The success of the first Saw movie guaranteed that it would become a franchise, but as the series reached its most popular peak, things started to go downhill. The original Saw grossed more than $100 million on a budget of just over $1 million, making it a mᴀssive hit.

From there, the Saw franchise became so big that it dominated the genre. Every Halloween meant a new Saw movie, as even if they weren’t all well-received by critics, audiences were still showing up in droves. However, each new installment expanded on the series’ lore, yet that was to its detriment, which all began with Saw III.

Saw 3 Showed How Popular The Franchise Was At The Time

As noted, the original Saw was a major success, and in the eyes of many, Saw II is actually the best sequel in the franchise. Fans were drawn to the small story of the first film and the expertly done plot twists at the end of each of the first two films only added to the popularity.

That meant that by the time Saw III arrived in 2006, the series was at its most popular. Saw III went on to gross $164.9 million, which remains the most of any installment. People flocked to theaters to see what it would be like to have Amanda as Jigsaw’s apprentice for an entire film.

Unfortunately, when we all went to see Saw III, we didn’t exactly get what we were hoping for. The relationship between Amanda and Jigsaw was disappointingly strained, and though the traps were inventive, there were also some major problems with them.

A Lot Of Jigsaw’s Traps In Saw 3 Went Against His Mantra

When people think of traps in the Saw movies, they are typically looking for something inventive and brutal. The most memorable traps include the Needle Pit, the Reverse Bear Trap, and even the Rack Trap from Saw III. In fact, Saw III has plenty of vicious traps, but they just don’t all make sense.

The film explains that some traps are unwinnable because they were made by Amanda, who didn’t do things like Jigsaw. However, Jigsaw’s own traps also go against his own mantra. Jeff was the subject of the film’s main trap and he was given every opportunity to survive but others weren’t.

It was up to Jeff to save Danica in the freezer, Judge Halden in the vat, and Timothy in the Rack Trap. Those are unfair games because instead of giving everyone a chance to choose “live or die,” Jigsaw left the fates of those people out of their own hands.

Danica, Halden, and Timothy never had a chance to fight or come to appreciate their lives. The same goes for Jeff’s wife Lynn as so many fates were tied to whatever Amanda did. That’s not at all in line with what was established by Jigsaw in the first two films.

Saw 3 Started By Getting Rid Of One Of The Only Threats To Jigsaw

Even if you take out the logic issues with some of what Jigsaw did, Saw III has other problems that started sending the franchise down a negative road. One came early in the story as Detective Allison Kerry was put in a trap. She beats the trap but it was one of Amanda’s, so she gets killed anyway.

This was a misfire because Kerry felt like she could’ve been an actual threat to Jigsaw. Fans were already somewhat connected to her from previous movies, and she had shown that she was both smart and tough. Focusing on her just to kill her off was a weird move.

The death of Kerry in Saw III also caused problems for the sequels. Saw IV focused on Officer Rigg, who was also in the previous films, but he was nowhere near as interesting as Kerry. The franchise kept bringing in the likes of Strahm and others, but Kerry would’ve been a better option to chase Hoffman in later films.

Saw 3 Introduced The Lore That Weighed Down Later Installments

One of the most notable scenes from Saw III was when Jigsaw had to undergo brain surgery. During this graphic scene, flashes were shown of a blonde woman whom the audience had never seen before. This was later revealed to be Jill Tuck, Jigsaw’s ex-wife.

The decision to go this route was unexpected, yet it also ended up causing issues in later entries. The backstory surrounding Jill and John’s relationship, the loss of their baby, Billy the Puppet, and how John became Jigsaw were all a bit overdone.

Those scenes weren’t what most people were coming to the Saw movies to see. They also led to problems within the Saw timeline and several aspects of later films being bogged down by trying to tell this overly complicated story. It all goes back to these quick flashbacks in Saw III.

Killing Jigsaw Was Something Saw Never Recovered From

The biggest problem that Saw III suffered from was its decision to kill Jigsaw in the final few minutes. Although he was already dying from his disease, he was still so important to keep around. Most of the good stuff in Saw II involved his back and forth with Detective Eric Matthews.

Even while bedridden in Saw III, Tobin Bell still delivers a great performance that is a highlight of the film. He should’ve been kept around for a few more films, even if he was sick the entire time. Even the cliffhanger after his death involving Jeff’s daughter was resolved as if it didn’t matter.

Without him, the later films were severely lacking. Detective Hoffman was nowhere near as interesting as an antagonist, and trying to shoehorn as much Tobin Bell in as possible during random flashbacks didn’t work nearly as well. Had he survived in Saw III, it’s likely the sequels would’ve been much better.