Squid Game Season 3 review: A bold, controversial finale to global hit

KATHMANDU: Netflix’s Squid Game returned with its highly anticipated Season 3 on June 27, 2025, delivering six feature-length episodes that mark the dramatic conclusion to the dystopian survival saga created by Hwang Dong-hyuk.

Filmed back-to-back with Season 2, this latest installment dives deeper into the brutal games while raising the emotional stakes for its characters.

The story picks up with protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) infiltrating the deadly competition once again, this time determined to dismantle the system from within.

Season 3 introduces new, merciless games such as intense versions of Jump Rope and Hide-and-Seek, pushing players to their physical and psychological limits.

The season culminates in a poignant and unexpected finale where Gi-hun sacrifices himself to save a newborn, symbolizing a fragile hope for the future.

Familiar faces return, including Lee Byung-hun as the enigmatic Front Man and Park Sung-hoon portraying the courageous transgender contestant Cho Hyun-ju.

Park has publicly expressed his hope that his portrayal brings respectful representation and has been met with praise from the LGBTQ+ community.

Critics have given the season generally favorable reviews, with an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 66. Praise centers on the season’s gripping game sequences and emotionally charged moments, particularly in episodes like “It’s Not Your Fault.” However, some reviewers cite pacing issues, underdeveloped subplots, and a finale that feels rushed or ideologically muddled. Vulture described it as “frustratingly safe,” relying heavily on familiar gore instead of narrative innovation.

Adding to the season’s buzz, a surprise cameo by Cate Blanchett as “The Recruiter” in the finale’s teaser hints at a spin-off series, Squid Game USA, set to expand the franchise into new territory—though this has sparked debate over cultural appropriation and the westernization of a Korean story.

Overall, Squid Game Season 3 delivers a powerful, if divisive, conclusion that blends visceral thrills with moral allegory.

It offers closure for longtime fans and signals Netflix’s ambition to build a broader Squid Game universe through upcoming reality shows and spin-offs.

For viewers who have followed Gi-hun’s journey from the start, Season 3 is a must-watch for its emotional depth, shocking sacrifices, and dark reflections on society—cementing Squid Game’s place as a global cultural phenomenon.