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Squid Game: The Challenge has now released nine episodes, with only the finale remaining, which is scheduled to be released on December 6. The competition started out with 456 contestants, and after episode 9, only three remain. Throughout their duration on the show, many made bold moves, which put them in the spotlight.
While the game gets slightly easier with stronger alliances, the fates of the contestants depend on their own actions and, many times, on chance. It was really every player for themselves, except not everybody admitted it openly. One of the players who found herself in the line of fire with contestants and fans alike, was #278, Ashley Tolbert.
The online outrage stems from the Glass Bridge challenge, following which, she was termed "selfish" when she chose not to move one tile ahead, betraying the "agreed upon" decision by the group. While some contestants moved on from it, viewers celebrated her elimination.
Why are fans upset with #278, Ashley's gameplay on Squid Game: The Challenge?
Squid Game: The Challenge is one week away from its finale. Every episode brings bigger twists, eliminating hoards of people in one go. The first batch of five episodes was released on November 22, and the contestants were whittled down from 456 to 63. They then released four more episodes on November 29, where they were further cut down to just three finalists.
Throughout the long, drawn-out journey, contestants implemented several tactics to secure their positions in the game, either by forming alliances or using strategic, individualistic gameplay. The marble game eliminated half the group, breaking apart strong partnerships.
Player 278 lost her best friend, Player 229, on Squid Game: The Challenge, when she beat her in marbles. A test of allegiance saved all the women, including #278, but their next game was what changed the public perception of Ashley (#278).
All Squid Game: The Challenge contestants were going to be heading to the dreaded Glass Bridge game, but before that, they were told to pick out a teddy bear from a claw machine and assign whatever number it revealed to another contestant. These numbers would determine the order they would follow for the game.
Anyone who has watched the original knows that being in the back of the line is best for their game, so players in front of them can test out the glass and ensure its safety for the rest. Among 20 players, Ashley was given number 05, and the final order was 182, 221, 301, 077, 278, 031, 393, 418, 429, 451, 286, 051, 023, 254, 268, 018, 016, 355, 019, and 287.
Before they stepped onto the bridge, the group decided as a whole to make it fair, giving each player a 50-50 chance of survival. The plan was for all of them to take one step ahead and wait to be overtaken by the person after them. Everybody agreed at the time, but Ashley thought they should all play for themselves, which she only expressed in a confessional.
The game then began, and players 01–04 followed through with the team's strategy. However, when it was Ashley's turn to move ahead, she stayed stuck to her tile, unwilling to move. The group criticized her for her move, but since time was winding down, they were running out of choices, and player 03, or 301, took a risk and jumped another tile.
He landed safely, looked back to the Squid Game: The Challenge competitors, and asked them if he deserved to be third, hinting that Ashley should take a step too. Frustrated after she still didn't move, he jumped once more, this time straight into his elimination. Once he was out, she had no choice but to go ahead, and when she landed safely, she immediately encouraged the next person to overtake.
The whole situation left a bad taste in the mouths of the remaining players and the audience. The next task on Squid Game: The Challenge was meant to eliminate six out of the last nine players, where, in a game of trust, player 278 was sent home.
Squid Game: The Challenge is set to release its finale, episode 10, on December 6, 2023, on Netflix. The three finalists are players 451, 278, and 016, who will have their opulent dinner ceremony in the next episode, and the final two will face off in the ultimate Squid Game. One will walk away with $4.56 million.
