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Squid Game is back for its final season. Here’s what you need to remember

- CONNIE CHANG

When Squid Game, a dystopian drama from South Korea, debuted on Netflix in September 2021, few could have predicted its outsize success.

It swiftly became the streamer’s most-watched show, snagged Emmy wins for its director and star and spawned a reality game series and countless Halloween costumes.

And while fans had to wait three long years between seasons 1 and 2, the third and final season — which arrived last Friday in its entirety — comes just six months after viewers last checked in with the hapless contestants, who must compete for both cash and their lives. Filmed back to back, Season 3 picks up right where Season 2 left off — with the heroes’ would-be mutiny quashed and their futures precarious.

For those with short memories, here’s a quick refresher on how we got here.

IT’S ALL FUN AND GAMES UNTIL SOMEONE LOSES

The first season introduced the contest, in which down-on-their-luck contestants vie for riches on a remote, secret island by competing in children’s schoolyard games like Red Light, Green Light and Tug of War. The twist? Losers in each round are killed (typically, in a hail of gunfire), a wrinkle that is revealed only after the first game begins. Uber-rich spectators watch the proceedings for sport, and in a pointed commentary about the value of human life, each death adds to the overall pot awarded to the last person standing.

That winner, Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), an affable gambler estranged from his young daughter, emerged from the arena with heavy pockets and an even heavier heart. In the final moments of Season 1, haunted by what he had seen and done, he abandoned his plans to reunite with his daughter, choosing instead to put a stop to the game.

FORGING ALLIANCES OUTSIDE THE GAME...