Oswald McGillicutty

“	He tried to shut me down! Me! I don't back down for nobody; never have, never will.	”
	— Oswald explains the reason for his campaign against Tapp.^[src]

Oswald McGillicutty is a fictional character from the Saw franchise. He was a supporting character in Saw: The Video Game.

He was voiced by David Scully.

Biography[]

The Jigsaw Case[]

Oswald McGillicutty was an investigative journalist known for his sensationalized and biased reports. At some point in his career, he began reporting on the case of a wanted serial killer known as Jigsaw. As more and more victims turned up, Oswald openly criticized the forensics' work. He accused them of working sloppily as they had not found any helpful evidence despite the increasing number of dead victims. To confirm the details of his story, Oswald tried to call Detective David Tapp, a homicide detective who worked for the Metropolitan Police Department. However, the latter did not get back to him as he deemed talking to McGillicutty a waste of time.

Therefore, Oswald developed a grudge against Tapp and used his articles to torpedo the detective's reputation. While hunting for Jigsaw, Tapp was severely injured after finding and invading the killer's hideout in an abandoned industrial building. Upon doing so, Tapp's partner, Detective Steven Sing, was killed by one of Jigsaw's traps.

Eventually, Tapp's son, Michael Tapp, published a newspaper article about the raid on Jigsaw's hideout. In that article, he revealed that Tapp had acted contrary to duty when invading the lair without a warrant, which contradicted his earlier testimony. Furthermore, Michael cast him in a negative light when stating that all evidence in the building would have been worthless as they could not be used in court due to Tapp's improper invasion. Upon learning the truth, Oswald started publishing more articles to stir up hatred against the detective. He openly demanded Tapp's discharge from the department as he deemed him too dangerous to carry a weapon. Eventually, Oswald even openly suspected Tapp of being Jigsaw as he considered it unlikely that Jigsaw had been able to overpower two armed detectives. (Saw: The Video Game, Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Professional Rivalry[]

At some point, his articles caught the attention of Pam Jenkins, a sensational reporter who also investigated the Jigsaw case. Therefore, she wrote him a letter asking Oswald for a meeting and suggested working together as she was keen on publishing a book about the killer. Although Oswald agreed to the meeting, he also planned to write a book without crediting Pam and mockingly told her so. In return, Pam stole all of Oswald's notes and sent him a second letter in which she mocked him for his arrogance. (Saw: The Video Game)

Abduction[]

Due to his smear campaign against Detective Tapp, Oswald was eventually abducted by Jigsaw. He took him to the abandoned Whitehurst Insane Asylum and strapped him to a trap that could break his back and limbs by bending them backward. (Saw: The Video Game)

David Tapp's Test[]

While Jigsaw finished his work on the deadly contraption, Oswald woke up. Upon seeing his abductor, he angrily yelled at and threatened him. However, he stopped and started to panic when he realized that the man was, in fact, the Jigsaw Killer. Oswald tried to persuade Jigsaw to let him go, claiming that his articles had helped the latter spread his message. However, Jigsaw told him he could not free him and confronted him with his vendetta against Tapp. When he asked him for the reasons for his smear campaign, Oswald admitted wanting revenge on the former detective for not giving him information about the Jigsaw case. After finishing his preparations, Jigsaw eventually left the room.

Meanwhile, Tapp traversed the asylum as part of his own game set up by the killer and finally reached the room where Oswald was trapped. Moments later, a TV turned on. A mechanical ventriloquist puppet named Billy appeared and confronted Oswald with his sensationalism and hate campaign against Tapp. It also told him that the trap he was strapped to would bend his limbs and midsection backward and kill him if Tapp did not save him within four minutes. Eventually, Tapp received his instructions on how to do so.

When the tape ended, the contraption was slowly set in motion. Oswald frantically yelled at Tapp while the latter tried to shut off the machine. To free Oswald, he had to reverse the trap's electric motors by bypassing three circuit panels on the walls. Eventually, Tapp accomplished his task in time, resulting in Oswald being released from the device unharmed. After his salvation, he accused Tapp of having let Jigsaw escape. However, he ultimately admitted that he was wrong when he suspected Tapp. Tapp asked him what Jigsaw looked like, which Oswald could not answer. In an attempt to escape, both of them went on and continued their way together. (Saw: The Video Game)

Death[]

As they made their way through the next ward of the asylum and looked for Jigsaw's next clue, they found a ladder and climbed to the upper floor. Oswald suggested separating as it would increase their chance of finding the exit faster. When he entered an adjacent hallway, he accidentally stepped on a tripwire and noticed two large blades to the right and the left of the door. However, before he could react, the blades rushed toward him and killed him right before Tapp's eyes. (Saw: The Video Game)

Post-Mortem[]

Later that night, Oswald's corpse was found by the Metropolitan Police Department after Tapp had chosen to let go of his pursuit of Jigsaw in exchange for the freedom of all the victims trapped at Whitehurst. His body was subsequently taken to the morgue for his autopsy. Oswald was buried shortly afterward, and Tapp was the only one present during his funeral. (Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Personality[]

Oswald McGillicutty was arrogant and ruthless, not hesitating to badmouth other people for his journalistic glory. Therefore, he often criticized others as he deemed himself superior and more intelligent. Even when directly confronted with his deeds, he barely showed any remorse. As Tapp was the only person present at his funeral, it can be assumed that most people in his life disliked Oswald, most likely due to his arrogance and narcissism. However, he showed gratitude toward Tapp for saving him despite their past and even admitted that he had falsely judged him. Unlike most other Whitehurst prisoners, Oswald even cooperated with Tapp to escape the asylum.

Trivia[]

In the first Saw film, a newspaper article written by Oswald can be seen on the wall of Detective Tapp's apartment.

Appearances and References[]

Films
Saw	Saw II	Saw III	Saw IV	Saw V	Saw VI	Saw 3D	Jigsaw	Spiral	Saw X
Mentioned	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent

Other Media
"Saw" (2003 Short)	Saw: Rebirth (2005 Comic)	Full Disclosure Report	The Scott Tibbs Documentary	Saw: The Video Game	Saw II: Flesh & Blood
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Appears	Mentioned