Episode 3

The third episode of this season really goes all-out and becomes as good as the original first season. We begin with the end of the last episode's game finishing up, after the annoying cliffhanger, and it does close in a satisfying way. The only downside here is that we ge a lot of drawn out talk which slows things down considerably, although at the same time Kyuma is such an interesting character I didn't mind too much. However, where this really excels is the next game, which we get into straight away. It's like something out of SQUID GAME: seemingly straightforward and innocuous, but turning out to be truly vicious. I can't wait to see what happens next...

This is by far, the best episode in Season 2, if not all seasons of Alice in Borderland. The thrill and excitement that I felt watching this episode is immeasurable. The addition of Chishiya in the game of Jack of Hearts is an excellent move. In addition to well performed acts from the characters, the game itself is brilliant and well-written. Seeing how human behavior work amidst pressure is a sight to see while the twists and turns are fabulous. The only negative thing that I can say about the episode is the ending. It felt incomplete in a way. I wish that they showed what they did to the Jack of hearts, instead of jumping in another scene where Chishiya made his way out. Overall, it is a 10/10.

I have so much to say about the Jack of Hearts game but I'll keep this brief. I know this season started out slow but WOW this episode is incredible. You truly get to see the best and worst of every character, and the game is so, so brilliantly written.

While the clubs game at the beginning of the episode is exciting as well, the hearts games truly dig into the life and morality of each of the characters. Choosing to focus on Chishiya just adds to it - as he often has interesting motivations already. This one kept me on the edge of my seat, and I'm so excited for the rest of the season. These games are even more intense than last season - and I can't wait to see how they get out of this one.

It's been quite a while since I've seen an Alice in Borderland episode where I was just engaged the entire time. This is undoubtedly one of the best episodes in the show so far. The way it handles every moment, every scene, it just makes everything seem to work effortlessly.

This was definitely "the" episode where you could actually feel the tension and know how much is actually at stake for both games. The games themselves are good in their own way. While one is carried by the emotion behind it, the other is a mystery where it slowly unfolds into mayhem.

I was initially worried because I thought the way they ended that clubs game was a perfect way to end the episode. Unfortunately the game itself kind of a took a while to conclude so they had time to fit the other game here. I was afraid that whatever came after would have ruined the emotional moment. Thankfully I was proved wrong with the Jack of Hearts game being one of the most exhilarating games in the series so far.

I was on board from the moment the game started. What really made this work was how it was pulling you in on the mystery as to who the imposter was. This was a game where I thought I knew what was going to happen but as the episode was closing in on it's end, I realized that the show was actively misleading me. I thought that was a great thing they did and it just makes the conclusion to the game much more impactful.

I would say my only gripe would be that they crammed two games in one episode. I think it would have benefited both games if they were just contained in an episode of it's own. But other than that, this was a great episode.

The emotional moment between Arisu and Kyuma in the end was fantastic, but the episode tanks hard after that.

This show's biggest problems start shining when we're introduced to a new game, where Chishiya is the main character for us to follow.

He's a flat character, but that's not the issue, it's that this show's cartoonishness goes overboard with the new side characters, who are so cartoonish and ridiculous, that they just take you out of the serious life-and-death vibe the show is going for. And that's not the first time this happens.

At least the show has the decency to kill the annoying new characters off eventually, but wow, this overly-cartoonish characters thing is a recurring problem.