1x06 Gganbu

[7.5/10] I believe this is the first time we’ve seen a game take up practically the whole hour. The choice doesn't fully work out. The pace is leisurely, which is good because this is a more cerebral episode that features the (apparent) deaths of some major characters for the first time in the series. But overall, I like the choice, as it gives these scenes room to breathe.

The game of marbles isn’t as riveting or full of tension as the other games so far, but the open=ended and freeform nature of the game gives it a different flavor and some additional intrigue than the ones we’ve seen so far. The fact that the players can choose their own games, set their own rules, so long as someone ends up with the right 20 marbles at the end creates more space for the players to express themselves and more importantly reveal themselves as part of the game.

There’s a recurring motif to all of these things. People seem willing to play fair and be magnanimous when they think they’re on the same side, but turn deceitful and even vicious when they’re suddenly opposed to one another. It makes the turn -- from players thinking they’re picking partners, when in reality they’re picking adversaries -- that much more dramatic.

Some of the turns aren’t shocking. Deok-su is losing at the marble wagering game and so appeals to the notion of fairness to switch to a marble throwing game where he can win it all. There’s not much to it, but it’s a testament to how self-serving Doek-su is, and there’s some sports movie excitement when the last marble toss knocks his into the pit.

The game between Sang-woo and Ali is much more compelling in my book. Say what you will about Doek-su, but he’s transparent about who he is and how he is. Sang-woo has the marks of intelligence and high-minded sophistication, but as soon as he’s losing to Ali, who is innocent and gracious to the last, he accuses him of cheating and becomes the same sort of self-serving jerk.

I’m not sure there’s anything more despicable in the game so far than Sang-woo taking advantage of Ali’s trust and good nature with a promise that they’ll get through this together, only to fool him with a bag full of rocks meant to be for “safe keeping” that is, in fact, a ruse for Sang-woo to end up with the winning marble bag by any means necessary. There’s a commentary there, that nice is different than good and that the high class Sang-woo’s supposed kindness and decency only goes so far when the chips are down. The fact that he’ll throw someone as pure and good as Ali under the bus is a stain on his character.

Gi-hun’s deceit is still lamentable, but also more tolerable. Maybe it’s because we see his kindness earlier in the episode. When everyone thinks they’re securing partners, Gi-hun gives up the chance to team up with someone his own age, because the odd man out will be killed, and he doesn’t want that to be Number 1. His altruism, in reducing his chances of victory (or so he thinks) to save Number 1 puts him in the moral win column, especially after providing his coat to the old man to help him preserve his dignity after peeing his pants.

But then he lies to Number 1 in their wager game. When by all accounts, he should lose, he takes advantage of Number 1’s dementia to cheat him, to claim he guessed right or wrong until he can take the win. It’s made that much more sad, that much more immoral, after discussions about them being best friends, “gganbu”, which provides the title of the episode. There is genuine care and compassion between them, which makes the cheating that much worse.

You can see Gi-hun’s logic more than Sang-woo’s. The old man is clearly having a crisis (or so it would seem, at least). His chances of surviving are slim to nil, and if he does, he still has a brain tumor to contend with. The old man is as innocent as Ali is, but the scenarios of what could come next are different. And yet, the most poignant moment in the show so far comes when Number 1 acknowledges that Gi-hun has been cheating him, and gives him the last marble anyway, telling him his name in the process, as a sign of that care, despite everything. The acting from both performers is superb,

And yet, the sentimental favorite here is the exchange between Sae-byeok and Ji-Young. They are the purest ones here, because rather than bickering or twisting games or bending rules, they agree to just play one game for literally all the marbles. They play this thing fair and kind in a way nobody else we see seems to. Instead, they take their last half hour to talk about their hopes and dreams, to learn about one another, to make this uncivilized thing civilized in a way others cannot.

Then, Ji-Young sacrifices herself for Sae-byeok. Despite their mutual sad stories, of mothers lost under different circumstances, Ji-Young decides she has no idea what she’d do if she got out, but Sae-byeok still has something to live for. It’s the most selfless thing we’ve witnessed in the series to date, and the contrast that choice cuts with how selfish everyone else has been makes it that much more impactful.

Otherwise, we see the grim fates of the Doctor and the workers who broke the rules in the last episode. Number 212 seemingly gets her karmic comeuppance from so much betrayal and side-switching. Though I’ll note that we don’t actually see her, Number 1, or Ali get shot; it’s just implied, so I wouldn’t be shocked if they come back. As a giant nerd, I’d be remiss if I didn’t note that the marble game arena has the same aesthetic as Twilight Town from Kingdom Hearts 2, which probably means little to anyone but me. And we see Hwang making incremental progress, with a hint that the VIPs will be arriving soon.

All-in-all, this one is more languid and cerebral than others episodes, with fewer thrills and more conversations, but as with “Hell”, that’s a necessary break and breather from some of the other pulpier developments to date. Onto the final third of the season!