Until Dawn: Josh’s Plan - The Flaws, The Reasons Why, and the Plausible Conclusion
Okay, so with The Quarry going on with the title of ‘Until Dawn’s Spiritual Successor’, naturally, my brain started thinking about Until Dawn and began comparing the two. Cause with any sequel, you have to compare it to the beginner and see if it had any highlights, flaws or both when compared.
And of course they aren’t without their flaws, what horror based ‘anything’ is? My personal grievance, as I explained in a previous post about the Quarry, is that it could have had a better boss battle and could have made Silas a more domineering antagonist much like how Hannah was. Sure, there were other Wendigoes, but she was the bigger threat, even ripping apart other Wendigoes in her attack at the cabin. We could have had a Caleb and Nick vs Silas scenario going on back at the lodge.
Anyway, we’re not here to talk about the Quarry. I’m gonna talk about Until Dawn and, what is in my opinion, it’s flaw in character decision making.
Josh’s torture.
For those that need a reminder, the year before the events of the game, Jessica, Emily and Mike (maybe Matt and Ashley if you squint), all pulled a prank on Hannah for supposedly ‘making moves’ on Mike, who was already in a relationship with Emily at the time. So, they leave a note written by Mike to lure her into a room in the cabin and Hannah starts stripping. It doesn’t go too far before everyone jumps out, (Jess and Em hiding under the bed, Ashley hiding in a corner and Matt recording the whole thing in the closet.) Heartbroken and humiliated, Hannah locks herself in her room and cries.
Oh wait, no, she proceeds to run out in the middle of a storm into the woods, SO FAR FROM THE CABIN! Like, I get you’re upset Hannah, but there is literally anywhere in the house you can go and hide away in, your bedroom, the basement, literally anywhere. Maybe she was trying to get to the spare cabin and just stopped halfway?
Anyway, her twin sister, Beth, runs after her while her brother Josh is passed out drunk in the kitchen with Chris. Shit happens, they run, they fall off a cliff and Beth dies, leaving Hannah alone and wounded and starving.
Anywho, do you get where I’m going with this?
Jess, Emily and Mike were indirectly responsible for sending Beth to her death and Hannah to a fate worse then death.
And yet, Josh targets Chris and Sam the most in his torture spree.
To recap, Sam, Hannah’s best friend, was against the prank and even tried talking the others out of it and tried looking for her later. Chris, as previously mentioned, was passed out drunk with Josh in the kitchen as the prank was commencing. Weather he was in on it earlier or not is not disclosed.
Anyway, Josh targets Chris and Sam specifically with his prank (maybe Ashley too if, again, you squint) but everything is centred on making Chris choose between a life and Ashley, be it Josh’s life or his own. And with Sam, Josh chased her around the house, taunting her with his supposed death before maybe capturing her.
And then, after the Russian Roulette trap, he just reveals himself and expects to feel better about himself.
But, rewinding here, he targeted his best friend and the girl he liked, not, you know, the co-conspirators of the prank (Jess and Emily), and the bait (Mike). He kinda went after Ashley with the Chris pranks, but she was just kinda there and Matt was recording the whole prank yet the most he got was a bruised ego when Emily chatted up Mike.
I understand the argument that maybe Josh was planning to go after Mike and Jess later at the guest cabin, and maybe Emily and Matt too, but then why would he reveal himself so early into his ‘game’. He’s confirmed that he spent majority of the year setting up the lodge into a haunted house, he could very well organise his plans better.
Like, maybe, instead of having Chris choose between himself and Ashley, have ASHLEY choose. Of course, it will still inevitably end with Josh’s fake saw death, and Ashley would still be very much traumatised but at least it makes more sense, since while she didn’t think of the prank, she was still involved in it. Then maybe put Mike in a Russian Roulette with Jess and Emily and have him chose between either girls or himself. And maybe chase Matt around, tormenting him with the video that HE recorded and knock him out. That way, EVERYONE is targeted, especially the ones that were at fault.
But, even as I was thinking all of this through, I did come down to a very logical reason as to WHY Josh targets Chris and Sam.
He holds them responsible for not doing more to prevent Hannah and Beth’s demises.
Sure, Mike, Emily and Jess initiated the prank, but Sam knew about it and while she tried to stop it, intentionally failed. And we completely see that Josh holds himself responsible for Beth and Hannah’s deaths. Very same logic could follow on Chris’ involvement too.
So maybe that’s what Josh was trying to say when tormenting Chris and Sam.
You could have done more. You SHOULD have done more. But you didn’t. You’re just as guilty as me.
Anyway, food for thought.
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