'Squid Game' season 3 live — real-time reactions, character recaps, and more from Netflix's big finale

All six episodes of “Squid Game” season 3 have just dropped on Netflix, and that means the deadly competition is back for one final round.

Whether you're diving in right away or planning to binge it later, we’re kicking off our live coverage of the show’s epic conclusion right here.

As fans around the world press play, I’ll be breaking down every major twist, shocking moment, and character arc as the season unfolds. Expect real-time episode reactions, a closer look at returning players, and plenty of internet chatter as social media lights up with theories and spoilers.

I’ll also be rounding up early reviews from critics, tracking audience response, and flagging anything you might have missed.

So whether you're watching alongside us or just want to keep up with the carnage without jumping in yet, this live blog has you covered. Let’s see what the final chapter of “Squid Game” has in store for us.

Spoiler warning: This live blog will feature spoilers for each episode of "Squid Game" season 3. All spoiler-heavy posts will be clearly marked so you can scroll safely.

Alix is a Senior Streaming Writer at Tom’s Guide, which basically means watching the best movies and TV shows and then writing about them. It’s a dream job for someone who’s been obsessed with storytelling since she first figured out how to work a remote. 

Previously on ‘Squid Game’

Three years after surviving the original games, Gi‑hun (Lee Jung-jae) returns not for money, but with a mission: to dismantle the Squid Game organization from within.

He infiltrates the deadly competition and meets new players, including Hyun‑ju (Park Sung-soo), Myung‑gi (Yim Si-wan), Dae‑ho (Kang Ha-neul), Geum-ja (Kang Ae-shim), and pregnant Jun-hee (Jo Yu-ri). He also discovers that his best friend, Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan), has joined the games this time too.

Soon, Gi-hun rallies his allies and orchestrates a rebellion aimed at stopping the games once and for all.

Their daring plan involves smuggling weapons and taking over the control room, but rebellion turns to chaos. The Front Man (disguised as Player 001 Hwang In-ho) reveals himself as the saboteur who has been facilitating the rebellion’s failure. At the critical moment, he betrays Gi‑hun’s group, killing Jung‑bae and scattering the revolt.

Meanwhile, Detective Jun‑ho (Wi Ha-joon), presumed dead, is rescued at sea — but betrayed by Captain Park, who is revealed as another mole working for the games. Jun-ho just doesn’t know it yet.

No‑eul (Park Gyu-young) is introduced in episode 2 as a surprising twist — a North Korean defector who, in desperate search of her lost daughter, becomes a masked sniper in the Squid Game’s guard ranks rather than a contestant.

“Squid Game” season 3 picks up immediately after these devastating events of season 2. Gi-hun finds himself at a critical crossroads, grappling with guilt and despair following the collapse of his rebellion and the loss of his close friend, Jung-bae. Determined yet emotionally shattered, Gi-hun must navigate a new set of deadly games that test not only his physical endurance but also his moral compass.