|
|
|
|
|
- “Don't worry... I'll bring someone back, I promise.”
- — Lawrence to Adam
Chainshipping is the slash ship between Adam Stanheight and Lawrence Gordon from the Saw fandom.
Canon[]
When Adam and Lawrence first wake up, they are chained to opposite sides of the room, with a corpse lying between them. Their immediate reactions are rooted in confusion and fear, and they regard each other with suspicion. Adam, a cynical freelance photographer, is openly hostile and sarcastic, while Lawrence, a calm and methodical doctor, tries to rationalize their situation.
Both of them have different backgrounds, personalities, and approaches to the situation, which leads to tension and conflict throughout the film. Dr. Lawrence Gordon is a highly educated, calm, and professional man, an oncologist who initially appears to have no connection to the dark world of crime. Adam Stanheight, is a much more cynical, impulsive character, a photographer with a troubled past. From the moment he wakes up, Dr. Gordon maintains a level of composure that contrasts with the chaotic circumstances. He quickly assesses the situation, trying to understand the clues and figure out the reasoning behind the trap. This rationality is a defining trait of his character, and it’s initially what makes him the more “together” of the two. His calmness suggests that he has the mental discipline to think through complex problems, but it also makes him somewhat distant from the immediacy of Adam’s emotional reactions. Adam, in stark contrast, reacts with a sense of panic, anger, and sarcasm. He is visibly more scared and disoriented, immediately lashing out at his predicament. His tendency to crack jokes or make cynical comments suggest that he may be using humor as a coping mechanism for fear. Adam is far less able to take the situation seriously, and his immediate focus is on the absurdity of his predicament.
Adam is quick to suspect that Lawrence may have something to do with their predicament. He accuses Lawrence of being a part of the larger conspiracy behind the Jigsaw Killer’s traps. In contrast, Lawrence insists that he’s as much a victim as Adam, and he genuinely has no idea why he is there. Adam’s cynicism leads him to distrust everything, including Lawrence’s sincerity. He expresses his disbelief about Lawrence’s claims in a biting, often sarcastic tone. Adam seems to view everything as a joke, but this attitude may also stem from his deeper fear and frustration. Lawrence’s rationality begins to break down as the hours drag on. He starts to question his own ability to escape and becomes increasingly desperate. His professionalism is stripped away as the stakes become more personal and dire. The moment where Lawrence breaks down in frustration, marks a significant turning point in their relationship. Until this point, he had been the more collected of the two, but now, under pressure, he begins to lash out.
As they talk and share more personal details, it becomes clear that Lawrence’s life is more complicated than it first appeared. He is not just an innocent bystander, his situation is far more entangled with the Jigsaw Killer than Adam realizes. Lawrence’s secret, which is gradually revealed, adds another layer of tension to the relationship. He’s revealed to be having an affair, and his motivations for wanting to survive go beyond simple self-preservation.
The film's ending leaves their fate ambiguous but tragic. After Lawrence crawls away, Adam discovers the truth about Jigsaw's game and is ultimately left trapped in the bathroom. For Adam, the situation is equally tragic, though in a different way. As Lawrence makes his desperate escape attempt, Adam is left behind, bleeding and immobilized. His fate is sealed, not by any direct action of his own, but by the cruel manipulation of Jigsaw. The emotional weight of the film’s final moments rests on Adam’s discovery: while Lawrence escapes, Adam’s fate is sealed as he remains trapped in the bathroom.
Fanon[]
The bond between Adam and Lawrence evolves from forced cooperation to mutual reliance and care. While their relationship in canon is not explicitly romantic, many fans view their emotional vulnerability and reliance on each other as indicative of a deeper connection. Their dynamic is not just one of physical escape, it’s also about emotional and psychological entrapment. Both characters are trapped by their pasts and their choices, and the situation they find themselves in forces them to confront these aspects of themselves. Dr. Lawrence Gordon, the professional man, is ultimately revealed to be just as morally compromised as Adam, if not more so, showing that no one is truly innocent in the world of Saw.
Fandom[]
- FAN FICTION
- Lawrence/Adam tag on AO3
- TUMBLR
- Chainshipping tag on Tumblr