Squid Game Season 3

A shocking but realistic ending

The ending was unexpected and heart wrenching but people are losing the whole meaning of what the drama was about.
Its about the system of the world— corruption, capitalism, greed, and of course about human nature.
Its chilling how Gihuns(456)’s last words were “We are not horses. We are humans”, which ties up back to the beginning of how he was horse-betting, much like how the VIPS were betting on players. Humans lives are not to be treated carelessly but in today’s world we know the unequivocal balance between the rich and poor, which is shown throughout the show.
Gihun was not able to end the games so in change he made an unexpected decision that lead to the VIPS realize their own cruelty and experience emotion behind their big ego.
Even if Gihun ended the Korean games the question comes of whether or not he would be capable of ending all of them now that were are aware that the American Squid Game. Even if one system falls it does not mean that they all will fall, they will continue to thrive even at the expense of the other’s demise or in other words “every man for themselves”.
Really ties into capitalism and power…
Overall this series made me cry so much over these characters that I came to love but the ending was realistic, which is rare but it truly makes you disect the entirety of what the message is really about. Eyeopening really and this is not even everything I can point out for example Myung-gi(333)’s whole character is a whole other discussion in itself.

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better than season 2 but ..

when you see the rating, comments, reviews its obvious that many people are angry, this series indeed has it own flaws thats for sure but i find it better than season 2 , there is entertainment , games and didnt feel like a filler season
its just my opinion but comparing this season to season 2 : season 2 felt like just a preparation for season 3 , what could have been better is if they combined both seasons in one season instead
now talking about season 3: * major spoilers*
what i didnt like: questionable behaviors, like im ok with a bit of super hero behaviors but saving a baby (that is not even related to you, nor you had spent huge time with him) over your own son? it felt so forced super herotic act, like why a lot of characters are either so all about sacrifices or fully evil, characters dont need to be fully good or fully bad and that there is no in btw,
and how easy it is to give birth in that place?
this season ended with nothing getting solved, Seong Gi Hu talked about revenge in season 2 but this whole season there is no fire no flame no revenge he was just trying to save the baby and then he decided to s**cide , could have been better if at least some criminals got caught for investigation, or made it in a way that he was able to live and to take care of his daughter and the new born baby and getting therapy with all that money, at least the ending would be satisfating, he said he is a bad father but he could try to make up for it , Hwang Jun Ho was looking for his brother but went back home like nothing happened, they killed most important characters so early in early eps too, also the vips are just... not it,
and they are hinting at an USA version?
what i liked: the games were okay and interesting, i liked some characters and stayed until the end to see what happen to every character, the first part of the show (early eps) are interesting and good, the other eps could have been better, flaws in the plot are obvious but its watchable

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Too long!!

Honestly i thought six eps for this was too much that too of an hour.. i literally watched it in 1.5x speed.. it was going too sloww and this szn was not what i expected it to be.. left me disappointed and crying at the same time.. the acting was top notch and the production was the best but what was the point of finding the island and having nothing out of it and yea i agree the VIP had a lot of screen time.. instead could have given that time to In ho's (front man) background story... making the baby as a participant was the worse idea so at the end if the baby dies who's gonna keep the care of the baby 'Jun ho'? and why should he.. if there was no one to take care of the baby why the f would you make it a participant and the sui*ide of the grandma and Hyun ju was brutal.. why the f would you kill hyun ju .. wish the story could have turned better.. if if not the worse atleat the baby should have survived with 456 or front man should have took care of the baby or any better alternative could have worked.. like idk why would you guys make it turn a good promising cast do a story like this... disappointed but loved the acting!!

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I need closer!

What… why… how…?
I’m honestly confused and disappointed. There were so many loose ends, and so many questions were left hanging. What was the point of all that buildup if we were just going to get this?
I have so many questions that weren’t answered.

Season 2 left me wanting more because it built suspense. But Season 3? It just felt unfinished. The ending was way too open for what’s supposed to be a final season. It didn’t feel like a climax, it felt like a setup with no real payoff.

Maybe it's me who’s refusing to accept that the main message is the system always wins.

And then Cate Blanchett shows up in one random scene at the very end? Why? To tell us that there’s going to be an American version?Completely unnecessary. That budget should’ve gone to the writers to actually wrap the story up with meaning.

If there’s a Season 4 in the US, I’m not watching.

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A defense of the ending

I think a lot of people were disappointed by the S3 ending because they came in expecting the wrong thing. Viewers who are used to western shows or kdramas might have expected greater closure, justice and perhaps a big emotional payoff, but squid game has never played by those rules.

Since the beginning, the show has drawn way more from korean cinema traditions like Oldboy, I Saw the Devil, Burning, Parasite, Memories of Murder than your typical kdrama. These critically acclaimed Korean movies dont wrap things up nicely either. Their stories are meant to make the viewer uncomfortable and make the viewers reflect. Unfortunately, in real life, systems don’t magically get fixed, and good people dont always win

S3 stayed true to that. After Gihun failed to take down the system in S2, he had no choice but to step back, survive, and deal with what it would cost him to stay human in the process
The good side of humanity is what Gihun represents. He doesn’t try to outfight the games anymore. He just refuses to become like the ones instigating them. His choice becomes quiet, and it is to be kind, to protect others, to not sell out his soul. Even if he dies, humanity still wins a little, because we realize there are people like him in the world

Meanwhile, 333 tries to be above it all, being smarter, colder but in the end, the system hes in still eats him alive, bc playing the vips' game better doesn't save you. it just delays the crash (as we saw in the final episode).

The finale doesnt give us a satisfying resolution and I believe its not supposed to. Its about survival, inequality, power, and what happens when cruelty becomes normalized. Still, its not completely hopeless. There are small, quiet wins like Gyeongseok (346) reuniting with his daughter or the island getting completely dismantled

When the finale revealed that the Games exist all over the world, including in the US, it felt less like a teaser and more like a statement. Some took it as a setup for a future spin-off, but I saw it differently (personally, I also dont want a SG USA)

I believe the ending wasnt hinting at an expansion, it was underscoring the global nature of exploitation. It was telling us: “hey this isnt just a korean problem, its global.”
If Netflix goes ahead with spin-offs, itll just feel like theyre milking it
Even the director initially didnt want a S2 or S3, he made it because Netflix asked. Its all about money. Netflix pushed for it and here we are.

That being said, the one thing I really wish they had improved and honestly, what actively dragged the show down for me was the english dialogue
It was disgusting. Not just awkward or poorly delivered, but tone-breaking. The lines often felt unnatural, cartoonish, and written without real understanding of how english is spoken in serious drama
It killed the immersion, it made otherwise tense scenes laughable and for a show thats so carefully crafted in other ways, this sticks out like a sore thumb

This show was never about giving us what we want. It was about showing us what the world really is sometimes. The truth doesn’t comfort you it just stares back
Hwang Donghyuk’s show is a critique of how far people are willing to go when driven by desperation and greed


If youre reading this and the ending didnt land for you, thats completely valid. It does leave a lot unresolved, and that can be frustrating
But I encourage anyone feeling that way to explore the kind of cinema that shaped this specific korean way of conveying stories
Watching more korean cinema, especially the directors own work like Silenced, might offer a new lens through which to view the finale

SG sparked a lot of discussion for a reason, and that alone says a lot

Cheers

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Better Than 2, Worse Than 1

I really enjoyed watching Squid Game 3. It was a heart-thumping, emotionally gripping, superior piece of storytelling - up until it became all about saving the baby! Yes, I get it. After the failed rebellion and ensuing guilt, it became a treatise in humanity - what it takes to be human. But where did that intense, burning desire to shut down the games that Gi-hun was willing to stake his life on? Didn't the post-rebellion deaths add to his anger? This to me was the downside and disappointing part of the season. The heart thumping was gone. The story had gone downhill.

The last third of the series was disappointing. Before then, the twists, like Hyun-Ju's death, was gripping and germane to the story. Not so the bridge scene between Gi-Hun and the baby's father, which seemed forced- just for the sake of a last minute twist. Adding to the disappointment was that whole arc with Detective Hwang. It turned out to just a drab fishing expedition. Even the confrontation between the two brothers was just, in a word, meh!

To end on a positive note, the acting was excellent all around. Kudos to Park Sung-hoon. He's the hero of the piece, in my book!

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Aimless

It was pretty obvious after watching S2 that seasons 2 and 3 were basically one season split into two parts, and now that we've seen both of them, I felt like the set-up didn't end up paying off.

I can kind of see what they're going with the nihilism theme, but it ultimately feels a bit shallow and not very coherent. There were a lot of character arcs that were randomly cut off because the story went for the route of everyone having to die, and side characters with originally really interesting roles, like the detective or the guard, ended up being really underutilized. It also felt everything started revolving around the baby once it was born — a trope that's always been a pet peeve of mine.

In terms of games, I think my favorite in this one was the jump rope because of its simplicity — I personally enjoy where there's no ill will in the game itself, and death only happens in terms of failure, which is when people start to sabotage others. The Keys and Knives one is a little too on the nose for me.

Ultimately, I think the first season is still the best. The second and third feel like a rehashing of it, with characters and games that are far less engaging.

And yes, the VIPs are still horrible.

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Why did I insist on watching this?

Curiosity can be quite treacherous. I didn’t like the ending of season 2. The protagonist’s plan was so bad and unrealistic that it ruined my entire experience with the rest of the season. I still believe they should’ve stopped at season 1, but money always talks louder. So, I decided to watch season 3 out of curiosity — and the experience got even worse, to the point that I couldn’t finish it.

The protagonist’s plan ruined season 2 for me, but that happened at the end. What made me quit season 3 was the ending of episode 4 (if I’m not mistaken). Here’s the point: the protagonist starts season 3 wanting revenge on player 388 for not bringing back the ammo (smart move, actually, because the plan was terrible). He dedicated himself to killing him during the hide-and-seek game — and he did it (detail: he murdered him with his bare hands). Now cut to the end of episode 4: when the Front Man gives the protagonist a dagger and says he can kill everyone plotting his and the baby’s death, episode 5 opens with player 067 from season 1 appearing in his vision and telling him that he’s “not that kind of person,” which makes him give up. Now I ask: how is he not that kind of person? Just a few episodes ago, he strangled someone to death out of revenge. Why wouldn’t he be capable of killing out of self-defense, which is a much more legitimate motivation? This attempt to re-humanize the protagonist made no sense at all.

Another point that bothered me — although less than the previous one: the Front Man constantly tries to prove to the protagonist that no one is 100% honest, as if honesty depended on the circumstances. That’s why he puts the protagonist in the same situations he went through as a player, believing he was forced to commit atrocities to save his sick daughter (like killing those who wanted him dead while they were asleep). When he talks to the protagonist alone before the final game, he asks: “Do you still have faith in humanity?” Here I see more inconsistencies. First, the protagonist had already been corrupted when he decided to coldly murder someone out of revenge (which contradicts his supposed moral principles, because someone who doesn’t have the courage to kill in self-defense certainly wouldn’t kill for revenge). Second, player 120 already proved that good people exist regardless of the circumstances when he chose to lose the hide-and-seek game to save a woman who had just given birth, a newborn, and an elderly lady — even though he was wounded and his life was at risk. Player 222 did too, when she told the protagonist to prioritize taking care of her daughter instead of going back to help her cross the bridge. So, if I was able to spot these glaring inconsistencies so quickly, I’m sure the writers noticed them too. Why weren’t they fixed? I’m sure they could’ve been worked around. A show with that kind of reputation can’t afford these kinds of errors.

Unfortunately, I didn’t finish the last two episodes. I shouldn’t have even started.

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Trauma has left the chat, replaced by déjà vu and committee-approved pain.

Squid Game peaked when betrayal stung — now it’s just Tuesday

✨ THE GOOD (yeah, we still found some):
Gi‑hun vs Front Man? Finally delivers.
The best part by a long shot. When it’s these two staring each other down, the air gets thick. Emotional? Yes. Predictable? Also yes. Satisfying? Absolutely.

The production budget is a war crime.
Netflix built a whole country out of set pieces. You can practically smell the money burning.

The games still slap (when they’re not filler).
One or two hit hard. The others? Background noise while the camera pans to crying contestants you stopped caring about halfway through Season 2: Part 1.™

🔁 THE “WE’VE SEEN THIS BEFORE BUT WORSE” PACKAGE:
Close-friend face-offs went from knife-twist to butter spread.
Remember the glass game from Season 1? The marble scene that emotionally disemboweled us? Now it's like:

“Oh no… we have to kill each other 😢.”
“Damn. Anyway.”
The emotional shock value is officially outsourced to boredom.

Copy-paste character arcs:
“Innocent one dies.”
“Jaded one pretends to care.”
“Plot twist? Nah just trauma fatigue in a new tracksuit.”

Every side character is an NPC.
Like watching cutscenes from a morally grey mobile game. You remember their names about as much as you remember Terms & Conditions.

🤓 THE “WHY AM I HERE?” ENERGY:
Too Korea‑centric for the global viewer.
It’s like watching a sociology thesis on Korean guilt, war trauma, and poverty—with subtitles that gave up halfway.

Focus group energy is strong.
You can feel the Netflix boardroom whispering:

"Make them cry again, but like... not too hard."

Still chopped into awkward parts.
Netflix really said “Season 2, Part 2, But Season 3 So You Stay Subscribed.” The pacing dies so hard it probably respawns in a different K-drama.

💔 THE “IT USED TO HURT” DEPARTMENT:
Season 1: betrayal stabbed you in the chest.

Season 3: betrayal emails you a reminder.
The emotional arcs are now more “emotional arcs™” — trademarked, soulless, corporate-mandated feelings with no real meat.
The camera lingers like it wants you to cry. But instead you’re checking your phone, googling “how to cancel Netflix.”

🎯 FINAL VERDICT:
"A once-brilliant show now held hostage by its own formula — milking pain like it's soy in a vegan café."

Watch if: You’re invested in Gi‑hun and want a proper farewell (or at least a decent monologue with bloody lighting).
Skip if: You value surprise, hate rinse-repeat trauma porn, or have ever yelled “DON’T TRUST HIM, HE’S OBVIOUSLY SHADY” at the screen more than once.

Best paired with:
🍜 Ramen, a legal pad to track emotional flashbacks, and your last surviving hope that Netflix lets this thing rest now.

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Despite flaws, it is still exciting and addictive

Okay, S3 has several glaring moles and holes, but it's worth watching it if you are a fan. No matter how good the story or ending is, if a show or movie fails to entertain me, I call it boring and won't waste my time on it. S3 kept me intrigued, surprised, and eager to binge-watch throughout the entire episodes. The 6 hours flew by like only 3 hours. I like that the plot takes an unexpected turn every chance it gets, away from our prediction. My biggest gripe is the downgraded quality of the entire VIP part. It was criticized so much from S1, and it could have been improved fairly easily by hiring a native English translator and real actors. Everything about it is embarrassingly bad and not up to global standards.

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Don't jumb in with too much expectations!!

Story:
The story is the continuation of the ones from s1 and s2 . It stayed that way but it lacked the thrill that we had in the previous seasons. If you are going in looking for that unexpected twist, then drop your expectations. I don't think it was bad but it was too predictable and disappointing for me personally (personal opinion only, I have heard different opinions than this). The fact that every character that was fighting for humanity went through too much. The 333 personally disappointed me too much as a human (the actor did a fantastic job making me hate that character). You have to watch it if you have already watched the first two seasons since we need an ending. And also our 'dora' does make some progress (iykyk😅)

Acting:
The only thing that I can garanty in this show is acting. The actor did a fantastic job in their characters. If the acting was boring I would have dropped it without finishing. The front man had his facial expressions on point but he was not given enough space to do things. The actors carried the show on their back. For me 222 was fantastic in terms of performance and 333 did so well that I questioned entire human existence.

Ending:
Disappointed personally. Yes the goal of the show was this ending but, for a show that was this dramatic and this twisted the ending was too simple. It is said a simple but powerful ending but for me it was too predictable. I wanted something more serious. The bad ones can't just go like that after this much effort. Why is there no explanation about the game,the origin, the real creator. I am not satisfied with the ending. I need more. If you want to give a s4 I am up for it if it can fill these gaps. What's with all that tail ending.

Overall:
Do watch it if you have already watched previous seasons. Curiosity is unbearable for us drama watchers so you can finish this one out of curiosity. But don't expect that much from this. Just a predictable continuation of previous seasons.
It's just a few episodes so it's your choice.
Final verdict:
*Could be better*

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