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Post by zodyac on Dec 17, 2005 3:46:28 GMT -4
I was just wondering what everyone thought about the Zep character. Is he mostly good, or mostly evil?
When we see Zep with Dr. Gordon it seems like he's just a nice well-meaning guy. But then when we see him later with Ali and Diana he just comes off as so evil. I would like to think that he was a good person, and that his evil behavior was just the result of situational pressures. What does everyone else think?
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Post by jessy on Dec 17, 2005 17:11:28 GMT -4
I've been thinking about that a LOT myself. I'd say neither good nor evil, but in between. I was listening to the commentary a bit last night on the Uncut DVD, and Leigh Whannell said that his behavior with Diana and Alison was a result of his revelling in the fact that for the first time in his life, Zep was the one in control. He'd been pushed around, this lowly, lonely person. Jigsaw gave him his first taste of power, and he took it zealously. He wanted to push this new position as far as he could, and I think he did. After all, he didn't know if he'd ever have something like that again. So I can understand that, in a way. I don't condone some of what he did, but I can understand it. I've actually started writing "SAW" fanfiction as a writing exercise, and have been focusing on John and Zep's relationship (on a non-slashy basis, lol). This question about Zep, why he behaved the way he did, is something I want to try to explore in a future fanfiction. Ah, Zep is such a wonderfully complex character. Good discussion!  |
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Post by flummery on Dec 18, 2005 0:10:35 GMT -4
I read the title of this thread, then thought about it for a while without reading your replies.
I came to the same conclusion.
Like Jessy said, on the DVD commentary, Leigh says something about Zep being perverse and enjoying the power he had, because he's someone who's probably been picked on his whole life and now he's sort of got a chance to play God.
I don't think he would've behaved so evilly if he hadn't been thrown into that situation. Because of those hidden qualities (frustration at the world, anger at people like Dr. Gordon) it was easier for him to go over the edge and really take advantage of the power position. At the same time, he wasn't entirely the one in power; Jigsaw was. Maybe that's part of why he why his character was so different after the beginning- he could play God but justify it by thinking he didn't have any choice, you know?
There's also something about how frantic he is at the end. It makes it seem like his main priority is to save his own life, not just be a killer.
Anyway. I would like to think Zep wouldn't have otherwise given up his normal life if he wasn't forced into Jigsaw's killing game.
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Post by zodyac on Dec 19, 2005 2:04:30 GMT -4
Yeah, I saw the commentary too.
I was wondering about how Zep felt about having Jigsaw control him the whole time. He seems to enjoy controling Ali and Diana, but he knows that he really isn't in control at all, that Jigsaw is controling him. Zep probably resents Jigsaw for having such power over him, and for forcing him into his situation.
I wonder if that's one of the reasons that he seemed to enjoy kidnapping the girls. After all, Jigsaw can't make Zep do something if he wants to do it. Zep might have convinced himself that he enjoyed hurting Ali and Diana so that he could feel like he was the real one in power.
Either way, the ambiguity surrounding Zep is the reason that I like him so much. We'll never know what was really up with him. I wish he had lived through the first one so we could see more of him in the sequel.
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Post by jessy on Dec 20, 2005 0:18:25 GMT -4
Hmm, I don't think he really resents John all that much, but admires him. That relationship that they had, it was one of the most important relationships Zep had ever had, not just for the obvious reasons. Zep didn't have any friends, and while John may have not been very friend-like all in all, Zep found him to be a friend. If you look at the "Rebirth" comic, Zep approaches John, almost pushes the relationship on John. But John allows it.
(I hope that made sense; was VERY tired when I wrote it, eheheh.)
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Post by flummery on Dec 20, 2005 0:22:46 GMT -4
I didn't get the idea that Zep actually knew the whole time that Jigsaw was John...so I don't know if their prior relationship with eachother would've come into play.
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Post by jessy on Dec 20, 2005 1:05:33 GMT -4
I think that the prior relationship definitely had something to do with it...I think Zep kind of admired John, whether he knew about him being Jigsaw or not. Zep stuck with him, gave him information during John's time in the hospital...Zep felt drawn to him for some reason. Maybe because John was the only one who listened to him. He did like the idea that he was helping John when he got poisoned and received his message...so there must've been something there. As mentioned before, I have my own theories on the relationship, on the extent of Zep's helping John, but I save that for fanfiction. It could be possible though. Maybe.  |
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Post by alyssa241 on Dec 26, 2005 18:37:14 GMT -4
Interesting...
I actually came about it differently. When Zep first heard the tape recording, he was given the choice... do what the jigsaw commands or not (I was under the assumption that Zep didn't know the real identity of jigsaw). I always thought it was odd that they introduced the "real" killer so early on and figured he was either the red herring, or something REALLY interesting is going to happen in the end.
I didn't particularly believed that he enjoyed kidnapping the two girls... it was just a neccesary evil. He HAD no control... he might have seemed confident or that he was "enjoying" his freedom but I don't think that was the case. The route he had chosen gave him the least amount of freedom and the least amount of choices as possible - following Jigsaw's commands. Life for the first time was very black and white for him. He had a goal, a focus - to do what the Jigsaw says in order to save his life.
In the end, I would like to believe that I would not be capable of doing what he did to save my life. But that cannot and will not be truly tested until I am put in the same situation... and only then will we all truly know what we are capable of.
Zep did something I would never wish on anyone to have to go through... and he made his choice.
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Post by Ilovejeff on Jun 9, 2006 10:28:34 GMT -4
Let's see, i don't think he was evil until he got involved in his own little game with John, but he wanted to his game as evil as possible, so that way he wouldn't die, and John would be proud of him, or satisfied, maybe Zep was acting evil to satisfy John because John is a cancer patient and Zep felt sorry for, because Zep might feel like he is doing a job for John that John couldn't accomplish so he would want it to be as evil as he thought John would do it?..Who knows his phone # we can call him and ask him! haha
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Post by Desmonds Bunny on Jun 9, 2006 18:13:49 GMT -4
Yea...*ring ring* ARE YOU EVIL!?
Lol.
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Post by Ilovejeff on Jun 9, 2006 23:08:42 GMT -4
haha lmao heres our convo on the phone with mr emmy. "hey dude, check it, are u evil?" '' uhhh do u wanna play a game, too bad, you failed mwhahaha, well thanks for calling buhbye"
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Post by Desmonds Bunny on Jun 9, 2006 23:12:36 GMT -4
Lol that's great. Now if only we knew his number...
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Post by Ilovejeff on Jun 12, 2006 16:24:30 GMT -4
;Dits 1800-im-a-secksi-beast hahahah lmao!!!! ahahahahahaha
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Post by Desmonds Bunny on Jun 13, 2006 14:11:15 GMT -4
Haha as that's the number. Lol.
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Post by Ilovejeff on Jun 18, 2006 22:13:51 GMT -4
 we need to try it sometime haha hes so cute i wud die to see him!
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we need to try it sometime haha hes so cute i wud die to see him!