Is "Squid Game 3" a Worthy Conclusion?

[The following review is spoiler-free]

This past week, the world saw the long-awaited finale of global television phenomenon, Squid Game. Starting off as a humble dystopian drama from South Korea, Squid Game took the world by storm after its debut in 2021 and has been a cultural mainstay ever since. On June 27th, the third and final season premiered on Netflix, quickly shooting to #1 on the platform's popularity charts, but unlike previous seasons, the reception has been mixed. So the question must be asked: was Squid Game season 3 a good enough conclusion to the biggest show of all time?

I have been a fan of Hwang Dong-hyuk's Squid Game since its premiere in 2021, and I'm far from alone. Hundreds of millions of players also found themselves hooked on the show and its dark message of desperation and capitalistic greed. From its gruesome action to its vibrant sets and compelling characters, season 1 of Squid Game had something for everyone. But season 3 is much more complicated...

After years of waiting, the second season finally came out in December of 2024, only consisting of seven episodes and ending on a cliffhanger. Six months later, the final six episodes were released on Netflix, picking up right where season 2 left off. I'm definitely not alone in thinking that season 3 does not feel like a complete season of television. Two and three should've been combined into a 13 episode conclusion, it's clear that the choice to split them was a move purely made for the sake of money and hype. In addition to the main games, season 3 has additional B and C plots about what is going on among the guards and law enforcement trying to find the island where the games take place. Unfortunately, every time the story drifted away from the main contestants, I couldn't help but feel like the writers were stalling, and I just wanted to get back to the action. It's ultimately a good move to have multiple storylines taking place in a show this big, but the other plots were not nearly as compelling.

On the bright side, this is probably the strongest the show has ever been in terms of acting. Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun are great, but perhaps the biggest standouts come from Im Si-wan, Lee David and underdog, Kang Ae-shim. These performances will no doubt leave you a teary-eyed mess, especially the further you get into the series. However, this only applies to the Korean actors, you'll find that a lot of season 3's most intense criticism has come from the performances of the VIP's, aka the spectators in the golden animal masks. These are the only characters who speak exclusively English and you can tell that its not the first language of whoever wrote their dialogue. With some truly abysmal acting, bad ADR, and a shaky script, the VIP scenes are easily hardest to watch in all of season 3.

Squid Game season 3 had a massive budget this time around, and its evident by how the show looks. The set design this time around is absolutely spellbinding. Juxtaposing extreme violence with childlike visuals resulting in a truly singular viewing experience. However, halfway into the show we are introduced to an infant character, and instead of using a doll or a real baby like most shows, the baby is fully cgi-rendered and unfortunately, it's obvious. It ends up breaking the immersion of the show every time the infant is shown on screen and was a truly baffling directing choice.

Two episodes that are absolute standouts are episode 2: "The Starry Night" and episode 6: "Humans Are..." In the brief time since the finale, fans and critics alike have been pondering the show's final moments. Without spoiling anything, the final game of season 3 has absolutely devastating consequences and an outcome that you'll never see coming, serving as the biggest critique of modern society that the show has made so far. Many are expressing their disdain for the finale, calling it too dark and bleak, but Squid Game was never a show that was meant to be uplifting. Even when Gi-hun wins at the end of season 1, there is a strong, overarching feeling of sorrow, showing the audience that not only does wealth not solve all problems, it fundamentally changes you as a person.

I don't know about you, but if I was Hwang Dong-hyuk, and I made a very personal show about the horrors of capitalism only to see millionaire celebrities use it as their birthday party theme, Halloween costumes, and create game shows around the concept, I'd make the finale bleak and unforgiving as well.

The debut season of Squid Game was airtight and pretty much perfect from a narrative and visual standpoint. Season 2 and especially 3 are much more flawed due to taking more risks, some of which pay off more than others. But the show's message is the same, and clear as ever.

Squid Game season 3 is a brief 6 episode watch that you'll be able to devour in a single evening. Like season 1, it is worthy of your attention despite its flaws, hopefully the world pays enough attention to learn something from it.