One of Squid Game season 2’s new additions has teased a dark end to Netflix’s hit series. The sophomore season of Netflix’s Emmy-winning survival thriller follows Gi-hun’s (Lee Jung-jae) mission to end the titular games. At the end of Squid Game season 2, Gi-hun leads a rebellion against the games, attempting to reach the control room. However, in a dark and twisted turn of events, the rebellion is easily thwarted by the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), who had been pulling strings from the shadows, disguised as Player 001.

Speaking with Cinema Today, Jo Yu-ri, who plays Jun-hee (Player 222), spoke about the nature of the show’s final season and what viewers could expect. The actor elaborated that many of the predictions for season 3 are not right and teased the final season of Squid Game as “a truly unimaginably brutal and cruel story.” Read her full statement below:

“It seems like a lot of people have been predicting the contents of season 3, but it seems like not many of them have gotten it right as I thought. A truly unimaginably brutal and cruel story awaits, so please look forward to it.”

What This Means For Squid Game Season 3

It’s Not Surprising That Season 3 Will Be Brutal & Cruel

This new tease from Jo aligns with the Squid Game‘s violent and heartbreaking nature. Season 1 exemplified the tragic end to the games when Gi-hun won after his Cho Sang-woo sacrificed himself in the final round. Gi-hun’s tragic tale worsens when he returns home to find that his mother has already passed away from illness, which is what drove the protagonist to reenter the game in the first place. The dark ending alone is a sign that Squid Game won’t have happy endings.

In particular, many audiences are concerned about Jo’s own character, Jun-hee, who is pregnant and is just days away from giving birth.

Currently, Squid Game season 3 is now left with a few new key players including, Geum-ja/Player 149 (Kang Ae-sim), Yong-sik/Player 007 (Yang Dong-guen), and Hyun-ju/Player 120 (Park Sung-hoon). Furthermore, the final episodes are expected to showcase the showdown between Gi-hun and the Front Man, especially after the death of his best friend, Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan). It’s unclear at this point who will survive and win the cash prize, but it’s expected that more key players may die in the final episodes.

In particular, many audiences are concerned about Jo’s own character, Jun-hee, who is pregnant and is just days away from giving birth. Unfortunately, her attempts to leave the games have been foiled by the “O” voters, who have dominated the voting process in every round so far, and it seems that she will likely have to play more games, following the casualties of “X” players in the season 2 finale.

Our Take On Jo Yu-Ri’s Tease Of Squid Game Season 3

Let’s Hope These Two Players Make It!

While I’ve grown attached to most of the characters introduced in Squid Game season 2, I am a fan of dark endings and deaths. Jo’s tease of season 3 is personally promising, showing that the show’s creator hasn’t softened. However, I will admit that Squid Game’s most heartbreaking moments, like the infamous marbles game in season 1 and season 2’s thrilling and merciless mingle game, are so emotionally exhaustive that faint glimmers of hope for the remaining characters’ survival do grow.

For example, my top pick for the winner of this round of games is Jun-hee (Player 222). Out of everyone, she’s the player with the purest set of morals, Hyun-ju (Player 120) being a close second. While I don’t think the writers would kill a pregnant woman, which is taboo in South Korea, I’m still nervous. I’m confident that the creative team behind Squid Game season 3 will deliver on these dark promises, even though a part of me wants something lighter.