Just when we thought we had Squid Game all figured out, season 3 pulled the rug out from under us – and it turns out, things could have gone a very different way. The creator had a more hopeful finale in mind… until reality crept in and rewrote everything.
A record-breaking return
It’s official – Squid Game has done it again. Season 3 has smashed records, climbed to the top of Netflix’s charts, and left millions of us binge-watching with one hand over our eyes. But for all the adrenaline and high-stakes drama, it’s the final scene that really stuck with viewers – and not necessarily in a way they expected.
This season delivers a powerful end to the journey of Seong Gi-hun (played with quiet fire by Lee Jung-jae). And while it closes the chapter on his story, the franchise itself is far from over. Whispers are already swirling about a U.S. version, potentially led by David Fincher, hinted at in the cryptic last moments of the finale.
The road not taken
What we saw on screen wasn’t always the plan. In fact, according to series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk, the ending we got was a far cry from his original idea.
“I had something quite different in mind at first,” he revealed in a recent interview. The initial concept had Gi-hun surviving, wrapping up the game, and heading to the U.S. to reunite with his daughter. In a surprising twist, he was meant to encounter a new character – a mysterious recruiter, to be played by none other than Cate Blanchett.
Imagine that. Gi-hun boarding a flight, perhaps clutching a new passport and a heart full of hope, only to come face-to-face with a whole new layer of the Squid Game’s machinery. But as Hwang worked through the script, that version began to feel like the easy way out.
A death that speaks volumes
So why the dramatic U-turn? According to Hwang, it was about sending the right message. He asked himself: “What do I really want to say with this story?” As the world grew darker around him, the answer became clear. Gi-hun’s fate had to resonate beyond the screen.
In the version that aired, Gi-hun rejects wealth and walks into danger not for revenge or glory, but to save a child. It’s a choice that shakes even the cold-hearted Organiser (played by Lee Byung-hun), and forces the audience to question the entire system.
Hwang saw this final act not as despairing, but as a symbol of hope. “The world feels like it’s headed in the wrong direction,” he said. “But perhaps the sacrifices we make today can give future generations something better.” It’s a weighty idea, wrapped in a blood-soaked series best known for giant killer dolls and red jumpsuits.
More than just a game
For all its stylised violence and edge-of-your-seat tension, Squid Game has always had deeper layers. Beneath the surface, it’s a show that questions capitalism, power, and how far we’ll go when pushed to the edge.
Season 3 cements that legacy – and if the American spin-off does take shape, it’ll have big shoes (and possibly bigger coffins) to fill.
So, next time you hear the tune of “Green Light, Red Light,” remember: behind every death, there might just be a message worth listening to.
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