The world of Squid Game is no stranger to despair — and as the Netflix series approaches its third and final season, creator Hwang Dong-hyuk makes it clear: this one won’t offer any emotional reprieve. “The tone is going to be more dark and bleak,” he says. “The world, as I observe it, has less hope.”
Premiering on June 27, Squid Game season 3 is already stirring anticipation and anxiety in equal measure. Fans who’ve followed the show from its blood-splattered beginnings might be hoping for redemption or even a glimmer of hope, but Hwang says that would go against the story’s DNA. “People like a happy ending. I’m like that too. But some stories, by nature, can’t have one. If you try to force one, the essence is compromised. If a story is holding up a mirror to something, then it’s not always a happy ending. Squid Game is no exception.”
With new characters, new games, and moral ambiguity dialled all the way up, the final season promises to be as gut-wrenching and thought-provoking as ever. “I wanted to explore questions like, ‘What is the very last resort of humankind? And do we have the will to give future generations something better?’” says Hwang. “After watching all three seasons, I hope we can each ask ourselves, ‘How much humanity do I have left in me?’”
Though some fans were critical of season two’s pace and choices, the production timeline didn’t allow creator Lee Jung-jae to adjust things mid-way. “The two seasons were filmed back to back,” he explains. “Instead of ‘fixing’ the narrative, we just wanted to make sure the message was conveyed.” That message, of violence, desperation, and what capitalism can reduce people to, remains the series’ spine, even as it grows more complex.
“The finale was something even I didn’t expect,” Lee teases. “So I’m sure a lot of fans will not see it coming. I think a lot of people will have different reactions. It’s definitely going to spur a lot of conversation.”
Until then, fans hoping for spoilers will have to wait. “People have been so curious. A lot of them come to me asking for spoilers,” Lee adds. “I keep telling them that if you want to have fun watching season three, you just have to hold still. It’s coming.”
