I Screamed So Loud at the ‘Squid Game’ Season 3 Finale that My Husband Had to Come Check on Me

Heading into this season, I had a lot of theories as to what would happen. (One of those—that Player 246/Park Gyeong-seok isn't really dead and is saved by Guard 011/Kang No-eul—occurs within the first thirty seconds of the season.) But naturally, I couldn't wait to find out what would happen to Player 456/Seong Gi-hun.

The first half of the season delivers a dark turn for Gi-hun. He is devastated over the loss of his friend and blames Player 388/Dae-ho for the death, since Dae-ho abandoned the rebellion potentially contributing to their demise. This is an exciting turn of events for Gi-hun, who spent the majority of season two believing the best in people and wanting to save the other players (and any future players) from the Games. Seeing him exact his revenge on Dae-ho during the hide-and-seek game pushes him to a place where we know his fate is sealed: as a character, Gi-hun is now a cold-blooded killer, and he will need to redeem himself—and pay a price for it.

In this way, the rest of the season could be seen as "predictable," but I loved watching Gi-hun come back from the dark side by doing everything in his power to save Player 222/Kim Jun-hee's baby. It's clear to anyone who has ever watched a movie/TV show that Gi-hun will eventually have to make a sacrifice for the baby—but that doesn't make the watch any less thrilling.

In the end, Gi-hun does make that sacrifice and truly "wins" as he proves to the Front Man/Hwang In-ho that we are all humans and that he still believes in humanity. His final words: "Humans are." Boom. Mic drop. Peace out, Front Man. A perfectly imperfect ending for Gi-hun.

One thing I feared heading into season three? That the games would feel stale or repetitive. Or worse, that we wouldn't even get any more games after the foiled rebellion. Fortunately, the final season brought it when it comes to ways to kill players through creative means.

First of all, hide-and-seek was an inspired game, with terrifying twists and surprise alliances forming along the way. It also provided an easy way to get rid of some of the season's villains (though, sadly, we lost a few of our faves along the way as well—RIP Player 120/Hyun-ju). The requirement that certain players murder at least one other player from the opposing team set up a fabulous dynamic where the moral players were forced to make a choice. Some were able to follow through (like the now-morally questionable Player 333/Lee Myung-gi), others were not and suffered as a result. This game also brought us the most heartbreaking moment of the season as Player 149/Jang Geum-ja is forced to stab her own son in the back with her hair pin (more on her unbelievable performance below).

Then, of course, we have jump rope...across a tiny bridge where if you fall you tumble to your death. Cue the creepy music. Again, the game is an entertaining addition but more importantly, it serves as an inflection point for certain characters. Gi-hun is able to save the baby (the first step in his redemption arc). And though Jun-hee's baby daddy does attempt to reconcile with her, he ultimately leaves her when he sees her injured ankle and saves himself (another step in his moral downfall). The drama, y'all!

And finally, we get the last game—the towers, where (as I mentioned) Gi-hun sacrifices himself for the baby, who becomes the ultimate winner of the Squid Games. Twist! Anyone actually have their money on unnamed baby to win the whole thing?

Wow wow wow. Actress Jo Yu-ri, who plays Jun-hee, and actress Kang Ae-shim, who plays Geum-ja, are just spectacular in this season. Give them all the Emmys. Give them all the awards.

Jo breaks your heart over and over as a pregnant mother struggling to survive in the games—and then as a mother willing to do anything to protect her newborn. Her ability to deliver an emotional gut-punch with a single tear is unparalleled in the series.

And don't even get me started on Kang. Her final two episodes are a masterclass in acting. Her reaction after being forced to stab her son in order to save Jun-hee still gives me chills. And then, in the next episode, as she crawls on the floor begging her fellow players to vote to end the game? Just so so so so good.

The men may dominate screentime in the final episodes, but these two women are who I'll be thinking of first when it comes to Squid Game season three. (And who I'll be rooting for come awards season.)

But then there's the moment that made me scream. After tying up a bunch of loose ends and storylines in the final fifteen minutes of the finale, we get the last thirty seconds. In America, the Front Man drives past an alley where there is clearly a new recruiter recruiting a new player for a new American version of the Games. A fun surprise, but not what made me yell.

The camera then zooms in on the face of the recruiter, and it's none other than...Cate Blanchett?! WHAT?!! Such a fun twist. Could this mean an American spinoff (potentially featuring the Oscar winner) is in the works? The show's creator says he doesn't know. But if you asked me to list all the potential endings to Squid Game that I could possibly think of, a cameo from Blanchett never would have entered my mind. A truly fitting twist to end a truly incredible series.

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