When SQUID GAME burst into the Western Hemisphere via Netflix almost four years ago, I’d contend it was as seminal a moment in the history of streaming television as we’ve seen before or since. Sure, virtually unlimited catalogues of content has been the promise of platform distribution, and being able to more easily make available such content from all over the world for one with a global footprint is the very definition of how to optimize subscriber potential. But making a global hit out of something originally produced in native language in South Korea was a breakthrough moment–and arguably shots fired in the “streaming war” that Netflix had basically won when it became the default destination of the pandemic and Gen Z. One could even argue that the awareness of South Korean culture beyond major cities took off enough as a result of the show that we now have Korean Fried Chicken as a preferred specialty flavor of Lays’ Potato Chips.
And that would be a perfect snacking companion to the six episodes that define the series’ third season which dropped late last week. Along, of course, with an adult beverage of choice to bid farewell to it, an arguably premature end to a show that broke the platform’s viewership records in Season One but ultimately became a victim of great expectations and cost. After garnering six Primetime Emmys and a Golden Globe in 2022, it was renewed for a second act that as it turns out had a third lined up right behind it.
That second season had no trouble duplicating at least the initial level of attention after a gap of more than three years from Season One–per ComingSoon.net, it reaped more than 68 million views over its first four days, buoyed no doubt by the fact those initial 96 hours were smack dab between Christmas and New Year’s. But as Wikipedia details, there was a significant drop in measurable critical acclaim–Rotten Tomatoes’ score fell to 83 from 95; Metacritic to 62 from 69. Still pretty good, but ultimately a disappointment. And as THE NEW YORK TIMES’ Noel Murray contends, things haven’t improved:
The six episodes that end this series feel very much like a continuation of the seven episodes that aired earlier this year as Season 2, covering the same characters, still in the middle of the same deadly tournament. Nothing new is introduced here in the “Squid Game” homestretch. The show’s writer and director, Hwang Dong-hyuk, just connects the last few dots. It’s no wonder then that Season 3 feels so dispiritingly rote.
And COLLIDER’s Rahul Malhotra added some additional driftwood to the funeral pyre with some telling datecdotes that he dropped yesterday:
In a turn of events that mirrors the plot of the dystopian show, which is set in a future South Korea where debt-ridden citizens fight to the death in carefully constructed games, the audience rating for the third season has now fallen to a terrible 50%. The site’s consensus for the third season reads, “The games reach a grim crescendo in this climactic third season, repeating familiar beats but with a ruthlessness that drives creator Hwang Dong-hyuk’s themes home.” “Squid Game 3 feels like a shadow of its former self. Unlike the gripping pace of Seasons 1 and 2, this one drags, with slow storytelling and little payoff,” one fan wrote on RT, and another concurred: “Squid Game Season 3 is a mess. It doesn’t explain anything that was left hanging in Season 2, and the main character’s decisions are confusing and inconsistent.”
And yet, as was just released earlier this morning via the Seoul-based K-Vibe site, the early viewership returns are suggesting that there’s still quite a few folks out there who are either more forgiving or simply addicted:
The third season of the Netflix original series “Squid Game” has maintained its global No. 1 spot for three consecutive days, continuing to draw attention despite receiving mixed reviews. According to streaming analytics site FlixPatrol on Saturday, “Squid Game 3” ranked No. 1 in Netflix’s TV show category for the third straight day as of the previous day. The series topped the charts in all 93 countries where FlixPatrol tracks Netflix rankings, including major markets such as the United States and the United Kingdom.
So that might explain the atypically upbeat and optimistic views that were shared with and by THE WRAP’s Kayla Cobb:
No matter what you may have seen on social media, “Squid Game” Season 3 is the definite end of the series. But series creator, writer and director Hwang Dong-hyuk is open to telling more stories in this universe. (Cate) Blanchett appears briefly in the final moments of the very last episode of “Squid Game.” After the final game, the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) travels to Los Angeles to give Gi-hun’s (Lee Jung-jae) daughter her late father’s belongings and winnings. As he drives away, he spots a woman in a suit, portrayed by Blanchett, playing a game of ddakji with a disheveled man. Once the two lock eyes, Blanchett’s character nods at the Front Man, the implication being she’s currently recruiting for a new Squid Game in America. Though the original “Squid Game” has officially come to an end, Hwang is open to more stories set in this universe.
The creator is especially interested in stories about the masked guards — a role that was explored more in Seasons 2 and 3 with No-eul (Park Gyu-young) — or the recruiters. “What kind of people are they behind the masks? What kind of personal relationships do they have with each other? I have these vague ideas that I’m tossing around,” Hwang said. “If there were to be a spinoff, that would be about the Front Man or the Korean recruiter or what happens behind the masked guards.”
And hey, if you were Netflix, a platform whose biggest flaw lies in the fact that it lacks ownership of a deep library of legacy series with hundreds of episodes that drives its competitors’ engagement and commitment, having more than 22 hours of your all-time hit is the epitome of a no-brainer. Especially since the unscripted spin-off SQUID GAME: THE CHALLENGE was able to carve out a sizable audience of its own (per Wikipedia, its 10 episodes garnered a more-than-respectable 36.5 million views and 224 million hours over its first 21 days during a more competitive time of year around Thanksgiving 2022). THE GOLDEN BACHELOR and CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER would kill for those kinds of numbers. Which would probably qualify their competitors to be among the select 456 that compete on SQUID GAME if they were so inclined. Neither they nor Netflix may need the money, but the spirit of competition is an aphrodisiac unto itself.
Hence. consider this the first Nostradumbass call of the second half of 2025. There’s more in the SQUID GAME universe ahead. Better stock up on those Lays’.
Until next time…