Expecting the best ma-la-tang and dopamine with a production cost of 100 billion won, but the result was Pyongyang cold noodles. There is no disagreement about its completion, but the feeling of emptiness prevails in 'Squid Game 3', which ended blandly as a promising candidate that led the K-content boom.

The Netflix original series 'Squid Game 3' depicts Gi-hun, who re-enters the game with his own purpose, the Frontman, who has infiltrated the game while hiding his identity, and the final fate of the participants who survived within that cruel system. Before the release of the work, a pre-release online screening was held for the media to take a look at its aspects.

Thanks to the success of Season 1, which recorded box office numbers close to a social phenomenon, Seasons 2 and 3, which were not originally planned, were produced in succession. Netflix is said to have invested about 100 billion won in the production of Seasons 2 and 3, which was a testament to the expectations and responsibilities that accompanied it. Among them, Season 2, released last year, achieved a significant outcome on Netflix’s part, but reviews of the work were sharply divided.

In Season 3, evaluations are expected to be polarizing. In particular, one of the biggest problems among several disappointing points is that the charm of the protagonist 'Gi-hun' (played by Lee Jung-jae) has disappeared. Gi-hun, who grew from an ordinary person to a 'righteous citizen' in Season 1, became lethargic in Season 2, failing to read the situation properly despite two years of revenge. Throughout the game, there were no notable achievements, and his agency vanished.

In Season 3, Gi-hun was supposed to reawaken and show a rebellion and twists against the Squid Game, but this expectation was not properly realized. Enveloped in endless self-blame and anger, he resembles the participants who are obsessed with the prize and survival, rather accumulating a 'dislike stack'. Ultimately, the support from viewers fades away, and interest declines.

Was there a reason to show Gi-hun in a suit from the teaser video? Due to the glamorous casting in Season 2, characters who should not have survived quickly exit this time. This allows the plot to gain momentum, but too many characters drop out early, leading to farewells before any attachment can be formed. In particular, this leads to expectations that 'after all, only Gi-hun will remain', resulting in predictability and a sense of déjà vu from Season 1, which gnaws away at tension and immersion.

If so, there should at least have been a strong transition, such as the final confrontation between Gi-hun and the Frontman, or the collapse of the game system. However, there was no strong transition capable of satisfying the expectations of series fans.

The narrative of Detective Junho (played by Wi Ha-joon), who struggled to track down the 'Squid Game' throughout the series, ultimately fades away empty. Overall, the choice of messages over coherence leads to a loss of persuasiveness, which is disappointing.

Of course, the question that this series raises through the final season, Season 3, remains valid. How should those born and survived in an irrational system live in the future? Gi-hun's final choice suggests that, in the eyes of director Hwang Dong-hyuk, it may be the best option for a citizen to rebel against such a society. However, it is also true that the ending feels too quiet and hollow to conclude a series spanning six years. It is likely not the ending the public expected.

Nevertheless, what is clear is that it has a much more stable and solid composition than Season 2. However, the six-month gap between Seasons 2 and 3 ultimately hindered emotional immersion. While it may have been Netflix’s strategic release approach, it seems there will be limitations to immersion for viewers who faced Season 3 with the memories of characters they had connected with in Season 2 having evaporated.

June 27 release on Netflix, total of six episodes, with a runtime of around 60 minutes per episode.

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