NCIS is about to take on Squid Game this fall.
According to showrunner Steven D. Binder, season 24 will feature an episode that has "some Squid Game vibes" to it, but "not as violent." The episode will be about a YouTube game show where people prove "what they will do for money."
It remains unclear how the NCIS crew will get roped into a Squid Game-themed case. However, while the episode promises to be interesting, I'm still figuring out how I feel about it.
Squid Game premiered on Netflix in 2021.
The South Korean show followed hundreds of down-on-their-luck strangers, including protagonist Seong Gi-hoon (Lee Jung Jae), who accepted an invitation to play a series of children's games to win cash. But what seemed like a standard competition show quickly became something far more insidious as participants were subjected to unimaginable violence upon elimination. As the competition progressed, it became clear that only one contestant would make it out alive, ensuring a bloody fight to the death.
Squid Game was a ratings smash for Netflix. The emotional stakes, thrilling action, and shocking violence seemed to reel audiences in, leading to two more seasons. It even spawned a reality competition show where real-life contestants played the same games from the show, minus the violence.
However, while the Squid Game theme worked well for Netflix, I'm not sure what it will look like for a network procedural.
One of NCIS's biggest strengths is its ability to remain grounded. The show isn't about superheroes or aliens but about the people who go to great lengths to protect our servicemen and women. For the most part, the NCIS crew operates in a world closely based on reality. But Squid Game thrived on its ability to push limits. The violence featured in the show was explicit and gory, dramatizing the lengths the competition's creator was willing to go to entertain himself.
Not to mention, the Squid Game theme has been extremely overused. For a show about the evils of greed and capitalism, Hollywood executives sure love profiting off the concept. It feels like NCIS could be doing the same.
Squid Game was sensationalized. It was shocking, disturbing, and exciting all at the same time. That's why the show was so successful. And while that worked for Netflix, I'm not sure it will for CBS. I mean, do we really need a Squid Game-themed episode of NCIS? Because those shows are the last ones I would think would have a crossover of sorts.
I guess we'll find out when the episode premieres.
NCIS season 24 premieres Oct. 6, at 8/7c on CBS.
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