Squid Game Season 3

A FINALE AS HOLLOW AS THE VIPs’ ACTING SKILLS

**Disclaimer: This final review reflects my personal opinion after a second viewing.**


Alright, I just tore through Squid Game Season 3, twice, and holy hell, it’s a wild, messy ride that had me hooked but also pissed off at times. This season claws its way back to Season 1’s brutal magic in the first half, betrayals that made me want to throw my remote, and characters I couldn’t stop obsessing over. But many parts straight-up fumbled, and I’m not here to pretend they didn’t.

Gi-hun’s still the heart of this thing, and his relentless fight to burn the game down had me rooting for him, even when it felt like he was slamming his head against a wall. Myung-gi, though? Man, he drove me nuts. No-eul was a badass, though. Her rogue mission and that insane office showdown? I was screaming when she saved Kyung-suk, finally showing her true grit. Jun-ho’s arc got some redemption after Season 2’s aimless mess, but it still felt like he was just flailing against untouchable billionaires. And the Frontman? Dude’s a snake, but a compelling one. His mix of sincerity and backstabbing kept me glued, even if I don’t trust him for a second.

The games hit like a truck: bloody, chaotic, and packed with Season 1 vibes like the marble game and hopscotch. The betrayals stung hard, especially when allies turned on each other like it was nothing. But to be honest, some deaths, like Jun-hee’s, barely made me blink compared to Hyun-ju’s or Geum-ja’s. It made Gi-hun and Myung-gi’s survival feel too predictable, like the writers were scared to go all-in.

The big problem? This season swings for the fences with Gi-hun, Jun-ho, and Woo-seok trying to topple this shadowy corporation, but it’s a lost cause from the jump. Season 1 worked because it was raw: survive, win, get out. Done. This dystopian Hunger Games wannabe vibe is cool in theory, but it’s too big for its own good. The whole “greed always wins” message? Yeah, I get it, but it left me hollow, like the show was just shrugging at its own stakes. And don’t get me started on the VIPs’ acting... cartoonish and stiff, it yanked me out of the story every time they opened their mouths.

It’s a bloody, thrilling mess that recaptures some of the old spark, but it trips over its own ambition and leaves you wishing for a tighter punch.



WHAT I DISLIKED:

• VIPs remain the weakest part of this show. Their acting is wooden, and their presence is cartoonish in a story that otherwise demands gravity.

• Characters like Players 203, 039, and 100, who made it so far in the games, are vivid but lack depth. Their archetypes were one-dimensional.

• While the death-game format still delivers high-stakes tension, I did feel the interpersonal dynamics falter this time. With fewer players remaining, that complex web of social and strategic interplay, the thing that gave previous seasons their gripping unpredictability, is significantly reduced.

• Jun-ho and Woo-seok’s investigation felt like an afterthought. Key moments, like Jun-ho harpooning Captain Park or Woo-seok’s jail stint, were rushed and poorly integrated with the island’s narrative, diluting their impact and making the outside world feel like a side note.

• The season continues the voting mechanic from last time and still aims to reflect modern ideological divides, but honestly, the metaphor feels dulled now. The outcomes were predictable, and the tension that once surrounded each vote has faded.

• The middle of the season sagged under the weight of repetitive character conflicts. Moments of quiet character development, like Geum-ja’s confession to Gi-hun, were often overshadowed by drawn-out brutality, disrupting the narrative flow.

• Unlike Season 1’s rich player dynamics, Season 3’s survivors rarely formed meaningful connections. The “Bathroom Team” (Hyun-ju, Geum-ja, Jun-hee) was a brief exception, but most interactions were transactional or hostile, making it harder to care about the group’s fate.

• The final scene introducing a new recruiter in LA came off as a blatant setup for a spin-off or sequel season. It felt tacked-on and cheap, undermining the emotional closure of the island’s destruction and Gi-hun’s sacrifice.


WHAT I LIKED:

• Gi-hun’s arc is the beating heart of the season. Watching him evolve from a broken, mute shell to a man who finds purpose in protecting Jun-hee’s baby is profoundly moving. His refusal to take the Front Man’s deal made me emotional. It’s a testament to his unshakable humanity, even when the world around him collapses into chaos.

• Jang Geum-ja completely wrecked me in a midseason scene that was both haunting and transcendent. Her dynamic with her son, Yong-sik, became one of the emotional cores of the season. I also appreciated how characters like Jun-hee and Hyun-ju gained complexity and rose to the top, offering some of the best scenes of the season and stepping up when Gi-hun has lost all hope.

• No-eul’s rogue mission is a standout. Her transformation from a conflicted pink soldier to a vigilante fighting for redemption is thrilling and emotionally complex. The office showdown had me cheering. Her choice to live, inspired by Gi-hun’s sacrifice, gave me hope that even the most broken can find purpose.

• Jung Jae-il’s score continues to haunt me, and the surreal, almost nightmarish production design makes even familiar game settings feel disorienting.

• Sae-byeok’s family reunion, No-eul’s flight to her child, and Jun-ho’s custody of the baby in the epilogue felt hopeful.

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BIGGEST SCAM OF KDRAMA

The first season of Squid Game was PERFECT. No one can disagree with that fact. We all had to wait years for season 2 to be published only for it to come out as action kdrama with many mistakes that went viral. It had the biggest hype a Kdrama could possibly have, especially overseas and we all hoped for something great. Season 3 is simply the continuation with a different genre. It isn't just action now its a DISGUSTING sad drama. Sad because people dies, but also because a BABY was used to make it exciting. It should not be normalized to have a gun being pointed at a baby.

I understand the message, yes: money turns people into inhumane monsters which would even do that. However it isn't necessary. In season 1 we already saw the extent of human corruption, trying to top it with a baby was too much.

The fight scenes were nice, however many seemed just too similar, kinda repetitive. (and they definitely can't compete with recently published dramas)

Jo Yuri failed as actress and even though she continued to build up hype this drama was just insulting her talent. Visuals were cleary underpresented and it felt like she had one line and just stayed the "pregnant girl" throughout the drama, until she finished that.

Wi Ha Joon did great like in Season 1 - 3 nothing to criticize here. Sadly he sits in a sinking boat that.

Player 333 was so disgusting and contributes to the controversy regarding babies.

Lee Jin Wook's character was nice and I appreciate that at least he got a happy ending, however I'm not fine with the fact that he didn't even get to know his savior, even though she sat right in front of him.

The last thing that entirely destroys this drama are the VIPs. I understand that they had to be changed as they were criticized in both season 1 and 2, but this definitely wasn't it. My deepest hate to all the American actors who failed this great role. Jane Wong did perfectly, she was the only one who portrayed the rich & elegant vibe of a multi-millionare/billionaire. The other ones tried to be funny American dads watching sports and celebrating it. Total failure. Squid game was supposed to be a critic towards the elites especially with that Rothschild-like theme. Failed enormously with S3 VIPs.

The ending is actually fair. Every character got the ending they deserved in some way. However I really hate the idea of an American Squid Game
Overall, it is unfair to give it less than 4 stars, however I could understand a 0.5 rating because that's what it deserved, if we compare with other dramas released this month. Could've definitely spend time watching better dramas. I hope they don't try to expand the Squid Game franchise because they definitely don't deserve further success with this drama.

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Don't waste your time

I don't know how ot happened but I started this with zero expectations and still ended up disappointed.

The first season of Squid Game was one of the best ever it was near perfect and it would've had they not continued the story.

Season 2 introduced a very interesting cast of Characters it was funny and seemed to have some potential, but then, nothing happened most of the runtime wasted on pointless conversations and repetitive voting scenes, I kept waiting for the fun games to start and then it ended and nothing really happened.

I only watched season 3 because I didn't want to leave the series unfinished but maybe I should have, 6 hours of my life wasted nothing to show for it, the ending left me feeling empty, unsatisfied and angry. Such aa great cast and one of the worst storyline I ever sat through.

Please if you haven't watched this season yet, just don't,you won't be missing anything.

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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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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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some series are just not meant to have multiple seasons

nothing will unfortunately ever compare to the first season.

the season just feels dragged out and the characters werent even interesting anymore bc their actions and deaths became predictable

yes it was basically a new set of games but because the main character stayed the same, it became pretty boring and annoying

i think it wouldve been better if they actually just put out a new set of games and player

and its just bad for me bc at the end... nothing was still resolved... like the cops didnt even find the island and the games are still going on for the next season (probably)

and like its just weird that the creator made this thing to shed light on how the division of rich and poor is and the greed for money yet i know damn well the reason this season got an addition and will probably be dragged out more is because it makes more money for them.. just ironic.

it really wasnt for the art anymore at this point, they're just greedy to keep the fame of squid games going lol

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CASHGRAB AND DISSAPONTMENT WTF WAS EVEN THAT....

WAS DEATH OF ALL IS THE POINT OF THIS SERIES ? YES. WAS IT NECESSARY? MAYBE..?! BUT TO LET THE VIPS ESCAPE UNSCATHED ...... WTF!! WANNA MAKE HOLLYWOOD DEBUT ?......HELL YAH!!!! BUT A GIVE A GOOD STORY LINE? ......NAH!!
THATS WHAT I UNDERSTAND FROM IT. ALL THE BETRAYAL AND SELF SACRIFICE AND UGLYNESS OF HUMAN NATURE...... AINT THE ENDING ALL SAME REPATATION OF S1....WITH ADDITION OF FEW SURVIVERS & HERO'S DEMISE/SACRIFISE TO MAKE A POINT... WITH POLICE FAILLING AGAIN (SYSTEM FAILING ITS PEOPLE) AND INTRODUCTION TO A NEW FRANCHISE SO THAT THERE IS MORE CASH TO GRABE AT EXPENSE OF THE VIEWERS( WHO ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THIS GAME BY CHOICE OF WATCHING IT AS ENTERTAINMENT).... PARHAPS THE FOCAL POINT OF THIS CONCEPT.
IT HONESTLY FAILED IT SELF FROM ALL THE GLOBEL ATTENTION IT TRIED TO BE SO BIG AND EXPERIMENTAL THAT IT STUCK TO OLD PATTERN WITH NEW TWIST WITH THE MESSAGE THAT THE GAME WILL NEVER END. AND ALL PLAYERS CAN HAVE ONLY ONE WINNER.

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Not every story needs a sequel.

Just like what Seong Gi Hun should've done, Squid Game should've taken its winnings while it was on top, left things as they were in season one, and never looked back.

Season two and three (they honestly should've just been combined into one season) focused too much on casting famous faces and not enough on giving these new faces some depth. With the exception of one new character who made an impression (iykyk), these two seasons lacked compelling characters with relatable or emotionally impactful backstories. Unsurprisingly, well-written characters are the heart and soul of any good story. Everything here was surface-level, and as a result the entire story suffered. Why should we be emotionally invested in these characters' well-being and mourn their deaths if we don't even know who they are as people?

This season gave too much screentime to the VIPs — they were the worst characters and actors in this entire show. I don't know how it was possible, but they managed to come off as both stiff and cartoonish simultaneously. They made an insufferable season even more unbearable with their presence.

And I'm just a viewer, so the writers should know better than me: more brutal deaths + crazier obstacle courses ≠ good. Bigger don't always mean better. I am tired of these repetitive sequels that recycle old plots from the originals only to give them disappointing "twists" for the sake of pumping out new content and easy cash grabs. A lot happened between season two and three, and at the same time, no progress was made at all. Season 3, Episode 8 should've hit me harder, but instead, I was left feeling regretful for the time I've wasted here. Because seriously, after all the struggles and sacrifices, what was it all for?

I don't know who to blame — the writer, Netflix, or just capitalism as a whole — but Squid Game ironically became one of those greedy players in the game who foolishly risk it all by gambling for more... only to end up losing everything. Money really is the root of all evil.

It is unfortunate that while Squid Game season one started off with a bang, season three ended with a whimper.

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