Squid Game Season 3’s Struggle with Repetitive Voting and How It Tried to Avoid It

Be advised: Major plot points from the anticipated Squid Game season 3 may be revealed!

The most significant alteration in Squid Game season 2 compared to the original games presented an intricate challenge, a hurdle that season 3 ingeniously sought to bypass. The narrative of Squid Game season 2 revolved around Gi-hun reentering the iconic games with the aim of permanently halting them. This plotline involved collaborating with fresh characters within the realm of Squid Game, striving to rescue as many lives as feasible.

In addition to significant alterations in the overall structure of the competition, it’s worth noting that the games were no longer identical to previous seasons, with only Red Light, Green Light remaining unchanged. Furthermore, Squid Game’s third season continued to innovate by introducing fresh challenges for its participants. However, a crucial shift in presentation marked season 2 and persisted throughout the final episodes, extending into the later installments of the series.

The Voting After Every Game Was Great For Squid Game Thematically, But Terrible For Its Pacing

A Great Concept For The Story With Mixed Execution

In Season 2, players were given the option to decide at the end of each match whether to proceed or not. This aspect was a part of the Front Man’s strategy aimed at breaking Gi-hun. He wanted to demonstrate that individuals often choose what seems most beneficial to them, even if it jeopardizes others’ safety.

In the context of the series, it was consistent because all the Front Man’s actions seemed designed to weaken the main character. This is evident even in the finale of Squid Game season 2, where he swiftly quelled Gi-hun’s uprising and eliminated Jung-bae. The voting process was a crucial part of this broader strategy aimed at intellectually subduing him.

Instead of this, the sequence of events led to prolonged, detailed discussions about voting options among characters, which worked fine for the initial vote as it was a new element in the game. However, repeating such extensive details for each subsequent vote seemed to slow down the narrative’s pace significantly.

In season 2 of Squid Game, despite it being evident what would transpire, the voting process persisted after every contest. It was captivating to witness the characters change allegiances from Xs to Os, but this continuous voting also led certain episodes to lag in specific aspects, making the pace seem slower when a more compact narrative could have been achieved.

By The End Of Squid Game Season 3, They Were Struggling With Not Making The Voting Repetitive

The Show Felt Like It Needed To Justify Showing Everyone Vote

As a passionate film enthusiast, I found myself grappling with a familiar rhythm of pacing in the voting sequences during season 3 of “Squid Game.” Just like in season 2, each vote was meticulously detailed, shedding light on intriguing aspects such as Gi-hun’s inability to vote due to his role in the uprising and characters continually changing allegiances. However, as the votes progressed, they started to feel remarkably similar, leaving me yearning for a bit more variety or unexpected twists to keep the tension high and the suspense palpable.

In the games depicted in Squid Game season 3, it appeared as though the series was attempting to explain why every single vote was shown repeatedly. This justification was reinforced by making the consequences of each game directly connected to the vote, such as when Jun-hee’s baby became the new Player 222 prior to Sky Squid Game.

Through highlighting each vote, however, the series found it challenging to avoid making these instances seem monotonous. While underlining Gi-hun’s inability to cast a vote during the initial two rounds was crucial, it didn’t significantly alter the beliefs of other players. They remained steadfast in their convictions, which made certain scenes feel even more repetitive and foreseeable.

In the later rounds of the Squid Game, when most of Gi-hun’s key allies had perished, the votes felt particularly bleak. Even though the deaths in Season 3 were significant, having no more allies left for Gi-hun at the end made the voting process seem futile. Furthermore, it also gave the impression that the voting was unnecessarily prolonging an inevitable outcome.

Squid Game Had To Cut Through Voting Rounds To Avoid Taking Up Too Much More Time

An Approach To The Votes That Helped Make Them Feel Less Repetitive

Fortunately, season 3 managed to streamline the recurring moments better than season 2 did. Rather than dwelling excessively on vote counts, season 3 condensed the votes and essential scenes into a brisker pace, which enabled the series to concentrate on significant game elements without forgoing voting altogether.

Instead of merely depicting characters voting, the key portions of these episodes delved into the intense debates about the decisions to be made. A significant aspect of these discussions revolved around the financial aspirations of each character, highlighting the growing tension between their beliefs as the circumstances grew increasingly critical.

Furthermore, it highlighted engaging discussions about the lengths some players were willing to justify in order to persist. This became particularly evident during the final vote, as they decided that continuing the games and attempting to harm Jun-hee’s unborn child was acceptable due to the substantial rewards awaiting all the surviving contestants at the end.

In the last season of Squid Game, although repetitive elements were still present, the series skillfully minimized the impact on pacing by presenting results swiftly and engaging in intriguing discussions about the direction of each vote during each round.

All episodes of Squid Game season 3 are now streaming on Netflix.

2025-07-05 13:58