of the contestants really unpleasant. When the string-pullers were allowed to taste their own medicine later on, there was suddenly a lot of whining. At this point, the whole double standard came to light and the show took off.
The living area was just incredibly boring this year. The players in the living area didn't really do anything there except for one situation. Nothing else interesting happened.
In utter frustration, I stuck it out until episode 11, when I dropped the show that I loved so much last year and here in the first half/ two-thirds, because it was clear to me that there would be no winner as worthy as Seok Jin from season 1 and the winner was clear.
The production must seriously reflect on the season, because its concept has caused the imbalance. Players who were once in prison had no chance of escaping. There was only one possibility for one single player.
I now strongly hope that we get to see a better season 3, which hopefully manages to utilize the full potential of its participants in a positive way.
My suggestions:
- no exits in the first few days, but rather games in which the group plays against the system and increases its jackpot
- more games like the death matches, also as main games.
- i.e. a better mix of alliance and individual games, so that every player earns their progress and not just gets dragged along and the players who perform incredibly well are eliminated.
- Make the living area more interesting. Let people have fun. Give them the chance to increase the jackpot together without an exit or to earn an extra piece every day.
- Maybe create the possibility that not only one person can win.
- Create the opportunity for players to play their way back into the game.
- To balance the living area and prison, the production should have increased the reward for the death matches so that the players from the prison in the main game would also have the chance to change areas. With the chance to win more pieces, the living area people would certainly have wanted to go to prison.
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The show gets my stars for the first half/ two-thirds and especially for Justin, who was an insanely great player, super fair, super interesting character, team player, strategist, single player, honest, direct and kind, and a few more. I had to deduct points because of the last episodes.
Justin, I hope to see you in more shows!
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