Photos from Netflix.com
REVIEW by Alexander Fletcher, Staff Writer
9/19/25
Squid Game is back—but does season 3 still play the game as well as the first two seasons?
With season 3 finally out, the question wasn’t just whether the games were more brutal—it was whether the show still lived up to its hype as it did in previous seasons.
(SPOILER ALERT: Don't keep reading if you're not caught up on the three seasons of the show).
Squid Game is a South Korean drama Netflix series where desperate contestants compete in deadly games for a massive cash prize. Player 456, Seong Gi-hun, survived the first season’s brutal challenges to become the winner. By the end of season 1, he emerged as the sole survivor and winner of ₩45.6 billion (about $33 million).
When he returned from the games, Player 456 found out that his mother had passed away from an illness while he was participating. The death of his mother, in addition to the trauma of the games, left him in a state of extreme depression.
While he waited for the train to go to the airport to see his daughter in America, he spotted the same recruiter who got him into the games, which interrupted his flight, and he began his mission to stop the games.
Season 2 followed Player 456 as he confronted the Front Man, a key figure in the deadly games. He faced new challenges, including a voting system that allowed players to decide whether to continue or leave with the prize money, which would have been split among players. With new characters and brutal games, the story built to a dramatic climax and a cliffhanger after the rebellion that set up the events of season 3, with no clear winner.
Season 3 immediately followed the events of the rebellion, which raised the stakes with new games and more shocking eliminations. It concluded with a dramatic ending centered on Player 456’s sacrifice and whether Squid Game could still deliver the suspense and drama fans loved in past seasons.
Rockland freshman Noah Webb felt that the ending to season 3 was satisfying.
“Gi-hun’s sacrifice was the perfect ending to wrap up the story, because the creators probably didn’t want the show to drag on like The Walking Dead. It made the point that humans aren’t meant for your judgment or entertainment.”
This highlighted one of the season’s central themes: the tension between morality and the deadly games, and how the creators chose to close Player 456’s story.
“I would say the first season is my all-time favorite, the third season is my second favorite, and the second season is my third favorite. I hope that in the American version of Squid Game, they can make it focus more on depth, storyline, and each character’s perspective,” Webb said.
Another freshman, Rose Hornbaker, reflected on the characters’ choices.
“I believe the character whose decision stood out the most was Gi-hun’s choice to sacrifice himself so the baby could live,” Hornbaker said.
Player 222, also known as Kim Jun-hee, joined the games while pregnant and gave birth before being eliminated. In a twist, her baby took over her position and continued in her place.
Hornbaker said, “I believe season 3 was just as good as season 2, and I personally think they were both better than season 1. If I could change one thing about season 3, I would make it so Nam-gyu and Thanos didn’t die.”
Season 3 tested whether Squid Game could still deliver the suspense, drama, and character depth fans loved in earlier seasons. Both Webb and Hornbaker agreed that Player 456’s sacrifice was a standout moment, which highlighted the moral choices at the heart of the series. While opinions varied on which season was best, Season 3 proved the show still challenged viewers and sparked conversations about human nature, survival, and morality.