We’re all familiar with the popularity of Squid Game by now. But every time a new season drops, we are surprised by the numbers and the slate of new records that the South Korean series is able to achieve. With Season 3, it wasn’t any different. The end of the saga of Gi-hun (Lee Byung-hun) accumulated 106 million views on Netflix in just 10 days, and it’s now the third most-watched non-English season on the platform. Which other series rank higher? Squid Game, Seasons 1 and 2.
Since Season 3 debuted just three weeks ago, those numbers are bound to change. But this week, Netflix confirmed that a new season of Squid Game also greatly increases viewership of previous seasons. This week alone, the three seasons of the show took over the top 3 rankings of most-watched titles on the streamer. In the non-English segment, Season 3 raked in 46.3 million views, Season 2 drew in 4.9 million views, and Season 1 added 3.8 million views to its overall record. With viewership numbers this high, it’s no wonder that Netflix is reluctant to end the franchise.
When it comes to Netflix’s overall streaming charts — including English and non-English series — Squid Game Season 1 still reigns supreme at #1 with 265.2 million views. It’s not exactly a surprise: The show’s debut season makes viewers immensely curious to discover who will best the deadly games, and its compelling rhythm made the series outperform titles like Wednesday, Stranger Things (Season 4), and Bridgerton (all three seasons).
Is ‘Squid Game’ Season 3 Good?
Despite its popularity, Season 3 of Squid Game is the lowest-rated entry in the franchise so far, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 78%. Fans were a lot less forgiving than critics, though, giving it an audience score of only 50% for the final season of the show. In her 7/10 review, Collider’s Therese Lacson called the final episodes the place “where Squid Game finds its footing.” She wrote:
“Season 3 takes what worked from the previous two and cranks it up to 100 — and then goes past that. The show doesn’t hesitate to go to places any other show like this would never dare to. No one is safe, and it really embraces the brutal nature of this game. It’s not just about what someone would do for money; it thrusts moral and ethical dilemmas forward and forces a character to choose between what is right and what they want.”
Despite the fact that Squid Game Season 3 indisputably ends the journey of Gi-Hun, the franchise is bound to keep going with an American adaptation already in the works with David Fincher (The Social Network, Mindhunter) at the helm.
You can stream all seasons of Squid Game on Netflix now.
