Squid Game‘s final chapter is just hours away from hitting Netflix—and there’s no doubt millions will tune in to see how the global phenomenon wraps up. Among those numbers will surely be fans who felt a little let down by season two, feeling the episodes didn’t measure up to Squid Game‘s blockbuster first season. But to hear star Lee Jung-jae tell it, there’s a good chance even the naysayers will find satisfaction, or at least some major food for thought, with its ending.
Speaking to the Guardian, the actor—who won an Emmy for his portrayal of Player 456 in season one, and went on to play a conflicted Jedi in Star Wars series The Acolyte—pointed out that seasons two and three, which tell a single story, were filmed back to back. So even if Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk had wanted to make changes after hearing the mixed fan feedback about season two, it wouldn’t have been possible.
“The messages of Squid Game are very important. Instead of ‘fixing’ the narrative, we just wanted to make sure the message was conveyed,” Lee explained. “And of course it’s a TV show—you have to provide entertainment. In season three, we have new games, new characters, twists and turns. It’s going to be very entertaining—but with a message.”
That message, as fans well know, revolves around the violent extremes people will go to in the pursuit of greed, and the systemic problems with capitalism that drive them to make problematic choices in the first place. Hwang told the Guardian that he’s aware “people like a happy ending,” including himself.
But he added, “Some stories, by nature, can’t have one … if a story is holding a mirror up to something, then it’s not always a happy ending.”
Lee’s finale tease? It “was something even I didn’t expect … 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. I’m looking forward to listening.”
That sounds hopeful, if not for the characters, than definitely for the audience! And here’s another hopeful nugget from Hwang, who said he’s “a big fan” of David Fincher and is looking forward to that previously announced U.S. remake: it might not be the end for Hwang and Squid Game, either.
“I don’t want to close the door—there are some threads left untied,” he said. “If I were to come back to the Squid Game universe, I think I would come back with a spin-off. Narratively, there’s a three-year gap between seasons one and two. While Gi-hun was on the search for the Front Man and the Recruiter, what were those villains up to? What do the pink guards do outside Squid Game? Those would be fun ideas to explore.”
Squid Game season three hits Netflix June 27. Are you planning a binge?
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