5 Things We Want to See in Squid Game Season 3

With Squid Game Season 2 only weighing in at seven episodes, it was obvious that we’d be left on a cliffhanger. That sucks, but it does leave plenty of room for speculation. So. here are some things we absolutely want to see in Squid Game‘s third and final season.

In-ho Returns From the Dark Side

Without a doubt, Lee Byung-hun’s In-ho was the star of Squid Game Season 2. Entering the game as the new Player 001, effortlessly earning Gi-hun’s trust while downplaying his own skills at the right moments, all before committing the ultimate act of betrayal at the very end, In-ho stole every scene he was in.

Despite his heinous acts as the Front Man, however, Lee’s portrayal of the character has made it abundantly clear that there’s still some semblance of hope for In-ho. While he may have initially intended to just keep a closer eye on Gi-hun and try to understand his motivations, every so often, we’d see In-ho stare at him for just a beat longer, as if wondering if Gi-hun’s naivety could actually bring a stop to the games.

Squid Game Season 2 also gave us a lot more insight into In-ho’s backstory and his relationship with Jun-ho; all of this is primo material and set up for an epic redemption arc in Season 3. To be clear, I don’t expect In-ho to survive the third season, but I would be surprised if there wasn’t some last-minute turnaround or sacrifice that would help redeem the character.

A Redemption Arc for No. 11

Speaking of redemption arcs, No. 11 (AKA No-eul) was one of the most compelling new characters introduced in Season 2. From what we’ve seen so far, I’m a lot more optimistic about her chances of survival and a proper redemption arc going into Season 3.

She’s looking for her daughter across the border, and she’s shown kindness and sympathy for Player 246’s terminally ill daughter. Not only that, despite the fact that she’s working as one of the masked shooters of the games, she’s going out of her way to stop her colleagues from illegally harvesting the organs of the eliminated players.

No. 11 has a very strong sense of right and wrong, even if the path she’s currently on is a dark one. If that doesn’t scream “REDEMPTION ARC” in bright neon lettering, I don’t know what does.

Justice for Player 149…

As someone who typically enjoys these death game-style shows for, well, the gruesome deaths, I can’t help but root for Player 149. She’s a tough old woman who doesn’t have any debt but is only in the games to help her son clear his own crippling debts. Player 149 is an incredibly sympathetic character because of how kind-hearted and open-minded she is (particularly in her interactions with Player 120), but I’m also smart enough at this point to recognize that the likable and clearly good characters like her don’t tend to live very long. In fact, I’m surprised she even survived Season 2.

She still has a huge role to play in Season 3 due to her intertwining connections with so many different players in the games, and I want to see her survive. I just don’t think her chances are all that great.

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…And a Terrible Death for Player 044

Alright, now that I’m done being a softie, let’s get back to the violence and gore!

Out of all the newly introduced “bad” characters in Season 2, Player 044 might very well be the worst one. She appears to be a shaman of some sort, and initially, I thought she’d add an interesting layer to the dynamics of Season 2. However, that hasn’t really worked out so far.

It seems that the show just wants her to fill the Annoying Older Lady archetype, and that’s a pretty tall order, especially when we already had such a strong Annoying Older Lady in Mi-nyeo back in Season 1. Mi-nyeo was incredibly annoying — don’t get me wrong — but she still had great scenes showcasing her moral grayness, including helping Sae-byeok climb up the vents in the bathroom, while also quickly turning on her allies in the next moment to team up with the stronger men.

Player 044 feels shallow in comparison, and at this point, I’m just looking forward to her demise.

The VIPs Get Taken Down

Part of what made Squid Game so compelling was its dismal, depressing, if realistic, conclusion. Gi-hun made it out with the money, but at what cost? Nothing about the world has changed. The rich are still getting richer, and the poor are still being preyed on and dehumanized. It’s what made Squid Game so good.

And yet, I find myself hoping for a brighter, more optimistic outcome in Season 3. The VIPs played a key role in the ending of Season 1, giving us some insight into what makes these games tick and why they exist in the first place. We didn’t get to see them at all in Season 2, but you can bet they’ll be back for the last couple of games, and it’ll be interesting to see how Gi-hun rallies against them in the finale.

Again, I know the chances of this happening are slim, but I want some semblance of a happy ending, dammit. I’d even be fine if the outcome is bittersweet. The games end, but there’s no coming back for In-ho and some of the other more likable players. I’m just hoping for a little bit of closure for Gi-hun once it’s all said and done.

Squid Game is now streaming on Netflix.