Probably preaching to the choir but...so many plot holes, pointless, boring, wasted characters, blown opportunities, and an obvious cash grab. My rant (spoilers):
Reading now. This truth of yours gave me chills: "Beneath the spectacle of the games lies a thesis far more terrifying than death itself: that humans, when reduced to desperation, will either destroy one another or die trying not to." Thank you.
As for my premise, your essay counters almost everything I wrote well, except...this is a show, entertainment, and as such, it wasn't. It seemed a cash grab, especially in light of news that the American version starts filming in Dec. Also, as a k-drama fan, these shows are notorious for failing to wrap up any semblance of an ending, outside of "Squid Game 3." It's like they ran out of time and are rushing through some conclusion that wants to be both noir and sitcom.
If season three continues to follow reality, then it did a poor job IMO. If you follow reality or fantasy, common sense and structure and follow-through still matter.
Season one was always meant to stand alone. We can see that in season three. Season one stood on its own for exactly the reasons you laid out, the bad guys get away and the good guys do the best they can and the ending is open-ended.
I added your link and additional comments at the end. Thank you for making me think.
I love this take! I think the reveal at the end of there being a US spin-off is very much so a double edged sword; on one hand, it absolutely does feel like a cash grab, but isn't that what Squid Game is? A chance at grabbing cash? (Makes you think - are we the players in this situation?), and on the other hand, it reinforces the idea that inequality, and the exploitation of the poor, exists EVERYWHERE, no matter what! Even if Gi-Hun miraculously took down the games and got justice, who is to say that this would change the world? Reality is, it probably won't!
https://thelastchord.substack.com/p/humans-are
Reading now. This truth of yours gave me chills: "Beneath the spectacle of the games lies a thesis far more terrifying than death itself: that humans, when reduced to desperation, will either destroy one another or die trying not to." Thank you.
As for my premise, your essay counters almost everything I wrote well, except...this is a show, entertainment, and as such, it wasn't. It seemed a cash grab, especially in light of news that the American version starts filming in Dec. Also, as a k-drama fan, these shows are notorious for failing to wrap up any semblance of an ending, outside of "Squid Game 3." It's like they ran out of time and are rushing through some conclusion that wants to be both noir and sitcom.
If season three continues to follow reality, then it did a poor job IMO. If you follow reality or fantasy, common sense and structure and follow-through still matter.
Season one was always meant to stand alone. We can see that in season three. Season one stood on its own for exactly the reasons you laid out, the bad guys get away and the good guys do the best they can and the ending is open-ended.
I added your link and additional comments at the end. Thank you for making me think.
I love this take! I think the reveal at the end of there being a US spin-off is very much so a double edged sword; on one hand, it absolutely does feel like a cash grab, but isn't that what Squid Game is? A chance at grabbing cash? (Makes you think - are we the players in this situation?), and on the other hand, it reinforces the idea that inequality, and the exploitation of the poor, exists EVERYWHERE, no matter what! Even if Gi-Hun miraculously took down the games and got justice, who is to say that this would change the world? Reality is, it probably won't!
Good point, and I fell for it. Sigh.
Btw, that last paragraph…could be a poem. I swooned reading your writing. I don’t normally find such exquisite writers like you.
This is so truly nice of you and means so much. Thank you.