By Jenny Harshtrop, Cinephile Quarterly
The weight of the world’s most-watched series rests on Hwang Dong-hyuk’s shoulders – and it cost him several teeth. As Squid Game’s final season explodes onto Netflix, the creator reflects on six years of obsession, Gi-hun’s sacrificial end, and the haunting future teased by a certain Oscar winner’s cameo.
“For the past six years, there hasn’t been a single day that went by without me thinking about Squid Game,” Hwang confesses, his voice heavy with the exhaustion and triumph of concluding Netflix’s global phenomenon. “This is something that has completely consumed me.” The physical toll was brutal: multiple teeth lost to stress, a testament to the pressure of sticking the landing on a dystopian saga that mirrored our darkest societal fractures.
Gi-hun’s Swan Song: Sacrifice in the Arena
True to his word, Hwang delivers a definitive, gut-wrenching end to Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae). The reluctant hero, who rose from debtor to victor to revolutionary, meets his fate not in triumph, but in sacrifice. To save the newborn child of fellow player Jun-hee (Jo Yu-ri) – whose parents both perished in the Games – Gi-hun lays down his life. In a chilling twist, the infant inherits its mother’s Player 222 mantle and wins the next iteration of the Games.
“The biggest challenge was how far I wanted to throw Gi-hun down the pit, and then from where I make him rise again,” Hwang reveals, unpacking Gi-hun’s descent into guilt-fueled violence in Season 3. “He commits an irreconcilable original sin… depicting how he comes back from that was the biggest challenge.” The baby, Hwang explains, isn’t just a plot device: “It represents the future generation for whom we need to fix the way we are.“
- The Final Play: Hwang Dong-hyuk Bids Farewell to ‘Squid Game’ and Its Bleak, Hopeful Legacy
By Jenny Harshtrop, Cinephile Quarterly The weight of the world’s most-watched series rests on Hwang Dong-hyuk’s shoulders – and it cost him several teeth. As Squid […]
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Mirror to a Fractured World
Hwang’s critique of capitalism sharpened in the final seasons. The introduction of player voting (“Os vs. Xs”) – where desperate souls consistently vote to continue the lethal games – serves as a scalding indictment of modern polarization.
“Elections have always put a divide among people… but these days, conflict is becoming more extremist,” Hwang observes, citing populism, AI-generated fake news, and algorithmic echo chambers. “It’s ‘I’m right, and all of you are wrong.’ I wanted to reflect these current events.“
The VIPs, once shadowy figures, also step into the spotlight. “In the past, they were veiled… now, they reveal themselves as the ones in power,” Hwang notes, drawing parallels to rising anti-oligarchy movements. Their grotesque revelry underscores the series’ central horror: the commodification of human suffering.
Spinoffs, Secrets, and Cate Blanchett’s Bombshell
Despite rumors of David Fincher developing an English-language spinoff, Hwang insists his story is complete. “The story ended where it doesn’t need further telling.” If he were to revisit this world, he’d explore the gap between Seasons 1 and 2, not continue forward.
The finale’s jaw-dropper, however, is Cate Blanchett’s uncredited cameo as the Recruiter for an American Squid Game. It’s a masterstroke – a bleak nod to the Games’ cyclical nature and a tantalizing franchise tease. Netflix remains silent, but the implication is clear: the nightmare is exportable.
The Agony and Ecstasy of Creation
Hwang’s relief is palpable now that the secrets are out. “I constantly checked for leaks and fake news… People begged, ‘Just say yes or no!’” He admits feeling “a sense of loss… quite empty” after living with Gi-hun for six years, but hopes fan love will ease the farewell.
Production-wise, the visceral “Jump Rope” game became a character itself. “It wasn’t hard to write, but one of the harder ones to film,” Hwang recalls. “We needed everyone jumping in sync, massive CGI for height, complex sound design… it required all five senses.“
The Final Message from Squid Game: Bleakness Tempered by Hope
Hwang leaves us with duality: crushing despair (Gi-hun’s death, Blanchett’s expansion) and fragile hope (the baby’s survival). It’s a fitting end for a series that held a mirror to our collective desperation and resilience. As Hwang poignantly puts it: “If season three is met with as much love as season one… I’ll feel less empty about saying goodbye.“
Squid Game’s final season is streaming now. Its legacy? A brutal, brilliant exploration of humanity’s price – and the children who might inherit a better world.
Key Quotes from Hwang:
- “Conflict from elections is becoming more extremist. It’s ‘I’m right, and all of you are wrong.’“
- “The VIPs used to be veiled. Now, they reveal themselves as the ones in power.“
- “The baby represents the future generation for whom we need to fix the world.“
- “Gi-hun commits an irreconcilable original sin. Bringing him back was the challenge.“
- “Jump Rope required all five senses. It was agony to film.”