Squid Game Series-Finale Recap: Game Over

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Towards the end of the first season of “Squid Game“, Gi-hun calls the game’s recruitment number from the airport. He emphasizes, “Pay attention, I’m not an animal, I’m a person.” His curiosity is piqued about who is behind this game and how they can inflict such cruelty on people. After In-ho suggests he should board his flight to see his daughter, Gi-hun turns around with a vengeful look. Three years in the show’s timeline, two seasons, and a failed rebellion later, Gi-hun has been unable to stop the game from treating the poor as if they are animals used for entertainment by the wealthy (there are both literal and figurative connections — the tokens In-ho uses to represent the players are shaped like horses, the game of Mingle had players spinning like carousel horses, and horse races can be seen as six-legged races when considering the limbs of the animal and jockey). In the series finale, Gi-hun utilizes his final act of defiance to save a life and reiterate his opposition to the dehumanization of players.

Only one round remains in the final game, and after crossing the bridge ahead, Myung-gi takes out a pole and demands that Gi-hun remain on the other tower and surrender the baby. This implies that Myung-gi might have to sacrifice himself or the baby without saying his intentions clearly. However, he makes it clear that he would rather all three of them perish than let Gi-hun cross. Despite offering to be eliminated in the next round, Gi-hun’s actions are met with suspicion by Myung-gi. His sanity seems questionable; he hints at an intimate relationship between Gi-hun and Jun-hee. As time ticks down before the bridge vanishes, Gi-hun places the baby aside and withdraws. He takes a knife from Player 203’s corpse as Myung-gi holds his child for the first time. When the bridge begins to retract, Gi-hun leaps onto the pillar.

In simpler terms, Gi-hun believes that Myung-gi shouldn’t be allowed to stay on the pillar with the baby because it aligns with Jun-hee’s wishes, who made it clear she didn’t want Myung-gi in the baby’s life. A disagreement ensues between them, and Gi-hun gains control when Myung-gi loses his pole. In desperation, Myung-gi uses his own child as a bargaining tool, threatening to drop her if Gi-hun comes near. He cries out that he would indeed do it. This act of endangering the baby is enough for custody rights to be revoked, even if he was bluffing. In the heat of the moment, Myung-gi stabs Gi-hun with a knife, causing them both to fall off the edge. However, Gi-hun manages to grab onto a bar on the pillar, while Myung-gi clings to him by his tattered jacket. On the brink of letting go, Gi-hun maintains his grip until the jacket tears and sends Myung-gi to his death, choosing not to act out in anger as he had done before when he killed Dae-ho.

In this scenario, Gi-hun climbs up onto a pillar, as neither him nor Myung-gi have activated the start of the game yet, so Myung-gi’s fate doesn’t lead to elimination. With just two lives left – his own and the baby’s – he makes the decision to press the button. Now, he has only 10 minutes to make a move.

In the room of the Front Man, events unfold as she watches. Earlier in the storyline, she had burned the files meant for Gyeong-seok and other participants, then read her own file. Overwhelmed by its contents—that her spouse was executed and her child deceased—she points a gun at her chin, but freezes when she hears an infant crying. Gi-hun lifts the baby, his eyes moistening, and plants a kiss on the baby’s forehead before holding it close to his chest and setting it back down on a support beam. For once, the VIP spectators remain silent, lowering their binoculars as they comprehend that Gi-hun won’t be attempting to become the first repeat winner.

Gi-hun states emphatically, “We’re not animals, we’re humans.” He struggles to find the words, implying that humans have a unique quality that sets them apart. In an extraordinary act of human compassion, he throws himself backwards with his arms spread wide. A father who had been distant is now giving up his life for someone else’s child. No-eul hesitates and pulls her finger away from the trigger as she weeps, while In-ho’s reaction remains concealed for the moment.

Following Gi-hun’s fall, n-ho receives word that the Coast Guard is nearing the island. He commands an immediate evacuation, causing all monitors in the control room to display “GAME OVER”. Additionally, he presses a red button initiating a 30-minute timer.

Thanks to Jun-ho’s information, the Coast Guard is en route because he provided them with the location of his ship. Gyeong-seok, who Jun-ho has verified as a participant, continues on board with Kim, while Jun-ho and his scuba equipment have ventured off alone towards the island. With his prior knowledge of the island, Jun-ho understands that it’s highly improbable for him to rescue or halt the game singlehandedly. Instead, this decision seems driven by a deeply personal wish to reunite with his brother, as he anticipates his time to act is running out; he will reach the island shortly before the 30-minute timer starts ticking down.

As I step closer to Gi-hun, I gently peel off his Front Man mask, and a wave of emotion nearly chokes me. It’s like I’m standing over my wife’s grave all over again. You see, much like Gi-hun, she was resolute, unyielding in her decisions – even when the odds were against us. Doctors advised her to terminate her pregnancy due to her severe liver condition, but she refused. She wanted to bring our baby into the world, no matter the cost. I’ve always admired that strength, yet it was a force I could never sway.

This time, however, the roles are reversed. In-ho couldn’t convince Gi-hun of his beliefs or guide him down his path. It’s a bittersweet reminder of my own failures – the baby that served as a beacon of hope for my wife, survived in this case. But alas, my attempts to shape Gi-hun were futile, much like they were with my wife. I can only watch him walk away, leaving me with memories and lessons that will forever linger.

In the room of the Lead Character, Jun-ho arrives just as In-ho is near the baby positioned atop a round pillar. Jun-ho discharges his weapon at a screen and then heads to the VIP section, where he smashes the glass to gain In-ho’s notice. He aims his gun at his older brother but doesn’t fire, causing In-ho to turn around. After two dramatic seasons of anticipation, Jun-ho calls out to his sibling with “Why? Why did you do it?” – a line mirroring their last encounter and again left without an answer. Even as In-ho departs with the baby in tow, he doesn’t look back. This scene shows that Jun-ho is seeking explanations In-ho won’t provide, while both brothers seem reluctant to resort to violence. However, considering the boat phone call where In-ho ended their conversation abruptly, this confrontation may feel somewhat underwhelming in terms of new revelations.

She, disguised as the officer she had previously slain, exits with the other military personnel. It’s eerie to observe the bloodstained and riddled locations where the games occurred, now devoid of participants. All that remains are towering dolls and Gi-hun with his glassy-eyed doll replica. As the 30-minute timer reaches its end, the camera focuses closely on fiery detonations mirrored in Gi-hun’s eyes. From the water, Jun-ho gains another perspective of the remains of Squid Game collapsing.

Following a blackout, a figure is shown bursting into the motel room where Gi-hun had stored his leftover Squid Game winnings. The scene then skips ahead six months, with no signs of the Squid Game organization being brought to light or investigated. The rest of the episode focuses on catching up with the characters from the Squid Game universe who are still alive.

A significant number of their decisions revolve around family matters. Initially, No-eul goes to an amusement park where Gyeong-seok sketches her likeness, not realizing why she seems strangely familiar to him. Later, it turns out that his daughter, Na-yeon, is in good health and has changed her strawberry-themed hat for a bowl cut. As No-eul departs the park, her former business associate contacts her to share that her own daughter might have been spotted in China. The next time we find No-eul, she’s at the airport preparing to travel to China in search of her daughter.

Jun-ho, accompanied by Mu-dong, picks up Woo-seok from jail. It’s unclear what work Jun-ho does now, but he seems to be preparing for a new role – fatherhood. The baby has been delivered to his house, although it isn’t clear if he wanted this responsibility. A gold card with prize money and Squid Game items suggest that the game’s organization is still active.

In the same season, No-eul’s intermediary arranges a meeting between Cheol, Sae-byeok’s brother from earlier seasons, and their birth mother from North Korea at the airport. Touched by the delay, she weeps and embraces him warmly. Sang-woo’s mother, who raised Cheol, is also seen shedding tears during the emotional reunion. Simultaneously, In-ho journeys to Los Angeles to deliver Gi-hun’s possessions to his daughter. Initially indifferent about contact from Gi-hun, Ga-yeong (Jenny to her friends in America) expresses no interest in him anymore and seems content with ignoring his existence. However, upon learning that Gi-hun has passed away, she retrieves the Squid Game box he had given her before, revealing inside a bloodstained track jacket of his and a gold card loaded with the remaining winnings from the game, which couldn’t be cleaned, it appears.

It’s important to mention that money plays a significant role in many of these conclusions. For instance, individuals are employed as brokers to assist defectors from North Korea, and it seems as though Gyeong-seok’s coworkers at the amusement park pooled their resources to cover Na-yeon’s medical expenses. Woo-seok envisions transforming Gi-hun’s motel into a new venture while also leveraging debts owed to him for income generation. If capitalism continues to be prevalent, it’s not shocking that Squid Game persists – as the final scene suggests, In-ho isn’t the only one in town who is part of this system.

As In-ho listens to sounds coming from an alleyway, he lowers his car window. To his surprise, it’s none other than the Australian version of The Recruiter – Cate Blanchett – he encounters. She appears to remember In-ho, maintaining intense eye contact for a few moments before resuming her game of ddakji with another individual. Shifting his gaze, In-ho watches as his vehicle departs, leaving behind the echoes of Blanchett’s forceful blows. While some lives may experience upward momentum, under capitalism, others might only find themselves in a cycle of harsh treatment – akin to an endless slap. With this somber reminder, the series Squid Game concludes… for now, but we can anticipate the spin-off hinted at by this cameo.

Parting Shots

At the amusement park, No-eul bears a resemblance to Gi-hun prior to his game entrance, sporting a black cap, green jacket, and a minor wound on her visage. It’s possible this is simply the attire of those facing tough times? Here’s hoping she encounters better days soon. It’d be charming if her daughter and Gyeong-seok’s daughter could become friends.

In every instance where we see close-up shots of the Front Man’s mask, I often ponder whether Lee Byung-hun is still acting beneath it or if he might be taking a nap during the scene. It’s fascinating that even with his mask on, the Front Man seems more expressive than the other masked VIPs whose mouths can still be seen.

Back in 2024, it was announced that a Squid Game adaptation in English, under the title Squid Game: America, was in development at Netflix, helmed by director David Fincher. It seems this production is all set to commence filming in Los Angeles as soon as this December, as per Production Weekly. Given the ongoing success of the Squid Game IP, I can’t help but suspect that these games will keep unfolding for as long as they continue raking in profits. For those who find pleasure in witnessing on-screen struggles, it appears Netflix has identified its Very Important Players (VIPs).

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2025-06-28 22:55