For weeks now, reports have been coming from Netflix that its new show Squid Game is poised to become the platform’s biggest series ever. Now, the streaming platform has officially confirmed that the show has reached 111 million people around the globe, making it their largest series launch of all time. Read the tweet for yourself below:
What’s more, the announcement was accompanied by a cheeky video featuring the character The Frontman, a mysterious puppeteer of a deadly contest, congratulating fans of the show as they join the ranks of the “VIPs.”
If you’re not familiar, Squid Game is the critically acclaimed show about people on the brink of financial ruin being recruited by a shadowy organization for a macabre competition. The 456 contestants have a chance at winning a life-changing $38 million, but should they lose in any of the series of children’s games, they die.
The series is proving to be one that has completely hijacked the global zeitgeist, generating memes, recreations on Grand Theft Auto V and Fortnite mods as well as turning many of its actors into overnight international stars.
And there’s good reason for the show’s success, as it is one of those shows that achieves what many great pieces of fiction do: make you sympathetic for characters you previously thought were the villains and in turn question your loyalty to characters you previously thought were operating on the side of good. Like Game of Thrones or Orange Is the New Black in their respective heydays, the realistically morally ambiguous portrayals of its characters, who are often put into extreme situations, are part of what makes the show so compelling.
You can watch all nine episodes of Squid Game on Netflix right now to see what all the fuss is about.