Includes SPOILERS for The Gorge!

One of the most horrifying moments in The Gorge sees a rescue team shoot and kill JD, and there’s an important reason why. Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy lead The Gorge’s cast as elite snipers sent to stand guard at a mysterious, undisclosed location for a year-long operation. With no questions asked, both parties arrive at their stations, and Teller’s Levi is introduced to a man named JD, the previous operative whose place he’s taking at the Gorge. JD is the first character to offer important exposition about the film’s mystery, but his death is perhaps his most revealing moment.

The Gorge is a film by Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson, with the movie’s primary focus being on the relationship between Levi and Drasa. That said, it does an excellent job at quickly establishing lore and a conspiracy surrounding it. Deep in the Gorge is a highly contaminated zone left over from a World War II experiment, and a devious organization called Dark Lake has been using it for an experimental plan to create super soldiers. To do so, Dark Lake requires the Gorge to be both shielded from the outside world and guarded to protect what’s inside from escaping.

Why Dark Lake SH๏τ & Killed JD After His Mission At The Gorge Was Over

JD Had Classified Information They Couldn’t Risk Getting Out

When Levi arrives at the Gorge, he relieves JD, the man who previously held his station. Most of what’s happening, including their location and the exact details of what’s in the Gorge, are unclear to both of them at this point, but JD shares what he knows about the Hollow Men. He quickly becomes a likable character, making it all the more upsetting when he’s ruthlessly killed by the operative in the helicopter who’s intended to retrieve him. JD’s mission in the Gorge ended, and Dark Lake disposed of him to prevent a leak of any information.

This moment makes it clear why someone like Levi, who’s likely well-informed about international affairs and classified intel, wouldn’t know about the Gorge. None of the operatives have survived. Dark Lake has been killing all the personnel they hire to protect the Gorge as a measure to ensure that none of their affairs are publicized. For their mission to continue, it’s absolutely vital to keep the Gorge secret, which is why it’s so devastating for Bartholomew (Sigourney Weaver) when Levi and Drasa expose it at the end before detonating it.

Were Levi & Drasa Hired For The Gorge Mission Because They Were Expendable?

Levi & Drasa Didn’t Have Anyone At Home To Ask Questions

Before audiences are brought to the Gorge, the film shows glimpses of Levi and Drasa’s lives prior to the mission. Both have a rather grim existence, with Levi being unable to find operative missions due to his mental state and Drasa’s situation with her father. This makes them desirable to Dark Lake, as they’re both candidates who are not only experts at what they do but also have lost everything they might have once had. These two have nothing to live for at the start of the movie, which ties into the central themes of The Gorge’s ending.

There are two layers to the advantage Dark Lake has when hiring Levi and Drasa. If they die in the process of defending the Gorge, it can easily be covered up without family asking questions. Alternatively, if they make it through their mission, Dark Lake can kill them off without interference, allowing them to keep the mission quiet. It’s an incredibly devious plan, but it ultimately backfires, as the one thing Bartholomew couldn’t have predicted is that the pair on opposite ends of the dangerous ravine would fall in love.

How Hiring Levi & Drasa As Expert Snipers Backfired

Levi & Drasa Were Able To Destroy The Gorge From Outside The Blast Radius

It’s Levi and Drasa’s connection that brought their discovery of the Gorge’s contents and the destruction of Dark Lake’s operation. The mission would have gone along as intended if the pair had remained in their stations, but the additional risk Levi took to go and meet Drasa led to the two of them being forced to enter the Gorge. From their descent came the discovery of more and more information, leading to them rebelling against Dark Lake, escaping, and destroying the operation.

Levi and Drasa spend the film flexing their sniping skills, with Drasa suggesting that she’s outmatched his longest recorded sH๏τ. At the end of the film, he beats her record, taking out the satellite that keeps the Gorge hidden. The pair being expert snipers allows them to detonate the entire Gorge while being at a safe distance. To do anything worthwhile without sniper rifles would have cost them their lives, meaning Dark Lake’s plan in The Gorge ultimately backfires.