Squid Game Season 3 scores major US award nomination despite negative reviews and ratings

Bad reviews? Who cares. Netflix’s Squid Game Season 3 is proving once again that the critics don’t always get the last word. The global hit has earned a nomination at a major U.S. awards show, cementing its place in television’s elite.

On January 8, the Screen Actors Guild, now officially called the Actor Awards, announced the nominees for its 32nd ceremony. Covering 15 categories across film and television, the awards are considered a key precursor to the Academy Awards, and a nomination here is a big deal. Against a lineup of heavy-hitters, Squid Game Season 3 was selected for Outstanding Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series—a category that also features Disney+’s Andor, Paramount+’s Landman, HBO’s The Last of Us, and Netflix’s Stranger Things. Clearly, the deadly games are playing with the best of the best.

The franchise has a strong history at the event. Season 1 of Squid Game made waves in 2022, with Lee Jung Jae and Jung Ho Yeon taking home Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively. The intense series has continued to impress, even amid a mix of reviews, proving that audiences and peers alike can’t get enough of its high-stakes drama.

The show follows cash-strapped individuals competing in seemingly innocent children’s games for an astronomical cash prize—only to discover that losing the game can cost them their lives. In Season 2, Lee Jung-jae's Gi-hun infiltrates the slaughterhouse in the hope of convincing people that murder lies in every corner, with little success as this brings out the worst in people. Unaware of the fact, that Lee Byung-hun's mysterious Front Man, who runs the compound, is pretending to be friends with him. In Season 3, Gi-hun sacrifices himself to save a participant's baby. The reviews panned the last two seasons, for incoherent and unsatisfactory storylines.

Season 3 has already added another accolade to its growing trophy case. It recently won Best Foreign Language Series at the 31st Critics Choice Awards, reinforcing that the franchise remains a global phenomenon.

Whether critics love it or not, Squid Game Season 3 is still racking up recognition and shaking up the awards scene. From stunts to searing performances, it seems the games are far from over—and this time, the nominations speak louder than the reviews.