Movies

Squid Game’s Final Season Will Leave You Gutted

BBG News

If you’re sensitive to spoilers, it may be wise to read this review only after you’ve finished watching Squid Game Season 3.

As a movie critic, I found myself utterly captivated by an exceptionally harrowing episode in the third and final season of “Squid Game”. Titled “The Starry Night”, this hour-long segment takes viewers on a nerve-wracking journey through a multi-story indoor labyrinth filled with corridors and locked rooms. The ceiling, adorned with deep blue skies dotted with yellow stars reminiscent of an elementary school mural, sets the stage for a deadly game of hide-and-seek.

In this episode, contestants are provided knives under the chilling threat that failure to kill at least one opponent will result in their elimination. Those not armed with knives are given keys to unlock some doors, providing them an initial advantage. This straightforward premise proves to be a masterstroke, resulting in compelling television.

Never before have we seen characters making such personal decisions about life and death so vividly. By the end of this episode, almost every character has been transformed into a murderer, a hero, or a corpse—or some intricate blend of these roles. This is the kind of episode that will undoubtedly excite fans and spark intense debates among critics as they ponder the ethical and emotional implications of each agonizing choice made.

In simpler terms, my initial thoughts were echoed by the VIPs in the following episode, which I found awkward since they are often masked spectators at Squid Games. It was embarrassing to realize they had similar observations as mine. This is the intense and brutal final chapter of “Squid Game,” a series that captures our attention with its relatable characters and storylines. However, it’s troubling how Netflix transformed this dark satire of capitalism into merchandise, then delayed the conclusion by announcing a second season filled with filler content. I’m glad to share that the creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, has managed to regain control over his work. Despite the many challenges it faced, the show ends with its most uncompromising season yet, a strong critique of societies where money is more valued than humanity, exposing all forms of complicity, especially ours.

The foundation for the last six episodes was set in the Season 2 finale, where the storyline began to gain momentum. It’s possible that the combined 13 episodes from the second and third seasons could have been condensed into a single season of 10 or even 8 parts, with most of the cuts coming from the initial batch. Our protagonist, Squid Game participant Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), had instigated a revolution among some of the players, but this rebellion ultimately fell short. This revelation exposed his supposed ally, Player 001, as the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), and left behind casualties that continue to haunt Gi-hun’s conscience. The aftermath sees a grim resumption of the death games, bringing back familiar elements such as jump rope challenges, cash prizes, eliminations, and soon, VIPs to cater to.

In the initial season of Squid Game, the VIP characters were a contentious aspect, and it’s easy to understand why. All of a sudden, we were introduced to a new cast of live-action characters wearing shiny animal masks and speaking a somewhat rigid form of English that seemed unfamiliar to native speakers. These scenes often disrupted the tone, introducing an air of artificiality to a series whose emotionally resonant storytelling contrasted a fantastical premise. It’s highly unlikely that any of the actors portraying VIPs will win an Emmy award. However, their importance cannot be overlooked. On one hand, they are arguably more villainous than the Game Master who oversees the gruesome event – they are the ones who pay for the annual entertainment of watching hundreds of elaborate murders. Yet, they also serve as a reflection for the audience, mirroring our role as viewers and commentators on the stylized death games that we too are watching and discussing.

In response to Squid Game’s rise to global fame – although diluted by reality competition spin-offs and miniature Player 456 Halloween costumes – the return of the VIPs in the final season underscores this uncomfortable parallel between viewer and villain.

In Season 1, the VIP characters were like an unpleasant note. In contrast, slow-paced subplots involving guards and the search party looking for Squid Game Island in Season 2 served as less disruptive but more extensive diversions from the main storyline. The first two episodes primarily focused on Detective Hwang Jun-ho’s (Wi Ha-jun) investigative journey to return Gi-hun to the island, with the aim of halting the inhumane games and facing off with his brother, the Front Man. However, once the games commenced, Jun-ho and his team seemed lost. A guard named Kang No-eul (Park Gyu-young), who had deserted North Korea and left her child behind, was risking herself by interfering with her colleagues’ illegal organ harvesting activities. By the end of Season 2, it was unclear what role No-eul played in the show. In Season 3, both storylines pick up speed, serving as triggers for the climactic events.

Title game isn’t just intense; it’s downright disheartening. While there are moments of optimism, they are swiftly overshadowed by one shocking revelation after another, each adding a layer to Director Hwang’s critique of greed. This doesn’t mean Season 3 is simply a repeat of Season 1, but rather a thoughtful, often emotional, and undeniably suspenseful expansion of its central ideas. It’s a recognition that individual heroes, struggling under the weight of their consciences and limited resources, can only accomplish so much against systemic wickedness. As one character laments to Gi-hun: “Bad people do bad things, but they blame others and live in peace. Good people, however, are tormented by even the smallest mistakes.” To view a Squid Game victory as anything other than pyrrhic would be to believe in a fairy tale spun by the most unscrupulous individuals. The only true triumph would be overcoming the Squid Game itself. In essence, Hwang is questioning when the millions of us observing helplessly from the sidelines will join forces with the Gi-huns of the world?

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2025-06-27 11:09

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