Through eight haunting, grisly, and somber episodes, Alice in Borderland Season 2 offers up some of the most memorable moments in the show’s history. The Netflix original series, based on the manga of the same name by Haro Aso, has finally made its return after a number of delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While we lavished Season 2 with praise in our review, some may be left confused by the ending of the final episode, as it certainly left the door open and some questions still lingering. Here’s what happened, and if we should expect a Season 3.
What happens in the Alice in Borderland Season 2 ending?
Alice in Borderland Season 2 begins to reach its conclusion as Arisu confirms his registration for a game against the Queen of Hearts, Mira. Though their game at first seems to be a simple three rounds of Croquet, it quickly becomes clear that Mira will use psychological warfare against Arisu, in a bid to get him to quit. This is after she lies to him about the world around them, describing it as a virtual reality 1,000 years on from the past they remember, and also suggesting that they could be android players implanted with false memories, being bet on by the super rich who live underground following nuclear devastation.
Fortunately, Usagi manages to pull Arisu back from the brink despite Mira’s insistence that she is his psychiatrist and he has created all of this in his mind as a result of trauma, and the game is completed. The survivors are then given the choice of becoming a permanent resident of Borderland, or returning to their original lives.
It is here that audiences learn the truth. On the day of everybody’s disappearance, a meteorite exploded over the city, causing mass destruction and killing countless citizens, including Arisu’s friends Chota and Karube. Waking up in the hospital, Arisu is told that his heart stopped for one whole minute before he was brought back to life, leading viewers to believe that this one minute was the entirety of Arisu’s time in Borderland. The “Border-land” was the border between life and death, known to some as “limbo.”
While those who survived: Arisu, Usagi, Chishiya, Heiya, Ann, Aguni, and Niragi do not recognize one another from their time together in Borderland, it is clear when Arisu and Usagi meet, that they find each other familiar. Above all else, they have survived.
Before the credits roll, however, we are shown a pack of playing cards scattered across a table. Nobody is seated around the table, but it appears to be more important than you may first think, as the wind blows away all but one of the pack: the Joker. Is there one more game for Arisu, Usagi, and the rest of the players to take part in? Or was this simply a nod towards the ending of the manga, where Arisu meets the mysterious being holding a Joker card, before being sent back to his reality?
Is there going to be an Alice in Borderland Season 3 on Netflix?
Alice in Borderland is yet to receive a Season 3 confirmation. Despite this, some rumors have swirled saying that another batch of new episodes are already being worked on. Small Screen cite an unnamed source as saying: “Work on season three has begun,” but this comment is worth being taken with a pinch of salt. While the chances of renewal are high thanks to the show’s popularity, it would be wise to wait for an official announcement from Netflix before getting too excited.
