Cliff Notes – Netflix fans can binge final 6 episodes of biggest TV show no one’s talking about
- Netflix has released the final season of Squid Game, featuring six episodes that conclude the story of Player 456, Seong Gi-hun, after a cliffhanger ending in season two.
- Despite its record-breaking viewership and cultural impact, the final season has received a more muted response from fans, with many expressing disappointment over its perceived decline in thematic depth.
- Critics note that while the season is nearly perfect, the inclusion of certain characters, particularly the VIPs, detracts from the overall experience, leading to mixed reviews.
Netflix fans can binge final 6 episodes of biggest TV show ‘no one’s talking about’
Netflix has finally dropped the last instalment of its global phenomenon Squid Game, with six new episodes out less than a year after the second season took over the platform.
The Korean dystopian thriller became one of Netflix’s biggest ever shows when its first season arrived in 2021 – boasting 262.2million views and more than 2.2billion hours watched since then.
It really can’t be overstated how big Squid Game was. The first season seeped into culture so much it became inescapable – spawning a boom in K-drama, a Netflix reality show, endless Halloween costumes and copycats like Beast Games.
After the mother of all cliffhangers at the end of the second season, TV fans were desperate to know how it would end.
The last we saw of the remote arena, psychologically wrecked Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) saw his rebellion spectacularly thwarted by the undercover Frontman (Lee Byung-hun).
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The failed face-off put the surviving contestants back into the sadistic Games – including Gi-hun, who really could not catch a break.
As we were left wondering what would become of Gi-hun, the show teased possible hope in the guards’ work room, which had been infiltrated.
There was also the open question of whether Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon) and his team would be able to find the secret island with a double agent boat captain in their midst.
Ahead of the third season, a first look teaser showed a gumball machine filled with coloured balls would be at the centre of the first round back.
Metro’s spoiler-free thoughts on Squid Game season 3
TV Editor Sabrina Barr shares her thoughts…
The final season, which Metro was able to watch in its entirety before the release, is darn near-perfect. Almost.
While creator Hwang Dong-hyuk didn’t initially have the three seasons mapped out, he concludes the tale of Player 456, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) in a seamless way that feels as though it was always meant to be a three-part story.
As for why season three isn’t a clear 10/10, the main qualm I have pertains to a group of characters who are so distracting they bring me back to real life with a sharp jolt – the VIPs.
Their presence is jarring and feels unnecessary, even if the intention is to demonstrate who the game is being held for. But, the final moments of season three genuinely made me jaw drop in the best way possible.
A true TV masterpiece.
Yet in comparison to the first two outings, the show’s swansong has been met with a more muted reception in the discourse machine.
Even as Squid Game season three has shot to the very top of the Netflix TV ranking in the UK, fans have taken to social media to note that this final season hasn’t felt quite like the first two.
Taking to X, @wwsuspension wrote: ‘The way NOBODY is talking about squid game.’
@zoeyduatch added: ‘Squid Game started with such meaning and as a huge anti-capitalism movement then grew as a cash cow for Netflix and ended its last season promoting a Squid Game USA version as a way to make them even more money from a story that should’ve ended on season 1… we’ll never win.’
@capsulebutt added: ‘Squid Game series 3 ended about the way I expected I guess. Idk it feels like no one really knows how to end a series in a satisfying way anymore.’
‘Nobody talking about squid game was it not hitting?😂let me tap in,’ wrote @therealeasyz.
@Tech_Gal_Loveth asked: ‘Why is no one talking about the Squid game that came out today?’
Squid Game is available to stream on Netflix.