Netflix’s South Korean survival drama Squid Game is back with its third and final season, and it has unleashed a storm of reactions across the internet.
The show, celebrated for its raw exploration of social and economic inequality, has once again gripped audiences, racking up over 60 million views in just three days.
But the response is starkly divided—fans are either emotionally shattered or bitterly disappointed, with no middle ground in sight.
Squid Game season 3 has viewers split down the middle. For some, the season’s intense emotional weight and shocking twists hit hard, delivering the gut-punch the series is known for. Others, however, feel it’s a far cry from the brilliance of seasons 1 and 2, accusing it of losing its soul to commercialization.
The season’s record-breaking viewership proves its pull, but the debate rages over whether it lives up to its predecessors or fumbles its anti-capitalist roots.
The finale’s tease of an American spinoff, marked by a jaw-dropping cameo from Cate Blanchett as a recruiter playing ddakji in Los Angeles, has ignited fierce discussion.
Originally a scathing critique of capitalism, class inequality, and the commodification of desperation, Squid Game now faces accusations of becoming the very thing it criticized.
Fans on X have called out Netflix for “franchising poverty” and “milking trauma,” pointing to the reality show Squid Game: The Challenge and rumors of a David Fincher-directed American spinoff as evidence of the show’s commercialization.
The cameo, where Blanchett’s character exchanges a knowing glance with the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), suggests the games are thriving globally, a twist many feel betrays the show’s original message. Yet, some are intrigued by the potential of an American version, curious to see how far it could push the concept—or flop spectacularly.
The season’s body count has left fans reeling. Unexpected deaths, particularly in high-stakes games like the marbles showdown in episode 6, have sparked an outpouring of grief and shock on X.
Key characters met tragic ends, with protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) sacrificing himself to save a newborn baby, declared the winner of the games.
The emotional toll of these losses, paired with betrayals and moral dilemmas, has viewers processing the carnage, with spoilers spreading faster than ever online.
Among the season’s most divisive elements is the appearance of a CGI baby, born during the games and declared Player 222.
The debate has turned the CGI baby into an unexpected meme, haunting and perplexing viewers in equal measure.
Here are some of the reviews of the netizens on the latest season of Squid Game,
Squid Game season 3 has fans hooked, enraged, or rewatching in a frenzy. Whether it’s the heartbreak of Gi-hun’s sacrifice, the baffling CGI baby, or Blanchett’s unexpected cameo, the season has sparked endless debate.
For some, it’s a bold, emotional conclusion; for others, it’s a sign the show has been consumed by the franchise machine it once critiqued.
All three seasons of Squid Game are now streaming on Netflix.
