Upamanyu Biswas
After surviving the various trials set before them, the final episode of ‘Squid Game‘ season 3, titled ‘Humans Are…,’ centers on the battle between Gi-Hun and Myung-Gi, as the two adults try to emerge victorious in the game’s final round with the life of Jun-Hee’s baby hanging in the balance. In the penultimate episode, we saw Myung-Gi and Gi-Hun find a way to eliminate the remaining competitors, either through manipulative tactics, inventive methods, or fighting to lay a claim on their personal survival. Although the duo seem to be on the same side, their allegiances are tested because Jun-Hee’s baby and the exorbitant cash prize are part of the equation. At the same time, Detective Jun-Ho Hwang and Kim edge closer to finding the island after stumbling across a fleeing Park Gyeong-Seok and saving him from the pursuing guards. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Gi-Hun and Myung-Gi Settle in For a Final Confrontation
The finale begins with Detective Hwang and Kim boarding Park Gyeong-Seok’s boat and questioning him about his factional loyalties, especially after seeing him dressed in the guards’ uniform. However, Gyeong-Seok assures them that he is merely a player escaping the island. Subsequently, he provides the duo what they are looking for – the whereabouts of the island. Inside the complex, we continue the final game as Gi-Hun, Myung-Gi, and Jun-Hee’s baby are the only three contestants remaining while fresh corpses lie around them. As a bridge extends towards the final island, the players are urged to move towards that platform to trigger the last round. However, sensing an opportunity, Myung-Gi gets on the bridge first and forces Gi-Hun and the baby to stay away by pointing the pole at them.
Myung-Gi asks the protagonist to hand the baby to him, back away from the bridge, or risk dying pointlessly. Gi-Hun realizes that Myung-Gi plans to eliminate him and then kill the baby during the last round so that he can emerge as the sole victor of the game. This starkly contrasts Gi-Hun’s plan; he wishes to be the eliminated player in the last round. Elsewhere, Na-Eul pours alcohol over the archived files on Park Gyeong-Seok before lighting it on fire. As she walks away, she notices a file pertaining to her. While flipping through its pages, she finds an image of her own child, which brings her to tears. Meanwhile, Gi-Hun decides to accept Myung-Gi’s demands and hands over the baby to him. However, as the bridge starts to retract, Player 456 takes out a knife from a nearby corpse before leaping onto the final platform, confronting Myung-Gi directly.
Gi-Hun Makes a Selfless Choice to Reinforce Everyone’s Faith in Humanity
Gi-Hun and Myung-Gi start fighting on the platform, ignoring the calls to begin the round by pressing the button. Instead, they engage one another in a messy hand-to-hand brawl, which ends with Gi-Hun holding the knife and Myung-Gi threatening to drop Jun-Hee’s baby from the platform. Seeing no other option, the protagonist releases the knife and backs away. This allows his opponent to come after him with the knife instead. However, Gi-Hun is prepared for that eventuality and uses his coat as a protection. They fall down the sides during the scuffle, Gi-Hun holding onto the edge for dear life while Myung-Gi desperately clings to his coat. Gi-Hun tries his best to keep Myung-Gi alive, but the coat rips apart, and he plummets to his death.
With no one else standing in his way, victory seems assured for Gi-Hun. The VIPs expect he will be the first to win the games twice. Out at sea, Detective Hwang and Kim are jubilant to see the Coast Guard arrive in full force, making it viable for them to infiltrate the complex. At the same time, Na-Eul sits down on a couch and points the gun at her head, seemingly content to die now that her work is done. Meanwhile, everyone waits with bated breath for Gi-Hun to kill the baby and emerge as the victor. However, he embraces the child one last time before standing up and walking towards the edge. As everyone watches in stunned silence, Gi-Hun says, “We are not horses. We are humans. Humans are…” before throwing himself off the cliff. Watching Gi-Hun’s sacrifice on the TV screen, Na-Eul changes her mind and stops herself from pulling the trigger.
The Games Come to an Explosive End
Na-Eul isn’t the only one affected by Gi-Hun’s sacrifice as we witness the Front Man (In-Ho) seemingly lost in thought after witnessing the selflessness of the protagonist. He watches Player 456’s number go off on the control room floor before ordering everyone to evacuate before the Coast Guard gets here. As he walks away, a giant GAME OVER symbol washes over proceedings. In-Ho enters the final game arena, observing Gi-Hun’s dead body on the hard floor, a content expression on his face. This also confirms that Gi-Hun has passed away in concrete terms. Subsequently, In-Ho moves to the top of the final pillar, taking Jun-Hee’s baby in his arms. Detective Hwang, who infiltrated the facility moments ago, arrives on the scene and tries to stop In-Ho. However, the latter descends down the platform with the baby and out of Hwang’s reach.
Once the entire facility is evacuated, an eerie silence falls over the complex. The timer eventually ticks to zero before an explosion rocks through the complex, destroying any evidence of its existence. Hwang manages to escape in time by diving underwater. He sees the bomb go off on the island while the coast guard ship edges towards the target. However, considering the damage already done, it is unlikely that anything fruitful will come out of the investigation. Subsequently, we see a cryptic scene of a man walking through a dark hallway and opening a door to uncover the stacks of money that once belonged to Gi-Hun.
Na-Eul and Hwang Receive Surprises
Six months later, we see Na-Eul sitting down for a portrait by Park Gyeong-Seok, who does not recognize that she was the guard who freed him. However, he senses that they have met before, even though he can’t remember where. His daughter, Na-Yeon, stops by the stall, confirming to us that she is healthy once more. Na-Eul greets her like a familiar person, still maintaining her secret role in helping the father and daughter duo find a second chance at life. On her way to the car, she receives a phone call from Park Man-Cheol, the man from South Men, North Women, who she paid to find her daughter at the start of season 2. He informs her that her daughter may have been found, as someone may have spotted her in China. The news leaves Na-Eul speechless.
Meanwhile, Choi Woo-Seok is released from the Moojin Penitentiary after serving a brief prison stint for trespassing on Captain Park’s property. He is picked up by Hwang and his friend. As Woo-Seok catches up with them, he explains that he needs a new purpose in life, especially after the search for the “ddakji guy” has ended. It is revealed that Hwang is no longer part of the police, especially after the ruckus he kicked up during his last stint. We also learn during this exchange that the money stored in Gi-Hun’s motel room vanished soon after the games came to an end. When Hwang reaches home that night, he finds Jun-Hee’s baby inside his room with a cryptic message explaining that she is the winner of the last game. The message also accompanies a credit card containing the baby’s enormous prize winnings from the competition.
At the airport, Cheol, the orphaned brother of Kang Sae-Byeok, the woman who died during the first game from season 1, is reunited with his biological family after a long time through Park Man-Cheol. The latter notices Na-Eul inside the airport and calls her to let her know that she will be provided all the services once she reaches China. He wishes her the best of luck and hopes she is able to find her daughter. In the meantime, Woo-Seok renovates Gi-Hun’s motel into a stunning and eye-catching building named the Pink Motel, possibly a reference to the game. The building’s design resembles a Las Vegas hotel, which he and his friend believe will be great for churning out a great business. While they plan to open the motel soon, the mystery behind the missing money pile continues to irritate him.
In-Ho Sees a Cryptic Sight That Hints at New Possibilities
In Los Angeles, California, Gi-Hun’s daughter, Seong Ga-Yeong, receives a surprise visit from In-Ho, who tells her that he is here on behalf of her father. Although Ga-Yeong wants nothing to do with her dad, she changes her mind when she learns that he has passed away. As such, she accepts a box of belongings left behind for her by her dad. It contains all his prize winnings from the game, finally answering the mystery behind who took the money. As In-Ho rides across the city in his black SUV, he encounters an intriguing sight. A game of ddakji is being played between a woman and a man in an alleyway adjacent to the car. The woman looks up to see him, revealing Cate Blanchett playing a character similar to the ddakji guy who recruited all the participants for the games we have been privy to.
Thus, the final scene serves as an eye-opener for the massive world of ‘Squid Game,’ which is more expansive and spread out across different regions than we previously imagined. This means that games like the one that Gi-Hun was a part of are likely happening across the globe. To that end, Cate Blanchett’s character could be a natural link to a spinoff series exploring the offshoots of the twisted games that force people to fight against one another for an enormous prize pool, one primarily set in the US. Additionally, with all the loose ends mostly tied by the end of season 3, including the death of Gi-Hun, it is unlikely that the games will continue to take place in South Korea, which makes the US an ideal location to expand the franchise while neatly connecting it with the original show through Cate Blanchett’s character.
Read More: Squid Game Season 3 Episode 5 Recap
