“There were no expectations..”- Squid Game creator finally responds to the show's low Rotten Tomatoes

Squid Game Season 3 premiered on Netflix on June 27, and it has been a whirlwind of emotions for the viewers who are being introduced to the ending of a show that they've followed for so long and had great expectations from. This Korean drama experienced unexpected global resonance from the first season, owing much of it to the shocking and fearful reality it seemed to present in a dystopian setting.

Therefore, it comes as a surprise that the final season of the show has less than an 80% critic score and only a 50% audience score at Rotten Tomatoes. The Season 3 ending has faced a lot of backlash owing to its controversial storyline, and in a conversation with Korea Times, the creator talks about the ending's reception.

Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk talks about the divisive finale

The Squid Game Season 3's controversial ending, where none of the players, not even Player 456, except a few-day-old baby, survive the final game, has led to an extremely divided reaction from the audience. The Rotten Tomatoes 50% audience score for this season, as opposed to an 84% score for Season 1, goes to show just how divisive the reception is.

Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk talks about this divisiveness, explaining that Season 1 had a lot of unexpected shock factor, which seemed to work in favor of the show but also created a lot of expectations for the subsequent seasons on a global level. He goes on to explain that many viewers expected a satisfactory and digestible ending from the show, which might've led to the divisiveness.

"There were no expectations for Season 1. There was shock and freshness. But for Seasons 2 and 3, there were already expectations and everyone has different things they want from it. Some expect excitement from the games, while others expect social messages. Because these expectations are different, I think there will be a variety of reactions, with some feeling satisfied and others feeling let down, no matter what comes out."

He further went on to defend his version of the Squid Game Season 3 ending, explaining that his goal for the show was not to provide entertainment but to bring forth a picture of economic inequality and all the ways that this generation is failing in leaving behind a better world for the next one to live in. According to him, this project needed to stay true to its message, and in a world where the lives of ordinary people are getting worse by the day, he couldn't tell a story with entertainment and a digestible ending:

"Because ultimately, this project is about the world we live in. Economic inequality has worsened since I made Season 1, the lives of ordinary people have become more difficult and wars show no signs of ending. Yet, people seem to lack the ability or will to fix this situation. It feels like a truly more bleak future is coming and I thought I needed to tell that story, which led me to devise the current ending."

The Squid Game star, Lee Jung-jae, who was Player 456 on the show, echoed the creator's statements in another conversation with The Korea Times:

"Mixed reactions are inevitable for any project. Especially with 'Squid Game,' it wasn't just a project that pursued simple entertainment. Each episode had a clear message it aimed to convey. I believe it's natural for strong messages to be followed by diverse interpretations and debates."

At the end of the day, the Squid Game creator aimed to spark a conversation through this project, and he ended it in hopes of continuing an extremely important conversation, with a spark of hope through the baby's survival in a world desecrated by humanity:

"The younger generation today seems to feel a sense of resignation, thinking there’s no bright future for them. How would a world where future generations have lost hope continue on? So, I think of the baby as our future. I believe we have a duty to pass it on to the next generation in a state that’s not worse than before."

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