The games head to their conclusion.

I dread the final episode of pretty much any series I see these days.

The penultimate show is often where the meat is, but closing down a series is always a toughie, especially in an age where the savvy viewer knows that that last 45-50 minutes is all about twisting the arm of the commissioners for another season, and is rarely satisfying in terms of character or story arc.

So, I’m glad to report that the final third of Squid Game’s nine-episode run was, for this reviewer, an elegantly structured and satisfying affair.

In many ways it pans out pretty much as you would expect having watched the first six parts. Any vaguely TV literate viewer knows where this is going and in that sense nothing that happens is particularly surprising. There’s a twist, of course, but I’d be surprised if many in the audience will be particularly wrongfooted by it. Where Squid Game distinguishes itself is in using its final act to move beyond the nuts and bolts of how and who will die in its deadly game, and to play out the emotional consequences of the ordeal in a mature and measured way.

This takes us into challenging territory, reminiscent of Walter White, in Breaking Bad, confessing to Skyler that he used his cancer as an excuse to justify his actions. The truth was something far more personal, ambivalent, nuanced and ultimately believable.  By emulating this, Squid Game creates a satisfying story engine to drive us forward ensuring that whatever gruesome calamari capers we encounter will be character driven and not simply a lazy excuse for more gore.

I’m already looking forward to it, so hopefully Netflix will confirm a recommission very soon. 9/10

Martin Jameson