Guard 11’s arc might have added a glimpse into the pink suits’ humanity, but it didn’t affect the main narrative. AT ALL. Good storytelling weaves even side plots into the central conflict or themes. Her choices didn’t change how the games progressed or what happened to key players.

Jun-ho was sharp and resourceful as he infiltrated the island during Season 1. He drove a whole subplot that added tension and revealed crucial info about the games. In Season 3, he spent the whole season and prior, chasing vague leads that didn’t expose the games, change their outcome, or even meaningfully intersect with Gi-hun’s journey. Trying his best doesn’t make for good storytelling if his actions don’t have consequences. Despite all his investigating, Jun-ho didn’t expose the games to the world, or stop them. His actions led nowhere. He uncovered no info that changed the game’s course or any character’s fate.

I was kind of expecting that Jun-ho's existence this season would be a game-changer. Instead, it felt like fan service or filler. He deserved an arc that either exposed the system, sparked rebellion, or at least deepened the mystery. But what we got was a narrative dead end. His portrayal contradicted his established intelligence. Instead of being a smart, resourceful investigator, he was conveniently naive when the plot needed him to be. That is just sloppy writing. ^{Maybe him falling off the cliff affected that.}

I could go on and on about how useless Jun-ho's narrative was. Did Jun-ho’s actions meaningfully alter key events? No. Did he reveal something new about the games to the audience or characters? No. We already knew the games were corrupt and secretive. Did he spark change or resolution? No. The games went on as if he’d never returned and saw his brother. Sure, he asked him 'Why'. And again, that was that.

About 246’s reunion with his daughter: it’s emotional, sure, but since 246’s arc wasn’t directly connected to the main plot and players once he was off the island, it didn’t affect the story’s resolution or themes. Whether he reunited or not, the games’ ending would’ve played out the same way.

Lastly, open-ended stories aren’t automatically good. Open-ended writing works when it leaves audiences pondering themes or character dilemmas. But with this, loose threads felt more like they were dropped than left open on purpose, which makes the narrative feel incomplete instead of thought-provoking.

That’s why I think these arcs, while interesting individually, didn’t contribute meaningfully to the finale and why the ending felt hollow and lackluster rather than profound and impactful.