Spoilers ahead for the final episode of “Squid Game” Season 3.
“Squid Game” is over, but the franchise may live on. The ultra-popular Netflix series delivered its third and final season on Friday, bringing an end to creator Hwang Dong-hyuk’s disturbing dystopia. But while the finale revealed who wins the competition and offers closure for a few surviving characters, it’s the final moment of “Squid Game” that’s bound to draw the most attention.
The closing scene of “Squid Game” brings the mysterious Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) to Los Angeles, where he visits Seong Gi-hun’s (Lee Jung-jae) daughter and gives her access to her father’s remaining winnings from Season 1. As the Front Man drives away, his car stops at an alley where we see a woman in a suit playing ddakji (aka, the slapping game used to recruit Squid Game contestants) with a disheveled man. The woman turns to face the Front Man, and we see that it’s none other than … Cate Blanchett!
The implication seems clear. Squid Game isn’t limited to just South Korea. It has spread to America (and possibly other countries as well). As for why they chose Blanchett, Hwang offered a brief explanation in an interview published by Netflix.
“We thought having a woman as a recruiter would be more dramatic and intriguing,” he said. “And as for why Cate Blanchett, she’s just the best, with unmatched charisma. Who doesn’t love her?”
But the question remains: Is this final scene setting up a spinoff show? Netflix hasn’t officially announced anything, but in 2024, Deadline reported that David Fincher was developing an English-language adaptation of “Squid Game.” Little was known about the project, and neither Netflix nor Fincher has confirmed its existence. However, this Blanchett cameo certainly seems to pave the way for a full-blown American “Squid Game.”
Here’s the thing: We do not need a U.S. version of “Squid Game.” The original worked because it felt unique and new. Taking that concept and swapping the games for American classics like dodgeball or hopscotch isn’t enough to validate a spinoff show’s existence.
Beyond that, I doubt an English-language sequel would have anything new to say. “Squid Game” perfectly captured the hellish experience of being saddled by overwhelming debt in a capitalist society. What more can Fincher add? Medical debt? College debt?
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