This article contains spoilers for the first nine episodes of Netflix’s Squid Game: The Challenge.
We’ve seen mother-child duos embark on reality competition journeys a few times. But, duking it out in a loser-go-home game? That’s a level of savagery reserved for Squid Game: The Challenge.
In the first crop of episodes dropped on Netflix, Trey Plutnicki and LeAnn Wilcox Plutnicki (No. 301 and No. 302, respectively) were at the top of the list of featured contestants. They navigated three games together: “Red Light, Green Light,” “Dalgona,” and “Warship.” Linked at the hip, No. 301 and 302 also skated by journey dormitory elimination tests.
But, the fan-favorite duo’s fate was sealed at the end of episode 5’s “Trick or Treat.” The remaining hopefuls vying for the $4.56 million grand prize were asked to form groups of two to enjoy a picnic.
Naturally, it wasn’t a wholesome meal — after linking up, the players found a bag of marbles in their baskets. Fans of the show’s inspiration, Squid Game, instantly knew what it meant. The contestants were about to play “Marbles,” and the loser of each twosome would be eliminated. Considering most of the groups featured close allies — just like in the scripted series — a heartbreaking competition was destined to play out where friends took out friends, and family members took out family members.
So, back to Trey and LeAnn.
The episode ended with the contestants making their way to the playing area. And, unlike moms who would self-eliminate in favor of extending their son’s life in the game, the opposite was true with LeAnn. In a confessional, LeAnn clarified that Trey would have to beat her to move forward in Squid Game: The Challenge — there’d be no mom-enabled “freebie.”
The two took turns throwing their 10 marbles at a target drawn into the sand (kind of like Darts). According to the edit, it all came down to LeAnn’s final throw. And as it’s written in the history books, LeAnn botched it and the self-made game closed with Trey besting his mom. After an emotional goodbye, No. 301 left No. 302 behind, and she was promptly eliminated from Netflix’s blockbuster.
Unfortunately for Trey, his mom’s exit only delayed the inevitable. His number was erased during “Glass Bridge” a few episodes later when he “fell” to his demise.
Did LeAnn truly try to send her son packing?
During a post-game interview with Entertainment Weekly, Trey confirmed that his mom went all out in their duel.
“No, she definitely wanted to win. Obviously, it’s very difficult to eliminate your son who’s living his dream, but I believe her competitive nature supersedes that emotional motherly side. I really don’t think that there’s a subconscious effort to sabotage herself. I think she literally just messed up and didn’t get the throw right. What’s shocking to me is people don’t have that relationship with their parents. I can’t imagine a different relationship than me playing pinging pong with my mom and my mom cheating as I’m winning, or vice versa. It’s funny.”
LeAnn, who was a 64-year-old retired newspaper editor at the time of Squid Game: The Challenge’s filming, was the first woman to receive a full-ride scholarship at Kansas State University for her basketball prowess. Her sports background, and the competitive nature that came with it, were mentioned multiple times during No. 302’s six-episode stint.
Trey told the outlet that LeAnn ultimately chose the game — not him. But, little did she know, he had been playing darts the summer before, a skill that directly transferred to their marble competition. “Not only was it in my favor, she didn’t do herself any favors because she shanked two marbles almost instantly, which was the reason for her demise,” he said. “But that’s not my fault. I did everything right.”
According to Trey, they had originally agreed that if they found themselves squaring off in Marbles, they’d play more of a luck-based game. But, LeAnn flipped the script while they awaited their destiny and pitched the aforementioned game instead.
Well, Trey has remained active on X since the season premiered on Netflix in November. And in a post on December 1, he gave a nod to another reality star who dashed the dreams of their mother in another franchise. Ciera Eastin famously voted out her mom, Laura Morett, during Survivor: Blood vs. Water in 2013. Take a look at the post below:
Joining the company of Big Brother 25’s Cirie and Jared Fields, LeAnn and Trey are one of only a handful of reality show contestants to compete alongside each other with the sort of deep connection the kinship brings. And because of their newly found fame, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they popped up on our screens again as competitors on another show — The Amazing Race, perhaps?