“Squid Recreation” season 3 concluded the collection on a reasonably bleak be aware. Not solely did Detective Jun-ho by no means handle to close down the video games (and even a lot as make a dent within the operation), however the video games themselves ended poorly for 99.56% of the gamers concerned. Of the 456 individuals who took half within the sport, solely two survived. One was Participant 256 (who was discreetly rescued by sympathetic guard Kang No-eul) and the opposite was Participant 222, a cute CGI child. Even our fundamental character Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) died ultimately. He sacrificed himself with a view to save 222’s life, throwing himself off a ledge after a season filled with ache.
It is a darkish finale, but it surely wasn’t at all times the writers’ plan for Gi-hun. As showrunner Hwang Dong-hyuk defined in a latest interview, he was initially occupied with preserving Gi-Hun alive all through all the collection. That does not essentially imply, nonetheless, that Dong-hyuk was planning to have Gi-hun throw poor child 222 off that big triangle. As he defined:
“I did take into consideration having Gi-hun stay. I considered an ending the place Gi-hun would make it out of the sport in a technique or one other, and he would go to America to see his daughter. However within the strategy of writing it, I had a change of coronary heart. I assumed what story do I wish to inform by the present? Additionally, I checked out what was occurring around the globe on the time and the way there was much less hope for humanity. I considered Gi-hun sacrificing himself for this child, simply as all of us ought to for our future era. That was a better-fitting ending for each the present and the character.”
The finale could also be darkish, however Hwang Dong-hyuk has discovered the sunshine in it
Whereas followers actually wished Gi-Hun to outlive the video games in a single piece, Dong-hyuk finds his destiny inspiring. Not solely is Gi-Hun’s last act a noble one, however his sacrifice positively impacts the lives of a number of individuals round him. Even these annoying VIPs appear moved by his determination; it forces them to mirror (no less than for a second) on their very own depravity, and for as soon as none of them appear to have something to say.
Kang No-eul particularly is moved by Gi-Hun’s alternative. She’s about to finish her personal life till she sees him sacrifice himself, and that is what conjures up her to maintain on residing. Dong-hyuk famous that No-eul (whose title represents “nightfall”) is somebody who has been caught residing with “deep unhappiness and guilt that she wasn’t in a position to save her child.” She redeems herself by saving Participant 246, but it surely’s not till seeing Gi-hun’s loss of life that she’s prepared to rekindle hope that personal her little one would possibly nonetheless be alive in North Korea.
“I wished her to be somebody who goes past what occurs at nightfall and as soon as once more begins to dream of a brand new day,” Dong-hyuk mentioned. He added:
“The symbolism behind kids (within the present), it is not simply concerning the organic little one of 1 character, however I wished that to represent any type of hope we might have for the longer term in addition to our will to stay. … I wished to painting this message the place all of those characters and whoever is watching are dreaming of what is to come back sooner or later.”
By sacrificing himself, Gi-hun received the ethical battle in opposition to In-ho
Dong-hyuk famous that In-ho, the sport’s ominous Entrance Man, was additionally moved by Gi-hun’s last moments. He and Gi-hun have spent the previous two seasons locked in a battle of ideologies. The optimistic Gi-hun believes that individuals are value defending, whereas the bitter, hardened In-ho believes that people are inherently monstrous and self-serving.
All through most of “Squid Recreation” season 3, it certain looks as if In-ho’s been confirmed proper. Gi-hun’s rise up falls aside, all the opposite gamers find yourself killing one another, and even the infant 222’s personal father is prepared to throw him off a cliff if it means saving his personal pores and skin. However Gi-hun will get the ultimate phrase by sacrificing himself. He refuses to take the straightforward, self-serving route that In-ho took to outlive his personal time within the video games. As Dong-hyuk put it:
“By sacrificing himself, Gi-hun’s actions have positively touched one thing in In-ho’s coronary heart, possibly a really small sliver of hope that he had hidden deep down in his coronary heart. I additionally suppose it could have triggered some disgrace in him, as a result of that (sacrifice) was one thing he wasn’t in a position to do for himself. With the gaming enviornment in Korea being fully ruined and seeing this child who made it out of the sport, there was an enormous change throughout the Entrance Man, and I believe that was triggered and led to by Gi-hun’s actions. I wished that to be what the viewers feels as nicely.”
