As I seem to have made habit: I'm once again late to a highly-rated sci-fi show that, somehow, I had no idea existed – until I scrolled through Netflix's latest releases just the other day.
The same thing happened with Silo and with Severance on Apple TV+, but now it's Netflix taking its turn. I'm certainly interested to get started, too, as Alice In Borderland is back for its third season – a sure sign of its success.
Fans are keen on the show, too, with the first season netting a solid 91% based on audience reviews on aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes. The second season has precisely the same score, showing its consistency.
Arriving late to a show isn't always a negative. Clearly, I've now got loads to catch up on – with both seasons housing eight episodes apiece. I've saved posting the season 3 trailer, just in case you're also behind the times – no spoilers here!
As an overview, Alice In Borderland is somewhere between dystopian drama and sci-fi; a Japanese show whose toe is dipped into the South Korean cult hit Squid Game by appearance, set in a deserted Tokyo.
Arisu, a jobless young lad, and his friends, find that they must compete in life-or-death games in order to survive this upside-down world. He meets Usagi, who is taking on these games solo, and the two set out to figure out the mystery of why this is all happening – and who's in control?
As I said up top, those who've stuck with the show have been loving it – and the critical reception initially only improved. Season 3, however, has taken a rather mighty dip, with its Rotten Tomatoes score a much lower 63% at the time of writing.
It seems Alice In Borderland is more of a divisive sci-fi show in its recent season, therefore, but there's time for that score to change. It's not in the Netflix Top 10 chart as I type this, perhaps suggesting that popularity is swaying.
Netflix has been a swinging pendulum in its aim of being the best streaming service of late, introducing some must-watch shows for October, but lagging behind some of its competitors.
There are some major titles incoming, though, with Stranger Things now not far away, and a new series of The Diplomat imminent too. I'll have to find lots of spare time if I'm to catch up on Alice In Borderland and leave room for all those too!
