Squid Game: The Challenge Season 2 — Emotional Father-Daughter Showdown

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Be warned, spoilers ahead for Squid Game: The Challenge season 2! The latest four episodes of Squid Game: The Challenge have eliminated more players, with one contestant making a selfless move to help another continue. Throughout the Netflix reality competition, inspired by the popular Korean series, the original 456 players have battled through challenges like the Six-Legged Pentathalon, a tense game of Catch, and the Matryoshka doll challenge.

The recent episodes of Squid Game: The Challenge season 2 featured a surprising turn of events for father-daughter duo Zoe (369) and Curt (370). After just barely making it through the Mingle and Pentathlon games, they decided to team up for a new challenge. That challenge turned out to be Marbles, and unfortunately, Curt lost to Zoe. However, Zoe’s run didn’t last much longer – she was later eliminated from the game by player 183, Jesse, a real estate broker, during the Slides & Ladders round.

After being eliminated from Squid Game: The Challenge, Zoe and Curt Stinson spoke with ScreenRant about their experience. Curt remembered a touching conversation he had with his daughter before the Marbles game, where she playfully told him she wouldn’t let him win. He explained that he had honestly told her he wanted to play fairly, believing it wouldn’t be right for either of them if they didn’t.

Despite the game being the next day, Curt Stinson was up all night worrying. He felt prepared to compete, but a conversation with Zoe the morning of the game put him in a difficult situation. She confessed she didn’t want to leave and go home.

Even though Curt initially wanted to play the game fairly, he admits he deliberately allowed Zoe to win. He explains he had “a couple of reasons” for doing so, and directly states he let her win.

I believed she was more likely to succeed than I was. Plus, I worried about the negative reaction if I were to eliminate my own daughter – it felt like the most sensible option, even though it was difficult.

Curt wasn’t sure if Zoe realized he’d let her win their competition on Squid Game: The Challenge. He said she seemed unaware when they finished playing Marbles, and she even asked him right away if he had. Later, his daughter asked him the same question before he left, and even though he told her no, he winked at her. This made Zoe start to cry, and Curt told her, “Best of luck, honey. Proud of you.”

Zoe & Curt Pairing Up Was Both “Emotional” & The “Most Natural Thing”

You know, watching Zoe compete, I genuinely thought she had what it took to win it all – I was rooting for her! It was such a unique dynamic having a father-daughter team, and I found myself wondering if either of them felt embarrassed or nervous for the other at any point. And Kurt, honestly, watching Zoe tackle that card-stacking challenge? I could practically see his heart racing! He seemed so incredibly invested, and a little anxious, which was really endearing.

I really thought the show was building me up to a dramatic loss, like that classic ‘Agony of Defeat’ clip with the skier. I kept picturing Zoe failing at the House of Cards challenge, and honestly, I didn’t think she’d make it. When she actually succeeded, I was shocked and started to hope she’d get back to the States. It was tough watching, especially since I didn’t get to say goodbye. Deep down, I mostly expected her to fail, and I felt like the show was just waiting to capture my disappointment. Sorry, Zoe, I wasn’t very supportive!

ScreenRant asked about the show’s apparent rule against dating people you already know. They wanted to know what happened – what was the first sign things were going to be complicated – after the characters started a relationship with each other?

When the Front Man left, we all had a feeling something bad was going to happen, but we kept hoping it wouldn’t be another marble game. We thought, ‘They can’t make us play marbles again!’ But then we opened the package, and it was, in fact, marbles. That meant someone was going home, which was awful. After the incredibly intense and emotional glass stepping stones game, pairing up for the next challenge just felt natural, given how dramatic everything had been. Still, no one predicted that would happen.

Don’t miss our interview with Mark (100) and Viper (152) from the second season of Squid Game: The Challenge!

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2025-11-11 19:19