Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for Squid Game season 3.
Summary
Now thatGi’hun’s (Lee Jung-jae) story has come to an endand fans are digesting theSquid Gameseason 3 finale, not everyone agrees with the way it wrapped up. TheNetflixseries premiered in September 2021 and from the first episode, viewers anticipated an emotional, dark, and impressive series with no easy answers. Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk crafted a terrifying and devastating world with clear villains, like theFront Man (Lee Byung-hun), and plenty of kind-hearted characters to root for. The show’s success and popularity makes it tough to say goodbye and fans wonder if there could bea fourth season or some spinoffs.
Sinceit seemed unlikely thatSquid Gameseason 3 would end on a happy and high note, it’s no wonder that fans have conflicting thoughts about it. While the show has a low Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score, some viewers think the ending worked, and others aren’t so sure.
Squid Game Season 3 Has A 50% Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score And Fans Can’t Agree On The Ending
AlthoughSquid Gameis currently the number one show on Netflix, according toFlix Patrol,season 3 has a low Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score of only 50%. Several viewers were disappointed with the final season, and most of all, fans are divided on the series finale.
When glancing at the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, many had high hopes for the final six episodes. One fan wrote:
“The third season leaves much to be desired, and that’s where my disappointment. The ending was too rushed, and the consequences are empty, pointless plot twists that lead nowhere.”
Another fan wrote:
“By far the worst season finale ever!”
Even those who enjoyedSquid Gameseason 3 think that the conclusion was lackluster. One fan wrote,“It needed a better ending, but overall it was great.“However, while many think the show should have ended differently, others were fine with the way that it wrapped up. One fan praised the series because it “tied up all the loose ends.” Another called it “a well deserved ending.”
It’s easy to understand why fans are so split on the series finale. Atthe end ofSquid Game, Player 222, Jun-hee’s (Jo Yuri)’s baby, is crowned the winner. Gi-hun is left with the decision to save himself or the baby, and he decides to die so the baby can live. BeforeSquid Gameseason 3 was released,fans talked about what endings they didn’t want to see, and some said they didn’t want Gi-hun to die. Othersthought the Front Man should die.
While many wanted Gi-hun to live, creator Hwang Dong-hyuk toldNetflix.tudum.comthat the ending sums up the theme ofSquid Game. He said,“The baby represents the future generation"and he thinks people should “leave a better world” for youth. No matter how people feel about the finale, it’s definitely powerful, which was the intention. There’s no question that the ending would have been heartbreaking no matter what Gi-hun decided.
Squid Game Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk Changed The Ending
In an interview withVariety,Hwang Dong-hyuk explained that he had another ending planned, but then he thought about something else. He explained:
“In the finale, Gi-hun makes a choice, and originally, when I was just thinking about where the story was going to take me, it was actually the exact opposite choice.”
Although it’s tough to watch Gi-hun die, it would have been worse if something happened to the baby. Although there is no question thatSquid Gameis a grim series and life feels hopeless for the main characters in every scene, there is a little bit of hope at the end when the Front-Man gives the baby money. Still, Gi-hun’s death isone of the most upsetting, and there’s no doubt thatfans will be thinking about theSquid Gameending for a long time.
