As 2023 winded down, a new show took Netflix by storm and topped every chart for the year.  Squid Game: The Ultimate Challenge finished as the #1 most popular show for the month of December.

The show is a reality-based spinoff to the top-5 most grossing Netflix original Squid Games. The new show features 456 contestants and dwindles down as they compete in physical and mental challenges for $4.56 million.

Leann Plutnicki, River Edge resident and mom of two River Dell alumni, was casted onto the show in January and February. “Casting started in January and filming took place in London.”

Taking Netflix by storm, Leann and her son; RD alum, Trey, were viewed by many as the main characters on the show.

“Having my son Trey there with me helped. It gave us a connection. Nobody had that connection.” The connection that Leann made also correlated to her following, as she soon became one of the top contestants in interviews and screen time.

Leann ended up making it to the game of marbles, where she and half of the other contestants were betrayed.

While she enjoyed a picnic with Trey, a bag of marbles lied under the basket. There were no rules to marbles, besides that you had to pick a game both players agreed on. What surprised audience was that, Leann, a K-State basketball star and draft pick to the Kansas City Stars lost in a shootout.

Some even speculated that she let her son win. “Of course, I didn’t let him win. But that was a great moment as a mother.”

Trey did go on to make it to the top 20 and made it to glass bridge. He ended up being the hero, and sacrificing himself so the others have an easier chance to move on. “I already knew what happened, but it was amazing seeing Trey out there on the bridge.”

Even though shooting took place almost a year ago, Squid Games members still talk to each other. “We have this giant group chat with 400 people from the show. We still talk in it.” After all this, Leann mentioned what she enjoyed most over the whole show. “The best part about the experience was watching the show with my family.”

After the game, Leann said that the fame hasn’t affected her as much as people thought. “I don’t really go out that much. But I was at Trader Joes, and someone went up to me and screamed Leann! And we took a picture.”