You can trust the Squid Game franchise to become the talk of the town every time a new season is released.

Less than a week after its premiere, those who have watched the show all seem to agree on what is their least favourite thing is in the third and final instalment of the K-drama.

Like in Season 1, Season 3 features a group of VIPs whose sole purpose is to annoy viewers. We kid. The VIPs are a bunch of English-speaking one percenters who wear animal masks and drink champagne and who place bets on who will win the games and take pleasure in watching the contestants suffer. 

While the VIPs have been men, there's a sole female VIP in Season 3 and she's played by... Hong Kong actress Jane Wong. 

The 38-year-old is best known for acting opposite Louis Koo in 2011's Don't Go Breaking My Heart and Nicholas Tse in 2021's Raging Fire.

"Yes — that is me in Squid Game 3," wrote Jane on IG. "Honoured to be part of such an extraordinary experience. Thank you for seeing me, supporting me, and being here."

Just like how the VIPs were universally hated in Season 1, audience reception this time round also left much to be desired.

The actors playing the characters, or should we say caricatures, have been slammed for their bad acting, and have even been blamed for ruining the show. 

"[They] have the absolute worst dialogue and delivery of the entire series. It’s to the point where it’s so jarring it takes you out of the entire episode," wrote one critic.  

However, their bad performances may not be entirely their fault. 

American actor Daniel C Kennedy, who played a VIP in season 1, told The Guardian: “It’s different for every show, but non-Korean performers often act with dialogue that is translated by a non-native – sometimes even by Google Translate – so it can sound unnatural."

“Often we don’t have the scripts for the rest of the show,” he added. “We are only given our scenes, so we have no idea of the tone.”

Is that why they are so painful to watch? 

Photos: Squid Game/Netflix, Jane Wong/Instagram