"They lost the plot”- Fans slam Squid Game 3 over alleged misogynistic storyline

Following the release of Squid Game season 3, some fans have expressed significant disappointment with the direction the installment took, especially considering it was one of the most anticipated global returns of the year. The ending, in particular, has sparked heated debate, with viewers labeling it as “misogynistic” and even “pro-life” in tone.

The controversy stems from the outcome where the final winner turns out to be the baby born during the game, carried by Player 222. Since she entered the game while pregnant back in season 2, many fans feel the storyline shifted drastically to focus on protecting the child at all costs. This, according to them, undermined the brutal and survivalist nature of the game and instead pushed a moral stance.

Many viewers claimed that the storyline sent an unrealistic or guilt-inducing message to those who may consider abortion due to personal or medical circumstances. According to them, the show allegedly created the impression that there was only one acceptable choice, which many thought was unfair and overly moralistic.

Additionally, several Squid Game fans criticized the lack of female representation among the finalists, saying that it added to the show’s alleged gender bias. While the emotional angle was powerful for some, others felt that the series lost the essence that made it compelling in the first place.

Overall, while the show delivered visually and emotionally, many viewers felt that the final message didn’t sit well, and that the series could have concluded in a better way. Some enraged fans subsequently took to X to post their reactions pertaining to these concerns:

"Is squid game pro-life? Why is this INFANT treated as more important than these adults? Why is it even allowed to compete. They lost the plot. Worst possible ending imaginable," one user wrote.

Fans comment upon Squid Game 3's ending (Image via X/@heyitsrosemulet)

Many other fans also seemed to reciprocate similar sentiments regarding the latest season's storyline.

"How much did that government pay these writers to push that pro life agenda to the extent that the damn baby wins the whole game???" a fan questioned. "I'm pro-life but for them to act like this in SQUID GAME is CRAZY," another fan remarked. "I was going to say that Squid Game season 3 is extremely misogynistic," one viewer noted.

Other internet users continued bringing up these issues on the social media platform:

"All the women being killed/murdered besides a baby feels misogynistic and weird as hell," a viewer tweeted. "Creator hates women cuz wdym not a single women survived that f**king game," one netizen expressed. "I heard that they also let the mother die so the baby survives and wins instead? it's giving pro-life misogyny," another X user said.

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Main character deaths and the absence of women players in the final rounds in Squid Game 3

In Squid Game season 3, many fans were left disheartened by the fate of the show's key female characters. All the major women players—Player 222 (Jun-hee), Player 149 (Jang Geum-ja, the mother in the mother-son duo), and Player 120 (Cho Hyun-ju, a trans woman)—were allies of Seong Gi-hun and played central roles early in the season, only to face tragic ends one after another.

Hyun-ju was the first of the three to be killed, dying at the hands of Player 333 in episode 2. She, along with Jun-hee and Geum-ja, had formed a close-knit alliance, sticking together throughout the early stages of the game.

In the first game of the season, Hide and Seek, all three were placed on the same team. When Jun-hee unexpectedly went into labor during the game, it was Hyun-ju and Geum-ja who protected her and helped deliver the baby.

In a heartbreaking turn, while trying to find the exit, Hyun-ju succeeds but is ultimately killed before she can escape, and her death deeply affects the others. Soon after, Geum-ja is forced to do the unthinkable: kill her own son, Player 007 (Park Yong-sik), to protect Jun-hee and the baby.

Her son, part of the opposing team, was compelled by the rules to kill at least one player to survive. He was ultimately killed by his mother as he tried to attack Jun-hee. Unable to bear the guilt of her actions, Geum-ja later hangs herself in the players' dorm, ending her life in sorrow.

Later, in a game of Skipping, Jun-hee sacrifices herself to ensure her baby survives, as she herself is injured and cannot possibly make it. Gi-hun takes responsibility for carrying the infant across the finish line. By this point, all the main female characters have been eliminated from the game, leaving only nine players in the final round, including the baby, who is counted as a participant.

In the finale, the remaining players turn on the baby, attempting to eliminate her. However, Gi-hun and the baby’s father, Player 333, step in to protect the baby girl, and one by one, the others are killed. Ultimately, only three players are left standing. Then, in the final moments, Gi-hun sacrifices himself, allowing the baby to be declared the winner.

What frustrated many fans is that this conclusion felt like a dramatic departure from the original premise of Squid Game, a brutal survival game where individuals must fight to win for themselves. Instead, the victory went to a newborn who was incapable of making decisions, with others sacrificing themselves to ensure her survival. For some viewers, this undercut the entire foundation of the series.

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Though season 3 officially marks the end of Squid Game, a brief cliffhanger at the very end has sparked speculation about a potential American spin-off, leaving fans curious about what comes next.

Edited by Janhavi Chauhan