Squid Game Season 3

A Hollow, Heartless Threequel That Never Should've Happened

***DISCLAIMER: This is just my opinion. We don’t have to agree and I’m not here to argue with anyone.***

I don’t even know where to start with this disaster of a season, but let’s begin with the fact that Gi-hun literally died for a baby that wasn’t even his. Let that sink in… The only reason he kept going was because he made a promise to the mother, Player 222. And here’s the kicker… she didn’t want Player 333, the baby’s actual father, anywhere near her kid. So the fact that she trusted Gi-hun instead spoke volumes about who really deserved that trust. By the end, I got it perfectly.

333 was the epitome of greed. I genuinely believe he would’ve sacrificed both Gi-hun and the baby for the prize money. Or worse, he’d have taken the money and run off with the baby, being a terrible father either way. His character had zero depth, no remorse, no humanity. The dude voted to continue the games and murdered people in cold blood just to survive. Meanwhile, Gi-hun tried his hardest not to kill anyone, even when given the golden opportunity to wipe the slate clean and take the money. That’s what made Gi-hun different and worth rooting for.

And that’s not even the worst part…

I’m beyond disappointed in Jun-ho, the cop. Bro, you could’ve stopped all of this if you’d just told Gi-hun that the Front Man was your brother??? Keeping that secret did absolutely nothing but get everyone killed. Zero plot value, zero payoff, zero logic… Just wasted potential and utterly horrible vibes all around.

Props to Netflix for squeezing every last drop out of Squid Game… then turning the leftovers into some tasteless, half-baked disaster nobody wanted. If Season 1 was a masterpiece, Season 3 feels like that last-minute essay you threw together at 3 AM while half-asleep and questioning all your life choices.

Honestly, I’ve never felt this robbed by a show before. Season 3 didn’t just miss the mark, it crashed the entire ship into an iceberg and then set it on fire for no reason.

And can we talk about that ending? Gi-hun dies. Like, actually dies. After everything… after the trauma, the rebellion, all the growth, the vow to burn it all down, he just gets killed off like some extra nobody? Wtaf?! So what was the point of the last two seasons? Watching a man suffer, lose everything, then die while his daughter gets handed some crusty, blood-stained jacket like it’s a cursed souvenir from hell?

And then the Front Man shows up in L.A. like some shady, broke Santa Claus, handing Gi-hun’s daughter a bank card and calling himself “a friend.” Bro, that’s not closure. That’s emotional theft. She didn’t need a jacket soaked in trauma… she needed her father. And we, the fans, needed a real payoff. Instead, we got a bleak, empty “twist” wrapped in fake sympathy.

This entire season was chaos for the sake of NOTHING. If I could give it a 0/10, I would. The only reason it’s getting a bit more is because I was entertained here and there. I laughed at some parts and was on the edge of my seat sometimes… but when the credits rolled, all I felt was anger. This story should have just ended with Season 1. I was better off with my delusional theories of Jun-ho surviving then teaming up with Gi Hun to end his brother and get some REAL JUSTICE. We didn’t need Season 2 and definitely didn’t need this hot mess of a Season 3.

Going back into the games brought nothing but pure, senseless carnage with no purpose beyond pain. No message, no growth, no progress… just mindless brutality fueled by nothing but cruelty. The Front Man could’ve changed the rules like in the Hunger Games and allowed two winners, but he didn’t. Because this show is obsessed with suffering.

And seriously, why was there a literal baby in the games? What the actual fuck. Yes, I get it… symbolism. “You can’t escape your fate.” “Society chews you up the moment you’re born.” Sure, sure. But it was forced and unnecessary. This season was a complete letdown… a total waste of time, talent, and emotional investment.

If anyone wants to come at me for this, whatever. I watched the show, processed it, and formed my own opinion. You’re free to do the same. But I’m not pretending 333 or the cop were good people because they weren’t. Period.

Keep thirsting after 333 and the cop or making them out to be way more heroic than they are… Meanwhile, I’m over here wondering why I even bothered sitting through it.

The deaths also rubbed me the wrong way. The only ones that felt gratuitous were Player 388, Player 100, and Player 044… all annoying characters who mostly served as cheap comic relief. I didn’t care when they died, especially 388, who turned out to be a lying coward. I blamed him for the ambush, even though it was obviously a suicide mission from the start because Player 1 controls everything. People told me I was being dramatic for hating him, but I wasn’t even close. I’m glad he died… and I’m glad Gi-hun was the one to end him. It felt earned.

Everyone died. Everyone we cared about, cried for, and held our breath for… just wiped out. No mercy, no satisfying moments, no deaths that actually meant anything. Just nonstop destruction drenched in hopelessness. By the finale, the only things left standing were the writers’ broken promises and all the emotional wreckage they left us with. -10000 aura points.

Jun-ho’s entire storyline? A total joke. If Hwang Dong Hyuk said this season would have “funny” moments, maybe this is what he was referring to??? Because after ten whole episodes of detective work, running, hiding, eavesdropping, and dodging death, Jun-ho literally achieves nothing. No confrontation. No closure. No progression. Just the same tired cycle of vague stares and dramatic pauses.

It honestly felt like Hwang Dong Hyuk had no idea how to write a real face-off between Jun-ho and In-ho, so he stalled profusely dragging it out with filler and hoping no one would notice the plot was spinning in circles.

And when Jun-ho finally yells out “In-ho… why?” at the end? It was genuinely pathetic. We circled right back to the exact same moment from Season 1… same question, same supposed “impact” (if you could even call it that) except this time, Jun-ho didn’t get shot and left for dead. He just stood there like a sad NPC while absolutely nothing changed.

The only characters I actually liked were Player 246, his daughter, Player 120 and Guard 11 (Kang No Eul). I was seriously impressed by Park Gyu Young. I’ve never been a fan of hers before… her characters usually annoy me… but here, she showed real range. Guard 11 was easily one of the best things this season had going for it.

Player 120 stayed with me because she was determined, resilient, a true fighter in every sense. But what made her unforgettable wasn’t just her strength, it was her heart. She refused to leave anyone behind. That loyalty, that humanity, was what ultimately got her killed. She went back to save Geum Ja and Jun Hee, and paid the price for it. Her death felt so unfair, one of those cruel, inevitable moments that shouldn’t have happened but did, just to remind you how ruthless this world is. And yes, I’m still upset that Player 333 was the one who killed her. Of all people. She deserved more... more time, more justice, more recognition. It’s always the ones with the most heart who go first, and honestly, it’s just really sad.

The games themselves still managed to be entertaining and kept me on edge. I’ll give them that. But even there, the mystery or "magic" of it all felt so much weaker.

Lee Jung Jae’s acting? Honestly, it was mid compared to previous seasons. He looked worn out, hollow, like the games had sucked the life out of him. Maybe that was the point, but it didn’t help. The jump rope game was his standout moment… his one scene of real emotional clarity.

Everything else? Flat, lifeless, and uninspired.

In the end, this season was a colossal waste of potential.

It could’ve been easily salvaged if player 001 came back to sacrifice himself for Gi-hun and the baby. That would’ve shown Jun-ho still had some shred of humanity left, that despite everything, he wasn’t completely lost. If anyone was going to die or be the sacrificial lamb, it should have been him. Imagine his brother finding his body and screaming “Why?” That moment would’ve spoken volumes and been more impactful.

It would’ve shown that beneath all the darkness, he still had a flicker of morality fighting against the twisted game that stole everything from him in the first place. That sacrifice could’ve given Gi-hun a chance at a fresh start, a new life… raising the baby as his own, finally making amends with his daughter, and maybe even building something to protect others from this brutal, senseless blood lottery. The Squid Game is literally a death trap where everyone loses, and that moment could’ve been a beacon of hope, a real act of rebellion against the cruelty that consumes them all.

But NO, instead, we got… whatever the hell this was.

It should have ended after Season 1. I’m not rewatching this mess. If I could, If I was a new watcher I'd skip it altogether because if you’re looking for closure... you’re NOT gonna find it here. With all that said, I give this whole shit show a 3/10. Save your time, trust me.

Also, can we please stop pretending we need Squid Game: L.A.? Nobody asked for that. Nobody wants it.

The thrill is gone… the soul is gone. Squid Game should’ve ended when it still meant something.

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Squid Game definitely should’ve stayed with only one season.

I won’t say I hated everything in this season. I liked the new games and the acting was very good. Although, not that surprising as I already knew most actors and actress and they always act well in dramas/movies.

I know most people will hate the deaths of certain characters in this season but I won’t lie and say that their deaths were the worse thing in the drama for me because it wasn’t. Of course, I was very sad by it as my favorite characters died, but I was already expecting these deaths and in general I wasn’t expecting a happy ending here. I knew only 1 person would stay alive in the game, maybe two, so I can’t say that I was disappointed by that. I have to say that I was expecting a redemption for Myeong Gi (n.333) tho but wow, he stayed a selfish character to the end, he even became worse.

So yeah in general the deaths, although unfortunate and unwanted, wasn’t that worse thing here for me. What TRULY made me dislike this season was the VIPS addition (SO CRINGE) and the ending. I mean, what made this season different from S1? We had a winner (that basically wins because someone sacrificed himself), the police didn’t catch In Ho neither the VIPS, and the game still is going to happen, now in other country. The only difference from S1 is ML’s ending but like, why make 3 seasons for that ending? They made ML return to the game to get revenge, the police spent two more seasons looking for the island just to be fooled for the thousandth time and when they finally get there, they don't catch anyone? We simply have no conclusion about the games, the VIPS and not even In Ho meets and talks to his brother. Then later, we practically get a promotion for maybe a possible american season of the drama like??? It was soooooo disappointing.

I just don’t get why they made 3 seasons for the main plot basically not to be resolved. It feels like we got cheated and wasted our time. I wasn’t expecting happy ending for all characters, not even for ML tbh but I was, at least, expecting a more conclusive ending about the game and people around it. Not even In Ho got killed I mean HELLO??? Some may say that the ending was expected as “Life is like that”….then season 1 was sufficient to show us that message.

In a way it feels like we are the VIPS, but less rich and evil. We paid to watch this drama, consequently we watched the games and saw the story of the characters, for literally nothing to happen later. S1 was good, visionary and definitely didn’t need a sequence. If Netflix and the director wanted a sequence, should’ve be different from what we got here.

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You call that an ending ?

Firstly, I never did write a bad review cause I've rarely been that disappointed by a kdrama ending. I stand by my opinion which is: They should have just made a season 1, it's rare to see a kdrama with more than 1 season and it shows. To me, the only thing saving this drama is the acting, through the seasons.
I thought the game would end at the end of the season, that the system would be destroyed thanks to Hwang JunHo's investigation, and not that the Squid Game would be relocated to the U.S. (What for anyway? A Squid Game USA version with weird scenes and heavy junkie things?)
In the end, it's the franchise and the profits at the expense of the experience for viewers who wanted a real ending.
As a viewer, I really didn't expect this ending and it's a personal point of view, you can agree or not..nothing is perfect in this world and injustice prevails but I expected more.
Rushed and empty ending. It's so sad because the season 1 was a masterpiece. What an unfortunate way to waste an ending.
PS: This is only my point of view, if you disagree it's fine because we all have different opinions, act like an adult and don't insult on the comments section ! 🫡 🍉

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THIS SHOULD'VE ENDED AT SEASON 1

GENERAL OVERVIEW:

I genuinely don't even know where to START because I binged this entire season in one sitting and I feel like I've been emotionally hit by a truck except not in a good way? Like my brain is just firing off random complaints in twelve different directions because WHAT was that finale?? Gi-hun literally dies. For a baby. THAT ISN'T EVEN HIS. I'M SORRY?? I know what the show is trying to say, hope and humanity and sacrificing yourself for the next generation, blah blah blah, but I just could not stop thinking about the fact that this entire season is basically built around a promise he made to Jun-hee, a woman he barely even knew, while Myung-gi, the baby's ACTUAL biological father, is standing right there being... whatever the hell THAT man was supposed to be.

And honestly, Jun-hee not trusting him? Queen behavior because she clocked him correctly from a mile away. This man spends the ENTIRE season proving he deserves zero trust from anyone with functioning brain cells. He murders Hyun-ju in cold blood literally right after she saves multiple lives, happily teams up with Nam-gyu and the rest of the murder squad to butcher the Blue Team because oooh bigger jackpot money yay greed, basically leaves Jun-hee to die on the jump rope bridge without a single useful idea, and then in the finale he has the audacity to dangle HIS OWN DAUGHTER over the edge of a tower like a bargaining chip and the show still wants me to entertain the idea that he's this tragic father just trying to protect his child?? Protect her FROM WHO? YOU??? Every bad thing that happened to that baby somehow circles back to you.

I don't care how many close-up shots we get of him looking conflicted, how dramatic the music gets, or if he sheds a little tear. He spent 6 episodes proving he is an irredeemable selfish loser! Zero remorse. Zero depth. Just greed wearing a sad face. Honestly the writers themselves seemed to know they'd written him into a corner, because during the Blue Team pact to kill Gi-hun and the baby he basically blends in with Player 100 and Player 203 as just another money-hungry psychopath willing to murder an actual infant. Not a single ounce of individuality there.

And speaking of characters that completely lost me... DAE-HO?? Did I miss like four episodes between S2 and S3? Because HOW did we get here? One minute he's crying, panicking, making pathetic promises, wanting to switch sides, acting completely broken after the rebellion failed... and literally the next minute this man is cackling while chasing Gi-hun around with a knife acting like he's become the Joker overnight. WHERE was the build-up? Where was the PTSD? Where was literally ANYTHING that explains this personality transplant?

There isn't one. He just wakes up one morning and decides "actually I'm evil now." It felt so unbelievably lazy because the writers clearly just needed Gi-hun to snap and kill somebody, so they picked the easiest disposable target and threw away every interesting thing Season 2 set up about him. ALL of it gets tossed straight into the trash so Gi-hun can choke him to death and then... nothing. It means nothing. His death doesn't ripple through the story. Nobody cares. The plot immediately moves on. Incredible. Amazing. Spectacular waste of potential.

Honestly this season has a real talent for introducing interesting ideas and then immediately abandoning them the second they become complicated.

And don't even get me STARTED on the women because I am STILL MAD. Hyun-ju, Geum-ja and Jun-hee are practically the only consistently decent human beings in this entire cast. Loyal, compassionate, brave, selfless. And apparently in Squid Game that means you're contractually obligated to die in the most miserable way possible.

Hyun-ju gets stabbed in the back by the same disgusting excuse for a man she spent precious time trying to save. Geum-ja survives abuse, survives betrayal, survives watching her own son disappoint her over and over, only to hang herself overnight and we don't even get a proper goodbye scene, just a coffin rolling by in the morning like she's become set dressing. ARE YOU SERIOUS?? And Jun-hee gives birth MID-GAME while hiding from murderers, survives THAT, only to get told there's "no time" to save her, so she jumps to her death asking Gi-hun to raise her baby.

Why does every decent woman in this franchise exist only to emotionally motivate a man. Sae-byeok died so Gi-hun could feel guilty. Jun-hee dies so Gi-hun has a purpose. Hyun-ju dies so Myung-gi can become even more hateable. Geum-ja dies to make everyone sad for five minutes. It's less a shocking storytelling choice at this point and more a franchise tradition, and I'm tired. Every time a woman started getting development I just assumed she was dead within the next episode.

And while we're talking about predictability, can we discuss how painfully obvious the final three became? By Episode 4 I was sitting there going "okay it's obviously Gi-hun, Myung-gi and the baby." There was literally no suspense left. Every death after that felt like checking names off a grocery list, which made the supposed tension in Episodes 5 and 6 feel kind of empty because the destination had become obvious long before we got there.

And can somebody PLEASE remove Nam-gyu from my television forever because if I had to hear that man whine about his pills one more time I was going to lose it. I understand addiction, I understand it's tragic, I GET IT, but there is only so much "WHERE ARE MY PILLS???" I can tolerate before I stop seeing a tragic addict and start seeing the human equivalent of a migraine.

Same goes for the Shaman, because once the whole "the spirits told me" thing gets exposed as nonsense during Hide and Seek she just... exists? Surviving way longer than she needed to. Then Min-su, hallucinating half the season because he's completely fried, kills her in what's supposed to be a huge emotional moment and I'm just thinking "...okay?" because it felt more like the writers cleaning house before the finale than an actual payoff.

Poor Min-su honestly got done dirty too, because there IS a genuinely interesting addiction spiral buried somewhere in there. Watching guilt, grief and drugs completely destroy someone could've been heartbreaking. Instead we get three hallucination scenes and then he's dead. Another potentially interesting storyline thrown into the "maybe next draft" pile.

Player 100 betrayed literally every person who ever trusted him across two episodes, and by the time he finally died I didn't feel satisfaction or sadness. Just relief that I no longer had to watch him switch allegiances every twenty minutes.

Now, trying VERY hard to be fair here, the Hide and Seek episode? THAT was so good. For one glorious episode I remembered why I loved Squid Game in the first place. The three-key mechanic was genuinely fun, not knowing who was Red Team or Blue Team added actual tension, and Player 96 sabotaging people right before the finish line on the jump rope bridge made me physically angry in exactly the way the show wanted. It reminded me of Season One's marbles and glass bridge, where every choice felt stressful and unpredictable. For one shining hour I thought, "oh, maybe they're actually pulling this off."

And then they immediately undercut it with the dumbest twist imaginable: making a literal newborn an official player. I KNOW THE SYMBOLISM. Capitalism exploits people from birth, innocence gets consumed by broken systems, blah blah blah. WE GOT IT. It was so heavy-handed I actually rolled my eyes, like the writers were poking me in the ribs going "LOOK HOW EVIL THE SYSTEM IS. DO YOU GET IT YET???" Yes, three seasons ago.

And yes, the VIPs betting on a newborn's survival is horrifying, but it crossed a weird line where instead of feeling disturbed by THEM I started feeling manipulated by the WRITERS. Speaking of the VIPs, why are they simultaneously the funniest and most pointless part of this show. Evil rich foreigners making terrible jokes while betting on human suffering, both unintentionally hilarious and completely unnecessary. Every time they appeared I either laughed at the goofy dialogue or sighed because we were wasting screentime that could've gone anywhere else.

Can we PLEASE talk about No-eul because OH MY GOD she carried half this season on her BACK. Every time the show cut to her I instantly became interested again. Sneaking Player 246 out, trying to save his daughter, uncovering the trafficking operation, confronting the officer in the elevator, finding out her own daughter died in North Korea, burning the archive, nearly taking her own life until the baby's crying stops her. THAT was compelling. THAT had actual emotional weight that wasn't just "what if someone sacrifices themselves again."

Park Gyu-young absolutely understood the assignment and deserved twice the screentime she got, because every second with her felt infinitely more engaging than another Nam-gyu tantrum. I would've happily traded half the VIP scenes and three quarters of Myung-gi's sad close-ups for more No-eul.

And then there's Jun-ho. Sweet merciful GOD what did this man do to deserve this writing. TWO ENTIRE SEASONS chasing his brother, risking his life, hiring mercenaries, surviving explosions, dealing with Captain Park secretly being a previous winner infiltrating the operation, which honestly was a decent twist, I'll give them that. Woo-seok gets attacked by a DOG trying to expose the guy. The mercenaries get slaughtered. People die left and right getting Jun-ho to that island.

He FINALLY gets there. He FINALLY points a gun at In-ho. I am SAT thinking "THIS IS IT, THIS IS THE PAYOFF." And then absolutely NOTHING. In-ho calmly leaves with the baby while Jun-ho stands there looking mildly inconvenienced. THAT'S the confrontation? Two seasons of buildup for the television equivalent of someone saying "oh okay then" and walking away? Genuinely one of the most anticlimactic confrontations I've seen in years. I felt like I got pranked.

And then Gi-hun dies. I have complicated feelings here, because Lee Jung-jae absolutely sells the physical exhaustion in those final moments, the score is beautiful, the cinematography gorgeous. On paper it SHOULD work. But emotionally I kept circling back to "this is still the exact place you swore you would destroy." S1 ends with Gi-hun refusing to board the plane because he's going to bring this organization down. S3 ends with him dying inside it while it continues functioning exactly as before. What changed? The games continue. Nobody responsible pays. That's narrative stagnation.

And THEN In-ho decides the appropriate thing to do is show up in LA carrying a bloodstained tracksuit and a bank card, like "here's your dead dad's hoodie, have fun." That poor girl didn't need a souvenir, she needed her FATHER. Imagine a random stranger handing you your dead dad's bloody clothes and a debit card like it's closure.

And then the Cate Blanchett cameo. I literally laughed, not because she isn't fantastic, but because it was SO obviously "hey guys don't forget about the American spinoff." We just watched three seasons of characters insisting they were going to destroy this machine, and the grand finale is "actually the machine has expanded overseas." It's almost funny, except I don't think it was supposed to be.

Even the little epilogues felt rushed. Woo-seok gets out of prison and decides to renovate the Pink Motel with Kim, cute, lasts about ninety seconds. Sae-byeok's family gets reunited, cool, here's one scene, next. Everything feels like someone speedrunning unresolved plotlines because the credits are approaching, none of it landing as hard as it should because the show is already halfway out the door teasing future content instead.

That's probably my biggest issue with S2 and 3 as a whole. S1 worked because it KNEW exactly what it was: desperate people trapped in a nightmare trying to survive. These last two seasons keep trying to convince me this is some gigantic global conspiracy thriller with billionaires and secret organizations and undercover missions and trafficking rings and revolutions, and it becomes TOO MUCH. The scale keeps getting bigger while the emotional core keeps getting smaller.

Jun-ho never once felt like a threat to this organization because it's one exhausted cop versus a billionaire empire. Gi-hun spends an entire season talking about bringing the system down only to die inside it. If the writers never intended to let anybody make a dent in the machine, what exactly was the point of stretching this into a trilogy.

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FINAL THOUGHTS:


I genuinely think this should've ended after Season 1. Not a hot take anymore, but after all three seasons it's painfully obvious how complete that original story was. These last two seasons introduce bigger stakes but end up feeling smaller emotionally because so many deaths exist purely for shock value instead of genuine payoff. Every twist felt like it was trying to outdo Season One instead of understanding WHY Season One worked.

I don't hate everything, because I really don't. No-eul's storyline was fantastic, Hide and Seek absolutely slapped, the jump rope bridge sequence had me STRESSED, Park Gyu-young gave one of the best performances in the franchise, and the final confrontation between Gi-hun and Myung-gi, despite me despising Myung-gi with every fiber of my being, was genuinely tense. Lee Jung-jae still delivers when it counts. The production design is incredible, the music fantastic, and visually the show is still operating at an absurd level.

But none of that can save writing that keeps throwing away interesting characters, rushing emotional payoffs, mistaking shock value for depth, and refusing to commit to the themes it spends three seasons building.

I'll never rewatch this. Every character I genuinely cared about got discarded or sacrificed, almost every villain escaped meaningful consequences, the Jun-ho and In-ho storyline fizzled into nothing after years of buildup, Gi-hun's entire mission collapsed into the exact outcome he spent two seasons trying to avoid, and instead of an ending that feels like a conclusion, we get a teaser trailer for another franchise expansion nobody asked for.

I miss when Squid Game was just desperate people making impossible choices instead of a giant cinematic universe.

Anyway I'm going to go stare at a wall for a while because I can't believe I waited this long just to end up missing S1 even more than I already did.

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Missed opportunities

This review contains spoilers!

I do not share the view that the story should have "ended" in Season 1. I would argue it would have left too many questions unanswered as (i) Gi-hun's red hair and unrelenting ambition to pursue the game creators further (at the cost of not being with his daughter) and (ii) the unknown fate of the Front Man's brother prompted too much intrigue.

Season 1 had a winning formula, from the way the characters' deaths were written (i.e. many key characters suffering the same fate as the sins they once committed/threatened), to the emotional attachment generated after learning their backstories, and so much more. This created a massive rewatch value to catch every detail of a near masterpiece.

Unfortunately Season 2 and 3 felt very much like the latest Star Wars trilogy. In the sense that the writers/producers went for "surprises" in attempt to do something different and throw the viewers off their scent. I don't fully blame them for this as YouTube and other social media platforms went nuts over Season 1 with all sorts of theories and future season predictions, however, it felt too big a deviation from the winning formula.

Below is what I felt were the main downfalls / missed opportunities:

1.) Betrayal of Gi-hun's character. This was the main reason why I brought up Star Wars as most die hard fans felt Luke's character was far too inconsistent compared to original trilogy. In Gi-hun's case, he represents the hope in humans vs. the Front Man's view that mankind is hopeless and unworthy of being saved. One of the defining moments of the Season 1 ending was Gi-hun winning the bet against Il-nam when they both stared across the street at the man needing help. For someone who survived the entirety of season 1, won the the final bet, plus the stand-off against Gong Yoo's roulette game (which had amazing dialogue), it just felt too easy on how the Front Man broke him. Yes his best friend died, but him putting all the blame on Dae-ho and subsequently becoming so "out of it" for the rest of the episodes, including having almost no dialogue just seems way too out of character. Gi-hun was the one who was so scared of dying that he lied to/tricked an old man in attempt to survive in Season 1, would he not have had more sympathy for Dae-ho for being scared? It was his plan after all to attack the soldiers, which was in itself ironic since if his plan was to shoot and kill so many soldiers all along, doesn't this break the moral code he stood for all along? It completely diminishes the beautiful roulette dialogue with the recruiter (Gong Yoo), as he could have just shot him when there were 2 bullets left instead. I had so much hope that it wouldn't go this direction as if I recall correctly, they never re-zoomed into Dae-ho's death. I thought it was still in the cards for a surprise reveal that Gi-hun loosened his grip and Dae-ho only passed out, redeeming Gi-hun's character.

2.) Misuse of actors. During the initial Season 2/3 teaser unveiling new characters, YDG looked so badass and Kang Ha-neul looked like such a good bad guy. It felt like a big missed opportunity in terms of how their characters were utilized in the show.

3.) Missed opportunity to revive entire series with Myung-gi's character? Yim Siwan was the star of the show. He was the only one who consistently played his role so well that his character became believable. If the story needed to end and the whole theme has been light vs. darkness, inherently good vs. inherently bad, Myung-gi's character could have personified the final "bet" in the show when him, the baby and Gi-hun were the final 3 players. The exact outcome could have stayed virtually the same, but the presentation could have been different if they simply tweaked the rule so that only 1 player can remain. In this way, Gi-hun could have still died, perhaps willingly in a final act of trust in humanity as a final middle finger equivalent to the Front Man by saying he believes Myung-gi will do the right thing before jumping off. The grand finale would zoom in on the expression/reaction of the Front Man who would then have await the verdict with a pounding heart as to what Myung-gi's character would decide on - i.e. humans are hopeless should he throw his own son down or whether Gi-hun could still strike victory in death if Myung-gi comes to his senses and jumps down himself to repent for his past crimes and for letting Jun-hee die.

Something super awesome that I felt was missed as well, is that when Myung-gi convinced all the other players to tie their suit jackets together, it would have been an absolute perfect opportunity for Myung-gi to backstab them and push 1 of the guys at the end off, which would have dragged all 4-5 guys down at the same time. This would have fit so well with his scheming character of tricking people (i.e. his crypto scheme).

4.) Poor use of side characters. In Season 1, every character (good or bad) was so meaningful, even Ji-yeong who had minimal screen time but made a huge impact. Season 2/3's characters just didn't have the same feel at all with too much time being devoted to a few. It also felt like over use of characters taking their own lives as the old mom, Jun-hee and the lunchbox guy all decided to self eliminate.

There's a ton more to discuss, but overall it just felt like the last two seasons were rushed and things ended abruptly/awkwardly, missing all the little details in Season 1 that took the creator 6 months to write and ultimately 10 years to refine.

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Not Good Enough

Korean Drama 'Squid Game Season Three' is the final season of the popular and viral series.

The story takes off right from where the second season ended, as they were part one and part two. However, this time, the series was a repetition of the first one with no real surprise. The ending, though shocking, was the only thing that made sense for the plot.

The characters, moreover, were not impactful, and everyone died too quickly for the viewer to have any emotional connection with them. Also, a lot of them were just stereotypes that were already seen in the first season, as were the villains. The side stories, moreover, were boring and, in the end, didn't really add anything to the plot but were only there to fill the gaps and to make the episodes longer.

Finally, the performances were all enjoyable.

So, overall, three out of ten.

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I would say the first season in the series is the strongest.. Simply because it told a relatively complete story and offered a somewhat satisfying ending.. The sequels have felt more scattered and disconnected.. I admire the ambition but it just didn't work out.. This season is certainly the bleakest of the series.. Honestly it shouldn’t have existed at all.. The story could have wrapped up with Season 2 if they had just extended it to 10 or 12 episodes..

I wasn’t hoping for a happy ending, it was obvious there wouldn’t be one.. But I did wish for a good ending for a couple of characters.. That didn’t happen either.. If not for how good the first season was, I don’t think many would have even cared about this season at all.. It turned into yet another empty sequel made just for the sake of profit..

The games were good this time, especially Jump The Rope.. But I was really disappointed with the final game.. The first season’s finale was way better.. They should have tried to match that energy somehow.. Even the finalists were just meh..

They wasted a lot of characters, Jun Ho was literally in a boat the entire season doing nothing.. Hyeon Ju was killed off just like that.. Dae Ho didn't have any impact as well.. Park Gyu Young as Kang No Eul was the only character that brought any life to this rather dull story..

Another major disappointment for me was Im Si Wan's character.. I was hoping he would step up and show some growth.. But forget about character development, he just went from pathetic to despicable.. I mean forget killing his own child, how could he even think about killing a baby?? But I still have to give credit to Im Si Wan himself.. As an actor, he was incredible.. What a performance..

I don’t even want to talk about the climax.. It was easily the worst thing they could have come up with.. Squid Game went from awesome to dumb to ludicrous in just three seasons..

P.s.. They really thought they did something with that Cate Blanchett's cameo at the end.. Honestly couldn't care any less..

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Some shows should end on season 1

To be honest, I expected way more from this season — all of the hype for nothing. The actors and their performances are, as always, on an extremely high level, but the plot was just messy. I understand that the main character's death is meant to show how cruel real life can be, and the idea of Junhee's baby winning might hold some symbolism, but I still didn’t like that part at all - it's all random.

Also, I have to mention how poorly some characters were treated this season and how much potential got wasted. Daeho turning out to be a fake marine?? Getting killed by Gihun?? No backstory for Daeho, even though he’s one of the main characters? Why didn’t we get a scene where the two of them actually tried to talk things out? I wouldn’t have been upset if he died in a different way, but this just felt unnecessary. And then there were those flashbacks with Saebyeok telling Gihun not to kill player 100 because he’s “not that kind of person,” even though he literally killed player 388 with his bare hands and blamed him for something that wasn’t even his fault. Pure hypocrisy from Gihun.

And why were there so many random players in the final?? It doesn’t make sense to me either. Player 120 was perfect for that role, but I guess she became one of the biggest victims of rushed and careless writing. Her death was so sudden that I didn’t even have time to feel sad or cry — I was just frozen in shock and only realized what had happened after the episode ended.

Also, Junho ending up with Junhee’s baby?? That was seriously one of the most random plot choices of the whole season. The only positive things were player 246 reuniting with his daughter, 011 realizing her child is alive, and Saebyeok’s mother coming from North Korea to her son.

It’s really disappointing to say, but I won’t be coming back to rewatch this season — or maybe even the entire show. And these words are coming from someone who’s been a fan of Squid Game since the beginning. I’m definitely skipping the next season, I don’t want to watch any more of it.

Big respect to the director for trying to make season 2 and 3 as good as possible but Squid Game teaches us something important - some shows should end on season 1.

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its just there

felt really anti-climate/not satisfying. they actually didn't need to split this at all but i digress.
idk if its the way i consumed it but this was a chore to watch. the biggest mistake that happened was making us not care abt the contestants in the end. all the ppl that the audience grew an attachment/knew something were dead before the finale. by the last game we had a bunch of ppl who we don't even remember the names. even though they introduced new games it didn't bring anything much to the show. i can't even sympathize with our main character. i like the concept of how the game was ended/destroyed but it didn't feel satisfying with the amount of deaths. well what can i say, end of a franchise

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The ending destroyed the impact

Watching 1-5 episodes of the series was a huge emotional ride, the story basically shows how far people will go for money. I know that message was portrayed for the series in general, but even when a baby is involved, some people still look for themselves. The dying of each character was also really emotional, not like crying emotional but a sudden shock, some deaths are expected tho, the way the story goes. But overall for me, it was a great emotional rollercoaster. The last fight between 456 and 333 was intense, a father who was about to kill his own child for money. And the twist was just sad, and 456's death was the one that hit the hardest, because since squid game was known for this main character. His death was loud silence. Even the cringey VIP's were speechless, as well as the viewers. Did i expect it? Not really. Now let's talk about the ending, the No.11 soilder got great news about her daughter, and the guy escaped and his daughter was healed. The most irritating thing was that, we got no major questions answered. We know the chairmen once was a player now, even though that was already known if you use the internet. And that's about it, it's just alot of questions unanswered again. People were expecting answers with this season, yet nothing. And that alone is bad enough there is another mess. After the chairmen deliver 456's belongings to his daughter. I expected something of a twist with the baby or something that can be more exciting. And then random people in America is doing the freaking flipping card game. As if nothing even happened this whole season. The impact of the whole show just went downhill with that ending, i didn't even had time to feel abit empty about 456's death. Also, what i want to say now is just my opinion but, why do VIPs talk like disney characters? That's just cringe for me, just me tho. Well, overall the ending ruined the whole feel of the show.

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A GREAT ENDING TO THE SERIES!

Season 3 was nothing short of my expectations for the final season. It was a blast of emotions. Of course with how the season 2 ended I did start watching it knowing my favorites will die. And of course the ending was the most realistic one.

The part that took me by surprise was player 149 killing her son to save jun-hee and the baby. I knew the mother-son wouldn't make it together from the trailer but never in my wildest dreams did I expect that to happen. And then her hanging herself was a shock.

And then Dae-ho I did not see that confession coming. He was kne my favorites in the second season but seeing how he lied about himself it was satisfying to see him die.

Hyeon-ju she was a character which took all of us by surprise in season 2 dying in the first game of season was very disappointing. I knew she would die sooner or later but killing her off in the first game when she was so close to surviving was a stab in my heart.

And again I'm disappointed how long it took Jun-ho to realise he was being fooled by the captain like the whole season 2 bro was just wandering around trying to find the island and when he finally did it just got burned to ashes. One of the bad parts was the VIPs. Their acting was very bad it felt very forced them trying to portray themselves as some superior beings was total

The soundtracks of S3 are great aswell. Overall squid game final season did not dissapoint my expectations

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