Stick to the Team

"**Stick to the Team**" (쫄려도 편먹기 *Jjollyeodo pyeonmeoggi*?) is the fourth episode of the first season of the television series *Squid Game*.

This episode features Tug of War and the Special Round.

## Official summary

*As alliances form among the players, no one is safe in the dorm after lights-out. The third game challenges Gi-hun's team to think strategically.*

**—Official Netflix synopsis**
## Plot

After the Sugar Honeycombs game is finished, the announcer says the results of the game, stating that out of 187 players, 79 were eliminated and 108 made it. The announcer then announces that it's mealtime, and all the players get in line for the meal, which is a boiled egg and a soda in a glass bottle. Jang Deok-su complains that this isn't enough food, so he, along with four other players, cut in line for seconds. Due to this, five other players don't get their meals. Player 198 points out who cut the line, and this leads to Player 271 getting angered at the five. 271 attempts to grab the drink from Deok-su, which causes the bottle to break. In a fit of rage, Deok-su then shoves 271 onto the floor, beating him brutally. Cho Sang-woo and Seong Gi-hun check on 271, only to find that he is dead. The guards do nothing besides get ready to dispose of his body, much to Gi-hun's disgust.

Thirty minutes before lights out, Player 001, with Gi-hun, Sang-woo, and Ali Abdul, stick together, discussing a plan for tonight. Sang-woo theorizes that this night will be dangerous due to the events beforehand. Gi-hun then walks over to Kang Sae-byeok, offering that she can come to him for safety, although she rejects the offer.

Byeong-gi (Player 111) is with a group of guards, dissecting a dead contestant's body to extract their organs for delivery. Guard 28 then comes in, and gets asked about the whereabouts of Guard 29, not knowing that it's Hwang Jun-ho in disguise. He states that 29 didn't show up. Byeong-gi interjects, asking the guards what the next game is, and they give him an egg. The guards reveal that they gave the players less food today on purpose to start a fight between the players tonight. They tell Byeong-gi to stick with the strongest players in order to survive and continue helping them with their side hustle. He eats the egg in a restroom stall, pulling out a piece of paper stating the next game. Byeong-gi then walks over to Deok-su and his group of players, asking to join them. Han Mi-nyeo (Player 212) looks at him, asking what he's good at. He states that he is a doctor and that they might need him, but Mi-nyeo laughs, joking that he'll just give her a shot when she gets sick. Deok-su threatens Byeong-gi, but becomes curious when Byeong-gi tells him that he knows what the next game is.

Three minutes before lights out, the announcer tells the staff to get in position for the Special Round tonight. Jun-ho, masked as a manager, gets in an elevator with other guards. The lights then go out. Deok-su goes towards Player 198, stabbing her with a part of the glass bottle that broke earlier. As she screams, each row of beds falls down. Player 067 then gets choked by Player 040. Deok-su goes after Sae-byeok, trying to grab her. She manages to stab him in the leg. He then pushes her back towards the row of beds, nearly breaking her arm. He attempts to choke Sae-byeok, before she kicks him in the groin. She climbs over the bed, and is cornered by Deok-su before being pushed over by Player 331. Deok-su manages to stab him repeatedly in the arm. Gi-hun climbs out of a bed, hitting the floor. Player 413 appears behind him though, attempting to hit him with a metal rail. He runs, before getting hit by 413 in the back with a metal rail. He lands the bed, and pushes the player off. Gi-hun grabs 413 by the leg, but 413 manages to hit him in the back. He almost hits Gi-hun, before being stopped by Ali. Sang-woo appears behind Gi-hun, repeatedly hitting 413 with another metal rail. 413 gets pushed by Ali into the crowd, and Sang-woo asks if Gi-hun is okay. Gi-hun walks up the stairs, before Player 113 attempts to hit him with a metal rail. Sang-woo then hits 113, and Ali pushes him away. Gi-hun, 113, and Sang-woo attempt to look for Player 001, whilst every other player fights with each other. Sae-byeok finds Gi-hun, and runs to him. Deok-su appears behind Sae-byeok, and Gi-hun pushes her out of the way to grab Deok-su. Sae-byeok kicks Deok-su, before getting a bottle cracked on her head by Player 303. Sang-woo hits 303, before getting kicked by Player 040. Along with Ali, Sae-byeok, Gi-hun and Sang-woo join him, protecting themselves from Deok-su, Player 303, Player 040, Player 278, and Mi-nyeo. Player 001, on top of a high bunk bed, screams that he is scared and pleads for the riot to stop. The Front Man notices this, and tells the staff to end the Special Round.

The guards come into the dorm, checking through every remaining player. Jun-ho goes towards Gi-hun, asking him if he knows someone named "Hwang In-ho." Gi-hun states that they don't use their names here. Gi-hun, Sang-woo, Player 001, Ali, and Sae-byeok all talk to each other. Gi-hun asks if Player 001 is alright, and Ali expresses worry for him. Gi-hun then suggests that they should introduce their names to each other, to which Ali states that it's Ssangmun-dong. Gi-hun laughs, telling him that that is his hometown and that his real name is Seong Gi-hun. Sang-woo asks Ali for his name, in which he responds that it's "Ali Abdul". Gi-hun then asks where he is from, to which he says he's from Pakistan. Gi-hun asks where that's at, and Sang-woo says that it's north of India. Gi-hun then notices Sae-byeok, and asks her what her name is, to which she responds that it's "Kang Sae-byeok". Ali then asks Player 001 what his name is, to which he doesn't reply as he has a hard time remembering what it is.

Byeong-gi heals Deok-su by sewing his stab wound shut. Player 278 complains about the guards, stating that they shouldn't have made them kill each other then end it all of a sudden. The players then talk about ending the game during the Special Round, then winning the prize money. Deok-su interjects, stating that they can try to kill other players as long as they don't die. Mi-nyeo tells the other players that they managed to eliminated 27 players, looking right at Deok-su. Deok-su tells her that she shouldn't be calling him an old man as she looks old herself, to which she says that she shouldn't have lent him that lighter. He attempts to guess Mi-nyeo's age, and manages to get it right on the third try. He asks what his reward is, to which she says she'll think in the restroom. They then have sex in the restroom while lighting up a cigarette. Deok-su promises Mi-nyeo that they'll get out together. Mi-nyeo asks Deok-su for his name, to which he says "Jang Deok-su". Mi-nyeo takes the cigarette and smokes it, and tells him that if he betrays her, she'll kill him. They then kiss again while they resume having sex.

Jun-ho is in his dorm, keeping notes on his phone. Another man coughs in morse code "NUMBER 29" The lights in the Players' Dorm light up, signaling the third game will begin. The guards have their head count, while the players are dividing into teams of 10 for the next game. Sang-woo tells Gi-hun that they need more men for the game, and they look for 5 more players to join their team. Ali meets with Player 276, and they join as a team as they realize their similarities as foreigners. Sang-woo tries to get Player 069 to join his team, but fails as 069 will only join if he's with his wife, Player 070. Gi-hun asks Player 244 if he can join his team and 244 agrees. Deok-su forms his team by recruiting the biggest and strongest players, leaving Mi-nyeo behind. She looks at him, begging that she'll do better, to which Deok-su pushes Mi-nyeo to the ground. Sae-byeok, looking for another member, finds Player 240 by herself, so she asks 240 to join her team. The team is short of a member, with Mi-nyeo complaining that their team is weak and that they'll end up with people who got kicked out. Mi-nyeo hears this, and walks into the circle, joining the team, saying that she's better than Sae-byeok and Ji-yeong because they're wimpy. The timer then runs out, and the game starts.

The teams get led outside to another room. A guard reveals that they will play Tug of War, explaining the rules of the game. The guard then draws lots, deciding which teams will play in the game. The first two teams to face off are Team 1, which comprises of Deok-su and his gang, and Team 7. Team 1 wins almost instantly, pulling Team 7 off of their platform and to their deaths. Guard 28 and Jun-ho then carry Player 204 in a box, marking it with a cross. Team 4 (Gi-hun's team) and Team 5 then get chosen for the next round. Player 001 notices his teammates are scared and gets to motivating them, explaining that Tug of War is more than just raw strength - it takes good teamwork and strategic thinking, but his ideas are dismissed by Player 244 and Player 196 due to his old age. Gi-hun tells them to just listen to what the old man has to say. Player 001 explains his method - at the front, a good leader is important, as the rest of the team relies on the leader to be confident in themselves; with an unreliable leader, they don't have as much a hold. In the back, a strong and dependable teammate is placed as an anchor. Meanwhile the rest of the players should be on opposite ends of the rope per player, both feet should face straight forward, and the rope should be held in their armpits so players can balance and put in all of their strength. Finally, they must hold their ground and lean back for 10 seconds. If done right, this will tire out the opposing team. The two teams get ready as the guards chain them to the rope; Gi-hun is chosen as the leader, while Ali acts as the anchor. When the round starts, Team 4 holds their ground and Team 5 is unable to make much progress. Sure enough, Team 5's leader slips, and Team 4 immediately starts pulling the rope back. However, right as Team 5 is about to fall off their platform, they pull themselves together at the last second and gain the upper hand. As Team 4 is on the edge of falling, Sang-woo suggests to take three steps forward, to which a frightened Mi-nyeo screams in horror that this will get them eliminated. The team follows Sang-woo's advice, and they take three steps forward as the episode ends.

## Deaths

* Player 271
* Player 198
* Player 331
* Player 245 and his team