Warning! This article contains spoilers for Squid Game season 3.
Squid Gameseason 3’s ending failed to please all viewers, but the show’s returning Netflix replacement has the opportunity to learn from its mistakes and avoid receiving a similar divisive reception. Ever sinceSquid Gameseason 3 landed on Netflix, many viewers have expressed their disappointment with its ending.
While some have also praised it for its ability to maintain a sense of unpredictability up till its final moments, many have been questioning whether the show could have had a better conclusive arc. Regardless of what one thinks aboutSquid Game season 3’s ending, its final arc does seem to have some issues.
It may be too late forSquid Gameto rectify these problems since the show, for now, has ended for good. However,Squid Game’s Netflix replacement, which is scheduled to return later this year, can avoid having the same narrative issues by learning from the Korean show’s ending mistakes.
Squid Game Season 3’s Ending Mistakes Can Be Lessons For Alice In Borderland’s Final Installment
Like Squid Game, Alice In Borderland Is Ending Its Run With Season 3
Even thoughAlice in Borderlandseason 2’s endingwas fairly conclusive, Netflix surprisingly decided to continue the show’s run with another installment.Alice in Borderlandpremiered on Netflix in December 2020, almost nine months beforeSquid Gamelanded on the streamer and became a global hit.
Despite this,Alice in Borderlandis ending afterSquid Game,with its final installment scheduled to come out sometime in September 2025. By releasing afterSquid Gameseason 3,Alice in Borderland’s third installment has the perfect opportunity to learn from theNetflix Korean show’s mistakes and avoid repeating the same.
Since many viewers were not happy with Gi-hun’s death inSquid Game,Alice in Borderlandcan avoid killing off Arisu in its final arc.Audiences have also complained about the abrupt and undeserving deaths of many other prominent characters, like Jun-hee and Hyun-ju, inSquid Game’s final arc.
Alice in Borderlandcan ensure that if some of its beloved main characters die, they at least get honorable and emotionally resonant send-offs.
Given how bothSquid GameandAlice in Borderlandare known for taking a no-holds-barred approach towards character deaths, many main players from the Japanese manga adaptation will also likely die in the final season. However,Alice in Borderlandcan ensure that if some of its beloved main characters die, they at least get honorable and emotionally resonant send-offs.
Alice In Borderland Season 3 Is At An Even Greater Risk Of Dividing Audiences
It Is Extending Far Beyond Its Source Material
Like most manga adaptations,Alice in Borderlandtakes many creative liberties in seasons 1 and 2. At the same time, however, it still captures its source material’s essence by adopting its primary story elements and character beats. Owing to this,Alice in Borderlandseason 2’s ending roughly aligns with the final arc of Haro Aso’s original manga.
With season 3,Alice in Borderlandis extending far beyond its source material andtaking the massive risk of adopting original storylines in its final season. Considering how this makes the show’s final installment a lot more unpredictable, the Netflix series could benefit from this in more ways than one.
At the same time, though, ifAlice in Borderlandseason 3 comes off as a forced, unnecessary extension of the original manga’s lore, many viewers would be furious about the show’s return. Hopefully, unlikeSquid Gameseason 3,Alice in Borderland’s upcoming season will be far less divisive and in tandem with its previous installments' thematic and narrative core.
Squid Game
Squid Game is a South Korean series released in 2021 that follows numerous financially struggling participants who are invited to partake in children’s games with deadly outcomes. As they compete, they vie for a substantial cash prize, all while navigating lethal challenges orchestrated by mysterious figures.
Alice in Borderland
Cast
Alice in Borderland follows a video-game enthusiast and his two friends who find themselves transported to an alternate Tokyo. There, they must participate in perilous games for survival.
