Warning: The following article contains major spoilers for Saw X.
Saw X producer Oren Koules explains how the movie’s ending twist saw John Kramer (Tobin Bell) have a real challenge for the first time. Near the movie’s climax, Parker Sears (Steven Brand), who was introduced as a patient of Dr. Cecilia Pederson (Synnøve Macody Lund), was revealed to be part of the “doctor’s” con, forcing them to gain the upper hand against Kramer and chaining him into one of his traps. However, it wasn’t until the movie’s final moments that John regained control of the game, trapping both Parker and Cecilia in a room filled with gas.
Speaking with IGN after the movie’s Fantastic Fest premiere, Koules broke down how the twist made Cecilia a true antagonist for Kramer in Saw X’s ending. Discussing how there has never been a real opponent for John throughout the series, Koules states that Cecilia is John’s first real foe in the franchise. Check out what he said on the matter below:
We wanted to make her a foil [to Jigsaw]. [There’s] never really been a one-on-one or an equal footing, and so we thought it would be fun to have him be against someone who’s a real opponent.
Saw X Was Likely Not The Last Of Cecilia Pederson
While most of the discussion on Saw X was focused on the mid-credits scene, which saw the return of Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) to the franchise, a key detail has been seemingly overlooked during the movie’s final moments — Cecilia Pederson survived. When Parker and Cecilia were trapped in the control room, Kramer told them that one would have to die, as only one ventilation hole was available. Cecilia didn’t hesitate and stabbed Parker to death, as her head was stuck in that ventilation hole while the room remained trapped.
With a mid-credits scene setting up more franchise installments, Pederson’s fate was purposefully left ambiguous to potentially open the door for subsequent appearances. She wouldn’t be the first secondary character to return to the franchise. However, as Koules previously stated, she is John Kramer’s first real opponent, potentially setting the stage for a legitimate rivalry between the two.
While it is still unclear which direction the new Saw entry will take, Cecilia could return and attempt to exact her revenge against Kramer for having foiled her scam operation and killed everyone involved inside a series of elaborately gruesome traps. With Hoffman also returning, the franchise’s next chapter could be far superior to Saw X, which has already proved to be the best in the franchise in a long time.
