The Squid Game cast touched down in New York City for the show’s third and final season premiere.
This article contains spoilers about season two of Squid Game.
On June 18, Netflix brought season three of Squid Game to New York City. Held at the Paris Theater off Fifth Avenue, the premiere drew a crowd of press members, dedicated superfans and excited viewers.
Ahead of the screening, the returning Squid Game cast greeted fans waiting outside the theater. Dressed in fine evening attire, actors Lee Jung Jae, Lee Byung Hun, Jo Yu Ri, Yim Siwan, Kang Ae Shim and Park Sung Hoon posed for photos along the pink carpet before heading inside. Gold House joined the inauguration of the show’s new season with engaging live coverage throughout the evening. As an organization dedicated to uplifting Asian and Pacific Islander voices across all types of media, it was only fitting that they helped to amplify the new season of Squid Game.
Setting The Scene
Inside the theater, guests were welcomed with ample water and salty popcorn — a fitting combination to accompany the night’s showing.
Masked guards surveyed the audience, greeting guests in their characteristic, silent, unnerving way. While some simply observed from their posts at the front of the room, others challenged theatergoers to games of Rock, Paper, Scissors.
A bit after 7:15 p.m. — only slightly later than expected — the lights dimmed and Netflix’s Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria stepped up to the podium. Bajaria sang the Squid Game praises before inviting Director Hwang Dong Hyuk to join her in formally introducing the night’s programming. Jokingly, he apologized in advance for the cliffhanger that would mark the end of season three’s first episode.
Through the side door on stage left, an observant member of the audience might have noticed another familiar face on deck. When the door swung open properly, Lee Jung Jae came into full view. The Paris Theater erupted into cheers. The rest of the cast followed, with Park Sung Hoon ending the procession to the night’s loudest applause.
On Hwang’s cue, the actors took a bow in an expression of gratitude before disappearing once more. As the still image on the screen implied, Squid Game was gearing up towards its final stretch.
Players, Get Ready
As a reminder, season two of Squid Game ended in serious suspense. After dedicating countless waking hours and his season one earnings towards finding the island where the games are hosted, Seung Gi Hun (Lee Jung Jae) ends up as a player again. He manages to survive the first rounds of his second season, forming alliances with other players. Among Seung’s closest allies were Hwang In Ho (Lee Byung Hun) and Park Jung Bae (Lee Seo Hwan).
To close season two, a fed-up Seung Gi Hun’s plan to ambush the masked guards using their own weapons goes awry, killing Jung Bae and, as Seung believes, In Ho. Season three picks up exactly where season two left off — and, from the looks of it, doesn’t shy away from the reality of Seung Gi Hun’s trauma.
The Final Games Begin
Attending a highly anticipated screening with a group of 500 enthusiastic viewers feels much like hosting a slumber party with friends. As new scenes played out, the audience gasped, remarked and laughed collectively. The live reactions are a testament to Hwang’s mastery of his craft. In two seasons, he created an immersive world filled with characters both beloved and disdained by unbelievably large audiences worldwide.
In the third season’s tense debut, Hwang managed to capture moments of comedic relief, bringing audible laughter to the Paris Theater in an otherwise grave plot. The episode passed by so quickly that by the time we reached the aforementioned cliffhanger, everybody was glued to the edge of their seats and caught completely off guard. Knowing the next game, there’s no doubt that episode two will be something of an emotional rollercoaster.
You can learn for yourself what the next game is — and the fate of the remaining players — on June 27, on Netflix.
