Squid Game is one in all Netflix’s best original shows, and after its huge first season, you would be hard-pressed to search out anybody who hasn’t watched it as soon as. It took some time for the second and third outings to come back out, however each introduced Seong Gi-hun’s story to an in depth in 2025. And whereas Squid Game season 3’s ending suits the themes and tone of the collection, it brings up some harsh realities upon a rewatch.
It is no secret that some viewers found Squid Game season 3 disappointing in comparison with its predecessors. And whether or not you agree or not, the conclusion does alter the best way you see the story whereas revisiting it. Sadly, there are some tough truths concerning the present that solely come up as soon as you’ve got completed it. These complicate Squid Sport‘s legacy barely.
Jun-ho’s Story Did not Want To Proceed After Season 1
Gi-hun is the present’s lead, however Jun-ho’s narrative rivals his in Squid Sport season 1 — a formidable feat, contemplating Wi Ha-joon’s character is not taking part within the high-stakes match. Jun-ho tracks down the island whereas looking for solutions about his lacking brother, and he manages to infiltrate the competitors as a guard. The entire thing is gripping sufficient to maintain viewers invested.
Squid Game season 1 ends with Jun-ho realizing his brother is the Entrance Man, then being shot and falling off a cliff. And far to the aid of viewers, he manages to outlive this incident. Nevertheless, after watching seasons 2 and three, it is secure to say that Jun-ho’s story did not must proceed previous season 1.
Whereas everybody was rooting for Jun-ho to return, the second and third outings do not make his comeback worthwhile. He groups up with Gi-hun to infiltrate the match, however he spends the vast majority of Squid Sport season 2 looking for the island. And by the point he truly reaches it in season 3, Gi-hun is lifeless.
Add in the truth that Jun-ho by no means correctly will get to confront his brother, and one has to surprise why Squid Sport bothered to maintain him alive. Positive, he winds up with Jun-hee’s child on the finish of the collection, however one other character may have taken on that function. He is additionally the rationale In-ho detonates the island, however once more, that is one thing that would’ve been triggered by another resister, together with Gi-hun or No-eul.
Squid Sport Wanted To Spend Extra Time On The Entrance Man
Jun-ho by no means confronting his brother is not simply disappointing for his character arc; it additionally weakens In-ho’s storyline, which may use extra element general. Squid Sport season 1 does an excellent job creating thriller across the Entrance Man. Once we study that he is Jun-ho’s lacking brother, we wish to know why he’d take part on this horrible competitors.
Squid Sport season 2 makes In-ho much more attention-grabbing, as he joins the tournament as Player 001 — and shares some seemingly real moments with the opposite gamers whereas he tries to persuade Gi-hun that humanity is inherently egocentric. The second outing drives house how advanced Lee Byung-hun’s villain is, and he performs him completely.
Nevertheless, we merely do not get sufficient perception into the Entrance Man after his betrayal on the end of Squid Game season 2. The flashback to him successful the match must be longer for viewers to completely empathize, and he requires extra interactions with Gi-hun and Jun-ho to completely capitalize on the emotional influence.
Sadly, when season 3 involves an in depth, viewers will nonetheless have questions on In-ho which might be more likely to go unanswered. That is a disgrace, as he actually is without doubt one of the Netflix collection’ most fascinating characters.
The VIPs Did not Contribute Sufficient To The Story
The arrival of the VIPs in Squid Sport season 1 serves a transparent objective: it reveals that there are highly effective individuals funding the eponymous video games, and it tells us that different variations of them are taking place exterior South Korea. That is intriguing world-building, however seasons 2 and three do not do sufficient with it. In hindsight, it seems like a method of establishing a sequel or spinoff, however not a lot else.
Because of clunky dialogue and a definite separation from the primary plot, the VIPs really feel misplaced, even in season 1. Nevertheless, this will get worse when they return in Squid Game season 3, which does not make the most of them to their full potential. They do not have a lot of an influence on the plot; the one actual influence they’ve is deciding Jun-hee’s child will develop into a participant, and that order may’ve come from elsewhere.
In any other case, the VIPs do not face justice for his or her horrible actions, nor do they contribute a lot to the general plot. It is doable we’ll see extra of them if Squid Game‘s American spinoff comes to fruition, however their function in the primary collection feels dissatisfying.
Squid Sport’s Darkest Twist Backfired On The Ending
“The Starry Night time” is one in all Squid Game‘s best episodes, and it delivers the Netflix present’s darkest twist: that Jun-hee has her child in the midst of the match. Issues get even wilder when the VIPs conform to have the newborn compete as a participant. This flip of occasions initially fits the story’s brutal and bleak message, however it winds up backfiring.
Though placing Jun-hee’s child within the match looks as if a great way to up the stakes — and it will get Gi-hun to the ending the writers envisioned for him — it additionally takes the main target off the collection’ lead. This resulted in complaints that the present stopped being about Gi-hun, and to be truthful, that’s the feeling one will get through the remaining installments.
Putting the newborn within the video games additionally meant that the characters we beloved could not make it to the top of Squid Sport season 3; none of them would have fought Gi-hun about holding her alive. This ensured that solely unlikable characters had been a part of the final spherical, and that took a few of the emotion out of it.
Squid Sport By no means Topped Its First Season
Squid Sport‘s first season shocked the world when it debuted, and now that it is over, it is secure to say that neither of its follow-ups surpassed it. That is to not counsel that season 2 and season 3 are unhealthy; each are attention-grabbing additions to the story, and so they provide closure for Gi-hun after his preliminary win.
Nevertheless, ideally, a TV present will get higher and higher with every passing season. That is not the case with Squid Sport. Season 1 set the bar too excessive, and this made it in order that Squid Game‘s later seasons could not attain its heights. The divisive nature of season 3 did not assist, leaving the collection with an advanced legacy general.
Squid Sport Seasons 2 & 3 Do not Bode Properly For An American Spinoff
Squid Sport seasons 2 and three taking a step down from season 1’s near-perfect run does not bode effectively for potential sequels or spinoffs. Though an American spinoff is not confirmed, season 3’s remaining scene lays the groundwork for a return to the Netflix present’s world. However the divisive nature of its later outings does not encourage confidence in such a mission.
Once more, seasons 2 and three aren’t unhealthy by any means. Nevertheless, if a by-product continues the development of changing into increasingly more divisive, it may harm Squid Sport‘s legacy in the long term. Increasing the franchise comes with huge dangers, and it may backfire if dealt with poorly.
Gi-hun Did not Accomplish Massive-Scale Change By Returning To The Video games
Maybe probably the most devastating actuality now that Squid Sport is over is that Gi-hun’s return to the match does not accomplish as a lot as he hopes. Gi-hun needs to deliver down the competitors — and people behind it — from the within, however his plans are set as much as fail from the very starting.
Whereas it is considerably satisfying that Gi-hun proves the Entrance Man fallacious about humanity, his actions do not have large-scale penalties. He’d virtually have been higher off utilizing his winnings to assist individuals out of poverty as a substitute, negating just a few people’ want for determined measures just like the video games.
As a substitute, Gi-hun levels an rebellion that ends in lots of his fellow gamers dying — one thing which may have been prevented had they continued to vote. The one particular person he really manages to save lots of is Jun-hee’s child, and whereas that is worthy of applause, he has to sacrifice his personal life to do it.
Squid Sport season 3’s remaining scene proves that the match and its supporters are nonetheless lively, driving house that one man can’t break the violent cycles of poverty and oppression. Positive, Gi-hun’s plans result in the island’s destruction in a roundabout manner, which means the competitors could be finished in South Korea, a minimum of quickly.
Even so, it is tragic he does not have a much bigger influence in spite of everything his efforts. And on condition that Jun-ho’s arrival is what sparks the island’s destruction on the finish of Squid Sport, one has to surprise if Gi-hun actually wanted to reenter the match to perform this.
- Launch Date
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2021 – 2025
- Community
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Netflix
- Showrunner
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Hwang Dong-hyuk
- Administrators
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Hwang Dong-hyuk
- Writers
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Hwang Dong-hyuk
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Lee Jung-jae
Seong Gi-hun / ‘No. 456’
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Wi Ha-jun
Detective Hwang Jun-ho
