History YMMV / Saw

** ''Film/SawX'': Anyone who's watched the film is likely say Cecilia is the most detestable person in the franchise, or at least one of the most detestable, especially given her contrast with John throughout the movie. While John is, well, [[SerialKiller Jigsaw]], he has many humanizing moments in the film; Cecilia, on the other hand, easily shows that she's a lot more immoral than him. For starters, aside from being the ringleader of a medical fraud group that robs from the dying and desperate, she kills one of her own underlings (Gabriella) despite her succeeding in her trap, tries to use the intestines of another dead one (Valentina) to get an advantage for her personal survival, and forces [[ChildrenAreInnocent Carlos, a child,]] into the Bloodboarding Trap [[EvenEvilHasStandards to John's horror]].

** ''Film/SawX'': Anyone who's watched the film is likely say Cecilia is the most detestable person in the franchise, or at least one of the most detestable, especially given her contrast with John throughout the movie. While John is, well, [[SerialKiller Jigsaw]], he has many humanizing moments in the film; Cecilia, on the other hand, easily shows that she's a lot more immoral than him. For starters, aside from being the ringleader of a medical fraud group that robs from the dying and desperate, she kills one of her own underlings (Gabriella) despite her succeeding in her trap, tries to use the intestines of another dead one (Valentina) to get an advantage for her personal survival, and forces [[ChildrenAreInnocent Carlos, a child,]] into the Bloodboarding trap to [[EvenEvilHasStandards John's horror]].

** ''Saw 3D'': Bobby is an obnoxious writer who pretended to be a past victim of a Jigsaw trap in order to get fame and money. While Hoffman (his abductor) ''is'' at his absolute worst in this film, he eventually [[spoiler:received a direct comeuppance via an AndIMustScream fate]]. Bobby, on the other hand, [[spoiler:only received punishment through proxy due to failing to rescue all of his ''[[IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure loved ones and staff]]'' from the gruesome traps he should have been put into himself, and while injured, he survives in the end]].
** ''Jigsaw'': Most, if not all, of the victims in the Barn game are pretty despicable themselves, including the [[spoiler:former first apprentice of the long-dead Jigsaw]]. However, the most dislikable of the bunch is [[spoiler:Anna, who feigns innocence in spite of killing her baby and pinning the blame on her husband, who ended up killing himself out of guilt]]. Ultimately, [[spoiler:her selfishness doomed her and another trapped victim, who was left to rot besides her]].

** ''Saw X'': "Saw [[WesternAnimation/PAWPatrolTheMightyMovie Patrol]]."[[labelnote:Explanation]]''Saw X''[='=]s release date being moved to September 29th placed it on the same release day as ''WesternAnimation/PAWPatrolTheMightyMovie''. With this occurring not long after the release of ''Film/{{Barbie|2023}}'' and ''Film/{{Oppenheimer}}'', whose simultaneous release created the "Barbenheimer" meme, many have labeled this release date as "Saw Patrol" and state it to be a sequel to "Barbenheimer". Some detractors complain that this is a ForcedMeme, given how intensely promoted it has been by both movies' distributors from the outset.[[/labelnote]]

** Perhaps because of this, one of the main themes of ''Saw III'' was that Jigsaw's work was ultimately a failure, and that those who survived his games weren't changed at all. Amanda, for example, had resumed cutting herself, and still had the same psychological issues that she had before Jigsaw 'helped' her. If anything, she now had murder as an outlet for them. In fact, his two main apprentices are a good reflection of the flaws in his plan; neither changed their ways after dealing with him and made more murderous (and inescapable) traps, turning them into ''worse'' people even after supposedly "understanding life". [[spoiler:Only one apprentice, Logan, actually kept his sanity and followed John's ways of work closely (even though he didn't really adhere to his philosophy either) - and only because he was mostly sane and rational to begin with.]]

** Perhaps because of this, one of the main themes of ''Saw III'' was that Jigsaw's work was ultimately a failure, and that those who survived his games weren't changed at all. Amanda, for example, had resumed cutting herself, and still had the same psychological issues that she had before Jigsaw 'helped' her. If anything, she now had murder as an outlet for them. In fact, his two main apprentices are a good reflection of the flaws in his plan; neither changed their ways after dealing with him and made more murderous (and inescapable) traps, turning them into ''worse'' people even after supposedly "understanding life". [[spoiler:Only one apprentice, the one from ''Jigsaw'', actually kept his sanity and followed John's work closely - and only because he was mostly sane and rational to begin with.]]

** ''Flesh & Blood'' was panned even moreso than the first game, due to replacing much of the combat system with [[PressXToNotDie quick time events]], which eliminated much of the suspense that the first game got right.

** ''Flesh & Blood'' was panned even moreso than the first game, due to replacing much of the combat system with quick time events, which eliminated much of the suspense that the first game got right.

** ''Flesh and Blood'' was panned even moreso than the first game, due to replacing much of the combat system with quick time events, which eliminated much of the suspense that the first game got right.

** The second game was panned even moreso than the first, due to replacing much of the combat system with quick time events, which eliminated much of the suspense that the first game got right.

* TheProblemWithLicensedGames: A minor case; though praised for its story and immersive environment, the game was panned due to its wonky controls and combat system.

** Then [[SequelGap seven years later]], ''Film/{{Jigsaw}}'' came out, which, despite its mixed-to-negative reviews, was considered by fans to be a far more superior film than ''Saw 3D''. It wasn't until four more years that the franchise would return to a good mainstream reception with the release of the even better-received '']]Film/Spiral2021 Spiral]]''.

** Gibson from ''3D'' is often considered the worst cop protagonist in the series (with Zeke from ''Spiral'' being his only major contender), due to taking a role in the film that could have been given to Strahm, Perez or Fisk had they not been either killed or [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome outright written off]] so unceremoniously, as well as his actor's {{narm}}-y performance. Adding to this is the fact that he [[spoiler:dies halfway through his movie, whereas the rest of the cops at least survived their debut film or made it to its third act]].

** "Chainshipping" for Lawrence/Adam.
** Likewise, Amanda/Lynn is called "Shotgunshipping".

** ''Saw X'': "Saw [[WesternAnimation/PAWPatrolTheMightyMovie Patrol]]."[[labelnote:Explanation]]''Saw X''[='=]s release date being moved to September 29th placed it on the same release day as ''WesternAnimation/PAWPatrolTheMightyMovie''. With this occurring not long after the release of ''Film/{{Barbie|2023}}'' and ''Film/{{Oppenheimer}}'', whose simultaneous release created the "Barbenheimer" meme, many have labeled this release date as "Saw Patrol" and state it to be a sequel to "Barbenheimer". Some complain that this is a ForcedMeme, given how intensely promoted it has been by both movies' distributors from the outset.[[/labelnote]]

** ''Saw X'': "Saw [[WesternAnimation/PAWPatrolTheMightyMovie Patrol]]."[[labelnote:explanation]]When Saw X's release date was moved to September 29th, it placed it on the same release date as ''WesternAnimation/PAWPatrolTheMightyMovie''. With this occurring not long after the release of ''Film/{{Barbie|2023}}'' and ''Film/{{Oppenheimer}}'', whose simultaneous release created the Barbenheimer meme, many have labeled this release date as "Saw Patrol" and state it to be a sequel to Barbenheimer.[[/labelnote]]

** The first three films (sometimes referred to as the "original trilogy"), which had [[OnlyTheCreatorDoesItRight the original creators]] involved in the writing, are generally considered the best entries, though the latter two aren't left without [[ContestedSequel a divisive reception]].
** ''Film/SawIV'', the installment where the creators derparted from writing and limited themselves to executive production, was, in contrast, poorly received, due to its numerous AssPull twists (most notably the SequencingDeception that most of its events take place at the same time as ''Saw III'') and the plot having the characters act a lot more idiotic. ''Saw V'' only worsened things, due to spending more time building further on past events rather than actually continuing the plot, and most characters except the villains achieving absolutely nothing out of sheer stupidity. Many also consider that these two films were the beginning of the series devolving into a KudzuPlot, in spite of them still making plenty of money and having decent audiences.
** ''Saw VI'', although the film that earned the least money at the box office, was received by fans as a vast improvement over the previous three films that places a good start for the series to reshape itself.
** And then ''Saw 3D'' runs smack-dab into the trope, with many considering it the very worst of the films. While pointing out all of its criticisms would make things very long here, it's worth noting that most of the criticized points were a consequence of distributor Creator/{{Lionsgate}} retorting to ExecutiveMeddling measures after the poor box office results of ''Saw VI'' (including cramming the plots of two planned films into what we know as ''Saw 3D'').
** Then [[SequelGap seven years later]], ''Jigsaw'' came out, which, despite its mixed-to-negative reviews, was considered by fans to be a far more superior film than ''Saw 3D''. It wasn't until four more years that the franchise would return to a good mainstream reception with the release of the even better-received ''Spiral''.

* {{Sequelitis}}:
** Fans have debated whether the series has suffered from Sequelitis, and if so, at what point. Some say it was the second film ("''Saw'' never needed a sequel!"), others say it was the third ("the second film only counts!") or fourth ("the third movie finished the series perfectly!"), and others say it was the fifth ("that movie just plain ''sucked!''"). Oddly enough, most of these usually agree that the sixth was a surprising improvement and felt like a return to form for the series. ''3D'' was almost universally panned by fans and critics alike at first, but opinion eventually became too wildly varied to pin down any fan consensus.
** The series [[FranchiseZombie was planned to end by the third film]], but when Creator/{{Lionsgate}} saw how much money it was bringing in, they ordered for the script to ''III'' be changed to allow more movies to be made. The lower quality of ''IV'' and ''V'' alongside the general Sequelitis were the result of ExecutiveMeddling.

* EpilepticTrees: In a crossover example, a rather popular theory among non-fans (usually known as "Kevin is Jigsaw") is that John and Kevin [=McCallister=] from the ''Film/HomeAlone'' series are the same person, saying that Kevin's booby traps are early versions of John's death traps (since while Kevin's traps aren't fatal, they ''should'' be with real life logic applied), and that plenty of Kevin's behavior matches John's.[[labelnote:Such as]]Problems controlling his temper, indulging in somewhat violent fantasies, spying on people, delighting in the pain of those caught in his traps (although much more prominently than John), and using video/audio recordings to communicate with people and trick them. Kevin's neglectful parents and troubles with the police also line up with John's distrust of authority and his particular contempt for police officers who abuse their power.[[/labelnote]] Many versions of the theory also draw parallels to certain objects in Kevin's ''Home Alone'' films (such as the furnace he got scared by looking similar to the Reverse Bear Trap and being the basis of the Furnace from ''Saw II''), and even [[https://grantland.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/homealone_kevin_jigsaw.png compare]] Creator/MacaulayCulkin's (Kevin's actor in his first two films) present appearance as resembling John at a younger age. Believers of this theory tend to overlook the fact that (among many other problems) John's motivations and the origin of his death trap methods were already established in the ''Saw'' series, and are very different to Kevin's intentions. Still, it hasn't stopped the theory from receiving [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVodDpKSi2E numerous]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4Y9W-oK02w fanmade]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8PAIbiKFVk trailers]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8ilToTEH9k&t=106s a short film]] based on it, several [=YouTube=] media channels [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0Uq-j0SOKU making]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTJvke1QtgY videos]] about it, and even being brought up in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx54quy9tDQ a program]] of ''Series/TheTonightShowStarringJimmyFallon'' where Culkin is interviewed about various conspiracy theories in regards to ''Home Alone'' (at the 2:13 mark).

** Gibson from ''3D'' is often considered the worst cop protagonist in the series (with Zeke from ''Spiral'' being his only major contender), due to taking a role in the film that could have been given to Strahm, Perez or Fisk had they not been either killed or outright written off so unceremoniously, as well as his actor's {{narm}}-y performance. Adding to this is the fact that he [[spoiler:dies halfway through his movie, whereas the rest of the cops at least survived their debut film or made it to its third act]].

** Gibson from ''3D'' is often considered the worst cop protagonist in the series (with Zeke being his only major contender), due to taking a role in the film that could have been given to Strahm, Perez or Fisk had they not been either killed or outright written off so unceremoniously, as well as his actor's {{narm}}-y performance. Adding to this is the fact that he [[spoiler:dies halfway through his movie, whereas the rest of the cops at least survived their debut film or made it to its third act]].

** Matt Gibson from ''3D'' is generally seen as this due to Chad Donella's ham and cheese performance as well as taking the role that could have been given to Fisk, Strahm or even Perez had they not been written off or outright [[spoiler:killed]] so unceremoniously. [[spoiler: Naturally, no one was sad to see him go. Not even surviving halfway through 3D whereas the rest of the cops at least survived one film or made it to the third act]].

** Even before WebVideo/DeadMeat made him a further joke, [[MemeticLoser Jeff]] from ''III'' was very disliked for taking way too much time to do literally anything and for screwing things up once he eventually got down to doing them, resulting in the deaths of six people, including his own wife.

** A non-death example is Fisk, who's introduced in ''Saw IV'' as a significant (but not major) detective involved in the Jigsaw investigations, and he's implied to be a close colleague of Hoffman before he's [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome completely written off without explanation]] with ''Saw VI''. While he didn't get as much attention as the aforementioned characters, some fans have wondered how Fisk could have been like had he gotten a larger role for ''Saw VI'' or ''3D'', especially with how he would react to the moment Hoffman is exposed as one of the Jigsaw killers.

** Honestly, the series '''[[FranchiseZombie was]]''' supposed to stop at the third film, but when Creator/{{Lionsgate}} saw how much money it was bringing in, they demanded that the script to ''III'' be changed to allow more movies to be made. The suckiness of ''IV'' and ''V'' and Sequelitis in general are the fault of ExecutiveMeddling.

** ''Saw X'': "Saw [[WesternAnimation/PAWPatrol Patrol]]."[[labelnote:explanation]]When Saw X's release date was moved to September 29th, it placed it on the same release date as ''WesternAnimation/PAWPatrolTheMightyMovie''. With this occurring not long after the release of ''Film/{{Barbie|2023}}'' and ''Film/{{Oppenheimer}}'', whose simultaneous release created the Barbenheimer meme, many have labeled this release date as "Saw Patrol" and state it to be a sequel to Barbenheimer.[[/labelnote]]

!!General examples:

[[foldercontrol]]