Squid Game Season 3’s Finale Has Critics And Audiences All Saying The Same Thing

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Contains spoilers for “Squid Game” Season 3

In the final episode of “Squid Game,” after facing numerous trials of conviction and resisting complete submission to the harsh realities of human nature, the protagonist Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) chooses the most selfless act by jumping from the last pillar during the final round. The reaction among critics and viewers towards this series finale has been quite varied, ranging from mixed to negative sentiments.

Kim Jun-hee’s (Jo Yu-ri) baby is victorious in the games; Front Man Hwang In-ho (Lee Byung-hun) carries the baby away with him moments before detonating the island. Viewers are then shown a series of scenes depicting the various individuals who Gi-hun assisted, finding happiness for themselves, including No-eul (Park Gyu-young) and his own daughter. The show concludes with a wealthy woman portrayed by Cate Blanchett playing Ddakji with a homeless man in a Los Angeles alleyway. In-ho, passing by, acknowledges the homeless man, suggesting that the games are a global phenomenon.

The conclusion received varying responses from critics, with an 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, slightly higher than Season 2’s 83%. However, the audience has expressed strong disapproval; some have even labeled it as one of the poorest series finales in history, drawing comparisons to the controversial ending of “Game of Thrones.” This criticism was not uncommon.

Critics are mixed on the series finale

Due to the VIPs surviving, The Leader remaining at large, and Gi-hun’s aspirations of permanently shutting down the game unfulfilled, the finale of “Squid Game” stirred a great deal of debate among viewers. Some found the ending to be intelligent, poignant, and moving, while others had strong criticisms about its resolution.

Critics found Hwang In-ho’s escape problematic. Rolling Stone’s Alan Sepinwall argued that there would be no consequences for him or the VIPs, guards, or anyone else involved, which aligns with the show’s dark themes but lacked the expected dramatic payoff for a series with such a gritty style. Chris Evangelista from SlashFilm expressed similar sentiments, stating that after three seasons of intense violence, the finale felt underwhelming and appeared to convey little more than “everything is bleak, what else did you expect?” This left him feeling let down by the show’s message.

Several critics found the scene where the characters took time to vote, prolonging the games in “Squid Game”, to be unbearably lengthy. As expressed by Angie Han from The Hollywood Reporter, by the end of the series, there was no feeling of accomplishment derived from a well-told story; instead, viewers felt relieved that this exhausting ordeal had finally concluded. This sentiment seemed to resonate with many fans.

Fans are reviling the finale

People discussing the “Squid Game” subreddit were quite displeased with how underwhelming they found the series finale. Many of them expressed that the ending seemed to be a advertisement for an unmade American adaptation of the show, which they felt was poor and didn’t deliver on any of its promises. As u/Spirited_Pay4610 put it, “The ‘Game of Thrones’ finale doesn’t seem so bad anymore. This was terrible, it failed to meet expectations and seemed to be setting up a US version instead.” Similarly, u/No_Occasion_8408 jokingly commented, “I can hardly wait for Zendaya to push Sydney Sweeney off a swing into metal spikes in the American version of ‘Squid Game’!

Many viewers felt that Hwang Jun-ho’s (Wi-jun Hoon) storyline in “Squid Game” was a missed opportunity, as he failed to uncover the games and only spent a brief moment with his brother before being separated again. Additionally, some viewers were frustrated by Gi-hun’s lack of success and inconsistent character development. These sentiments were succinctly expressed by u/Mikushubby in their comment: “After watching Squid Game S3, I can’t help but wish I hadn’t.” That hurts.

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2025-06-27 23:30