I have mixed feelings about Squid Game S3... it is gripping and compelling, an improvement in some ways on S2 (in my opinion, the two would have worked better as one season), and also just more of the same.
Yes, the games are as horrifically inventive and visually impressive as ever. Yes, the cast are all giving strong, nuanced performances (with the jarring exception of the - insert eye roll here - VIPs).
However, the show’s ability to deliver a powerful message and thought provoking shocks has long since passed.
At the beginning, Squid Game, like Battle Royal and The Hunger Games et al before it, spoke to a rotten and deeply unsettling aspect of society. Now, having been commoditised - with merch, a game show and a parade etc - it's teeth have lost their sharp edges.
That is not to suggest that I did not enjoy aspects of Squid Game S3. I was intrigued by many of its storylines and characters. I appreciated that, amid all the nihilistic brutality and violence there is a glimmer of hope. Hope that we still have the power to make good choices. That all is not lost.
Meanwhile, the show’s central "message" remains important and there are moments of genuine emotion.
I am just not sad that this story is over. It was fine while it lasted but I'm done. And, according to reports, this is the end of the Squid Game story. I wouldn't be so sure... that Netflix piggybank may prove too tempting to resist.
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