Alison Gordon
A wife and mother held hostage in Jigsaw's game.
Alison Gordon is the wife of Dr. Lawrence Gordon and the mother of Diana Gordon. She appears in the first Saw film, where she and her daughter are held hostage by Zep Hindle as part of Jigsaw's test for Dr. Gordon. Her kidnapping is directly tied to Jigsaw's reasons for testing Dr. Gordon: he had cheated on his wife and was cold and uncaring toward his daughter. Alison and Diana are rescued by Detective David Tapp before Zep can kill them. The DVD commentary for Saw 3D reveals that Alison later divorced Dr. Gordon because of his unstable mindset.
- Character
- Victim
- Affiliation
- Civilian
- First Appears
- Saw
- Status
- Alive
- Family
- Dr. Lawrence Gordon (Husband, later divorced), Diana Gordon (Daughter)
Lore & Background
Alison Gordon is introduced in Saw as the wife of Dr. Lawrence Gordon, an oncologist suspected of being the Jigsaw Killer. She and her daughter Diana are taken captive by Zep Hindle, an orderly from Dr. Gordon's hospital who is himself a victim in Jigsaw's game. Zep follows Jigsaw's instructions to kill Alison and Diana if Dr. Gordon fails to kill Adam Stanheight by six o'clock. Alison's role in the story is that of a hostage whose life is used as leverage to force Dr. Gordon to commit murder. She is rescued when Detective David Tapp arrives and stops Zep. The DVD commentary for Saw 3D states that Alison divorced Dr. Gordon after the events of the film due to his unstable mindset. Alison is mentioned in Saw II but does not appear.
In Their Own Story
Alison Gordon is held captive in her own home with her daughter Diana, bound and watched over by Zep Hindle. She is forced to listen to a tape recording of Jigsaw's instructions, which threaten her life if Dr. Gordon does not kill Adam. When Dr. Gordon fails to meet the deadline, Zep moves to kill Alison and Diana, but Detective David Tapp intervenes, shooting Zep and saving them. Alison's survival is a rare instance of a victim escaping Jigsaw's game without direct participation. After the ordeal, she divorces Dr. Gordon, as revealed in the Saw 3D DVD commentary, citing his unstable mindset as the reason.
Reader's Guide
Alison Gordon is a supporting character in Saw, appearing as a hostage rather than a direct test subject. Her primary function in the narrative is to serve as motivation for Dr. Gordon's actions and to illustrate the collateral damage of Jigsaw's games. She is rescued by Detective David Tapp, making her one of the few characters to survive a Jigsaw-related incident without being placed in a trap herself. Her later divorce from Dr. Gordon is mentioned only in the DVD commentary for Saw 3D, indicating that the trauma of the events affected their marriage. Alison does not appear in any other films, though she is mentioned in Saw II.
Did You Know?
- Alison Gordon is portrayed by Monica Potter in Saw.
- She and her daughter Diana are held hostage by Zep Hindle as part of Dr. Gordon's test.
- Alison is rescued by Detective David Tapp, who shoots Zep before he can kill her.
- The DVD commentary for Saw 3D reveals that Alison divorced Dr. Gordon because of his unstable mindset.
- Alison is mentioned in Saw II but does not appear in that film.
More in Characters & Victims
Elsewhere in the Saw universe
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