“Player 456, do you still trust humanity?”
This is the inquiry Squid Game‘s Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) puts forth to Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) during the series’ third and final season. Yet, it’s also a question posed to the audience. Throughout the three seasons, we have observed numerous atrocities. We have seen affluent elites manipulate indebted players against one another for entertainment. We have witnessed nameless guards ruthlessly eliminate groups of players. We have even seen players betray one another (sometimes literally) in pursuit of extra cash. After all this, do we still harbor hope for humanity?
Squid Game repeatedly presents this question in Season 3, as new lethal games introduce fresh moral dilemmas, each more shocking than the previous. These moments epitomize nail-biters, capturing the terrifying essence of Seasons 1 and 2. However, they often bring in twists that push Squid Game‘s (already not especially subtle) commentary on economic disparity beyond any incisive analysis. Instead, the show hits viewers over the head with caricatures. It’s enough to make one wonder if creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has little to no confidence in the audience, even as the series reaches a fittingly brutal finale.
What is Squid Game Season 3 about?
Squid Game Season 3 continues after Gi-hun’s unsuccessful uprising against the games at the conclusion of Season 2. He has lost several crucial supporters in his battle to end the games, including his close friend Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan) and new associate Young-il, the alias the Front Man adopted while participating in the games. (Most troubling: Gi-hun remains unaware of the betrayal.)
Burdened by remorse for inciting the rebellion, Gi-hun begins Season 3 as a shadow of his prior self. There are no longer impassioned efforts to dissuade players from voting yes to continuing the games, only deep confusion regarding why he, of all individuals, is still alive. Lee has minimal dialogue throughout much of the season, compelling him to convey a powerful physical performance that fluctuates between resignation and anger, and something more supportive and caring. The former is most evident during a confrontation with Dae-ho (Kang Ha-neul), whose panic attack in the Season 2 finale left the rebellion without resources. Gi-hun’s vengeful disposition here appears to align perfectly with the Front Man’s desires: for Gi-hun to lose trust in humanity, just as he has.
However, that hope and trust materializes elsewhere, particularly among the trio consisting of Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon), Geum-ja (Kang Ae-sim), and the very pregnant Jun-hee (Jo Yuri). This group of women remains unwavering in their loyalty to each other, demonstrating that Gi-hun’s belief in humanity is not unfounded. And when Jun-hee finally gives birth — in what must be one of the most horrendous locations to go into labor! — safeguarding her and her newborn invigorates Gi-hun with new purpose.
Does Jun-hee’s baby assist or hinder Squid Game?
The existence of an actual infant in the games serves as a tangible representation of Gi-hun’s hope for tomorrow. It also further emphasizes the extent of the games’ evil, particularly when the observing VIPs conclude, “You know what? Let’s make the baby a player.”
The issue is, we are already aware of the games’ wickedness. We have been since the very start of the series! Yet Squid Game continues to hammer this point into our minds in increasingly ridiculous manners, many of which transform this nightmarish dystopia into unintentional comedy.
Consider the return of the gold-masked VIPs, who act as commentators for much of the season. With their lacking acting skills, poor dubbing, and weak dialogue, this group of predominantly white, mostly male billionaires undermines the tension Squid Game has cultivated. There’s certainly something to remark on regarding the flattening of these affluent characters: While they perceive the players as subhuman, it is truly they who embody two-dimensional monstrosities. However, the excessive reliance on the VIPs as a gilded peanut gallery dilutes the intense drama unfolding within the games themselves, turning Squid Game into a comical spectacle at times.