June 27, Netflix presented the third and final season of the sensational South Korean series «Squid Game» — we will finally find out how the fundamental confrontation between the protagonist Song Gi Hoon and the organizers of the bloody fun will end. The release of the final part, consisting of only 6 episodes, was not delayed because it was filmed in parallel with the shooting of the second season, which was released at the end of last year. As always, we are ready to announce our verdict as soon as possible after the premiere.
Genre survival thriller, dystopia, drama
Director Hwang Dong-hyuk
Starring Lee Jung-chee, Wi Ha-joon, Lee Byung-hun, Im Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Sung-hoon, Yang Dong-geun, Jo Yu-ri, Kang Ae-shim, Park Gyu-young
Premiere Netflix
Year of release 2025
Website IMDb
The action takes place immediately after the events of the previous one. The rebellion of a handful of players led by Seong Gi-hun was crushed, No. 45 was captured by pink henchmen, and the deadly fun continued because the show must go on. The main character was brought back into the fold, and there are only three stages left in this season of the underground reality show. As the trademark green suits are sprinkled with red and Hwang Jun-Ho searches for the mythical island where the bloody games are held, the stakes will rise rapidly, and the rich and the poor will witness truly dramatic passions.
Given how the third season turned out, we can now state for sure that it should have ended in the first season. In that case, the creator of this pop culture phenomenon, South Korean filmmaker Hwang Dong-hyuk, would not only have ended the story as an undisputed triumphant, having pushed the red button in time. He would not have been like the characters who are actually being criticized here.
The debut episode looks like a kind of glue between seasons. Everyone is recovering from the past shocks, the special forces continue to swim in the sea in a vain attempt to find the lost island, and only Gi-hoon silently accepts his disappointing fate. He has clearly resigned himself to defeat, not in the game, but in the confrontation with the Frontman, and even goes so far as to ignore the pseudo-democratic vote; and really, what’s the point if everyone knows the results in advance.
And this status of a man with nothing to lose initially sets the mood for a positive outcome, because in many ways it is a winning position for Gi-hoon. However, what happens in the second episode and the consequences it entails completely negates all hopes for an adequate development of events.
The problem is not that compared to the dynamics and tension of the previous games, the first one presented here is utterly boring. Everything is so sad that you can easily give birth in the midst of the action. And it’s not because the transgender woman has much more courage and humanity than most local men. The biggest kink is connected, without being specific, with the so-called new player, from whom the rest of the story will be based.
It is clear that this twist is intended, firstly, to give a new motivation to the protagonist, who has completely lost his cool. Secondly, to dehumanize and demonize those (on both sides of the screen) who cannot even be called human. However, in practice, this decision turns out to be so unsuccessful and ridiculous, both in terms of content and visuals. It seems as if the authors have run out of sane ideas to grab onto as a lifeline to broadcast their obvious messages from the first season. And there are simply no new ones at the moment.
Sometimes bloody massacre takes on inappropriately comedic features, such as the episode where Gi-hun continuously burns a fake marine with her eyes, or the scenes with the silly shaman. When she stops participating in the show, everyone will breathe a sigh of relief. It would not be surprising if the show as a whole suddenly evokes associations with the comedy «Rat Race» (2001) by Jerry Zucker. Unprincipled fat cats, in order not to die of boredom, organized bizarre competitions between ordinary people for their own amusement.
In the middle of the season, things seem to improve when the story reaches the second test, and the islanders face an unexpected (for them, not for the viewer) threat. Unfortunately, this revival is fleeting and cannot significantly affect the overall impression.
Some story arcs do not seem so necessary. While the Frontman got interesting snippets from the past that better reveal the character’s character, the line of the fearless warrior Kang No-eul trying to save the doomed player and literally fumbling with the overly talkative drunken officer is useless. What can we say about the mysterious wealthy elite — nothing but silly masks and dubious meta-commentary; if Hwang Dong-hyuk were Mr Tarantino, he would have quickly arranged a bloody reckoning for the bastards. But karma in «Squid Game» only works when it comes to the participants in the game.
You may have already heard that No one promised a happy ending here. But, again, there is something wrong with the final game. It lacks spectacle and the necessary degree of tension (and to win, the participant needs only one outstanding skill of the Spartan king Leonidas as interpreted by Gerard Butler). At the same time, the drama of the moment is not felt at all, partly because of the general fatigue of watching non-stop, but mostly because such a climax is easy to read and definitely not a revelation.
And so, when it seems like it’s time to end this monstrosity (or even better, in 2021), you are surprised to find that there is still almost half an episode ahead — what the hell is going on here? And these final minutes are perceived as nothing more than a set of random scenes with little connection to previous events. Yes, the creators find a loophole here to surprise us, but it doesn’t improve the situation.
«Squid Game» has become a vivid example of what happens when you try to squeeze some more juice out of an initial idea that is talented and self-sufficient, in the best Hollywood traditions. And while the first season, with its modest sugar lollipops or a few dozen glass balls, became a real sensation, the third season, already in the status of a big hit, could not offer anything more original than jumping rope. Or a bizarre version of the King of the Mountain.
So whoever wins — the audience loses.