#review: Is Squid Game 3 worth a watch?

The third and final season of Squid Game has broken Netflix viewership records, logging 106.3 million views in just 10 days. David Ho reviews the hit series

After a cliffhanger ending in season two, the third and final season of Squid Game is here to wrap up the story of the dystopian survival game in South Korea. 

To catch you up, Seong Gi-hun (aka Player 456) led an uprising against the game’s organizers that ultimately went awry at the end of the previous season, with the fate of many players left undetermined. But is the third season still worth tuning in to find out? 

For starters, the criticisms levied against season two aren’t found here. While the previous seasons meandered a bit with getting the action started, the new season wastes no time in diving into the action, immediately showing us the consequences of the failed coup. With no choice but to go on, Seong is left to grapple with survivor’s guilt while trying to protect himself and the others left in the deadly games.  

Fortunately, the remaining rounds prove to be as gripping as ever, giving us thrilling and emotional playoffs. In season two, the new set of players had the tough task of trying to stack up against the beloved original cast. This time, we are more connected to the players given that we are more familiar with them after seeing them on screen for two seasons. With that attachment from the audience, the stakes feel higher than ever when we are given heart wrenching moments with some of our favourites.  

Squid Game 3 follows the same formula as its preceding seasons. But what will have people buzzing and divided is the ending. More than just bloodbaths that have you on the edge of your seat, the heart of Squid Game has always been about the political ideology and social commentary it spotlighted through its compelling contestants. 

Without giving too much away, Squid Game 3 opts to steer clear of neatly wrapped up happy endings and leans in on underlining the power and inherent unfairness in the established system. At this point in time when economies are on the verge of a recession thanks to the toyings of the ruling class, the class wars and eat-the-rich sentiments feel more relevant than ever.

The VIPs, the anonymous ultra-wealthy that are the game’s private audience, are featured more prominently as gleeful sadists and game commentors that may remind some of real-life villains that have been outed in recent years.

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But Squid Game‘s producers subtly flip them as a mirror to the Netflix audience that might be just as invested in the gore as the VIPs are, instead of the larger issues they represent. If you are missing the point of Player 456’s crusade, you might just be more like the VIPs than one would care to admit.  

Speaking of Player 456, Lee Jung-jae deserves great praise for his portrayal of Seong through all three seasons. His emotional journey, from his infamously cheery grin for his first Squid Game portrait to a haunted man on a mission and his psychological decay over the third season, is completely and convincingly reflected in his expressions and his body language. 

Seong’s closing statement of “humans are” in the finale is left open ended for more than just for dramatic purposes. It gets the audience to fill in the blanks with their own view of humanity, after going through three seasons of survival shenanigans. While his fate has left fans divided, there is no denying that Lee's character has left a huge impact on the minds of many, as the show's producer probably intended. 

Other standout stars include #legend cover star Park Gyu Young, who returns as Kang No-eul, one of the pink-suited guards. She adds some depth and dimension to the villain’s side, showing that not everything is black and white, even if you are technically one of the bad guys.

The finale also opens the door to further spin offs, which is very likely to be the US version that is currently in the works. At this point, a surprising cameo by none other than (mild spoiler alert) actress Cate Blanchett shows that the system behind Squid Game remains powerful and more widespread than previously thought. 

While this chapter of the Squid Games has ended, we eagerly await to see where this secret contest takes us next. 

Verdict: If you were a fan of the previous seasons of Squid Game, then the third and final season is a must-watch. If you haven’t already seen season two, or simply up for rewatching it, we’d recommend binge watching it with season three for full impact.

Pictures courtesy of Netflix

Also see: #review: Does Squid Game 2 live up to the hype?