Netflix's Squid Game reveals a final shocking twist with the Old Man; however, the show's last surprise has a problem. During Squid Game, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) befriends the Old Man/Oh Il-nam (Oh Yeong-su), creating one of the most endearing and heartbreaking relationships in the show. In episode 6, Il-nam gave his last marble to Gi-hun during the marble game, seemingly sealing his fate and letting Gi-hun continue. However, the finale revealed one last twist in the series, showing Il-nam didn't die after the marble game and was secretly one of the architects of the whole event.

Squid Game was a surprising and unprecedented hit for Netflix. The series reached more than 142 million subscriber households in its first month, becoming the company's most-streamed show ever. During the show's second whole week, from September 27 to October 3, Nielsen indicated that Netflix viewers streamed Squid Game for more than 3 billion minutes. Though Netflix hasn't officially announced a second season, the news is almost inevitable.

Related: Squid Game: Why Gi-Hun and Il-Nam Meet On The 7th Floor

Despite Squid Game's success, its final twist has some issues. In the Squid Game finale, Gi-hun learns that Il-nam is still alive and that he was secretly behind everything. According to Il-nam, he and his friends/clients developed the games because they are wealthy, powerful, and bored. He also explains that he participated in the games to feel alive and have fun again. For Il-nam, playing in Squid Game gave him a feeling that "you can never feel if you're in the audience." However, there's a significant problem with Il-nam's reasoning: He played by different rules.

Seong Gi during the Red Light Green Light game in Squid Game

Il-nam wasn't actually playing the games. During the Squid Game ending, Il-nam explains to Gi-hun that the games made him feel alive and that he never had as much fun as he did when he was playing. However, Il-nam wasn't participating in the same game as everyone else. Though he says he played to feel alive, his life was never truly in danger. The marble game proved it. Despite losing the marble game, Il-nam doesn't die. He lets himself live. And during the tug-of-war, he knew the trick for weaker players to defeat stronger ones. Also, the riot in episode 4 stops right after he calls out that he's scared. He was never playing a fair game, so his reasoning that playing the game made him feel alive doesn't quite make sense. There was never a real danger.

The final Squid Game twist does have one saving grace. In addition to saying the games made him feel alive, Il-nam adds that playing the games helped him remember things from his past that he had long forgotten. Considering the marble game featured an alley that reminded him of his old home, Il-nam's nostalgia for the games is a more genuine reason for playing. He's suffering from a tumor in his head, and he wanted to remember his youth one last time before he died. However, if Il-nam truly wanted to feel alive—as he said he did—he would've played in the Squid Game for real.

More: Why Squid Game Season 2's Main Character Shouldn't Be Gi-hun