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I just do the numbers, bank accounts, stuff like that.
— Solomon talks about his role in the drug cartel.[src]

Solomon Bates is a fictional character from the Saw franchise. He was a supporting character in Saw II: Flesh & Blood.

Biography[]

The Cartel[]

Solomon Bates was a member and associate of Bates & Gregson, a small accounting firm. One of the companies that employed his services was Gideon, a foundation dedicated to property development for needy people. The company, founded by the successful civil engineer John Kramer and the lawyer Art Blank, bought up abandoned real estate and renovated them into low-cost housing. Despite his work for the charitable company, not all of Solomon's activities were that honorable, as he assisted several criminal organizations in hiding their money and concealing their profits. Eventually, he joined a drug cartel alongside Chief Henry Jacobs, Detective Joseph Poltzer, Dr. Carla Song, and Sarah Blalok. Occasionally, the cartel members met in Poltzer's house at 124th Street to plan their next steps. (Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Abduction[]

For their crimes, Solomon and his accomplices were eventually targeted by John Kramer, who was, in fact, a wanted serial killer known as Jigsaw. After his abduction, Solomon was taken to the abandoned Holmes Hotel, where he and a reporter named Michael Tapp were trapped in two cages connected to two separate tracks on the floor. (Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Test[]

SolomonCage

Solomon in his cage

When the men woke up, they were greeted by a mechanical ventriloquist puppet named Billy, which appeared on a TV screen and introduced them to their test. Once the game began, both participants had to push their cages forward. Whoever reached the end of their track first was promised to be freed. However, the puppet alluded to the tale of the tortoise and the hare, indicating that the way to win the game was to let the other person reach the end first.

When the TV turned off, the prisoners started pushing their cages, and eventually, Solomon reached the end of his track first and was released. After the latter left the room, Michael made it to the end of his path and was freed, too. The TV turned on again, and the puppet offered Michael another chance at survival by facing the next part of his game. Meanwhile, Solomon, who had not understood the clue related to the fairy tale, was subdued and put in another trap. (Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Michael Tapp's Test[]

Solomon was taken to a room in an abandoned chemical plant across from the hotel. He was strapped by his hands, feet, and torso to a sliding cart connected to a railing system on the ceiling. A few feet below, on the floor, were numerous pipes. Those were linked to a heater and alternated between spewing flames that would eventually burn Solomon alive. Sometime later, Michael reached the room where Solomon was held captive. As he approached him, a set of TVs turned on, and the mechanical puppet appeared on-screen. It confronted Solomon about his crimes and involvement in criminal organizations while explaining that he could only survive and escape by getting to the other side of the area.

BurningRack

Solomon above the flames

Afterward, the TVs turned off again, and the pipes below him started spewing fire. Michael pushed the cart to which Solomon was bound to the next room. Unlike in the first room, three sets of pipes alternated between spewing flames. To get Solomon to the last room, he had to push and pull several other carts in the right way and clear the path while occasionally moving Solomon back and forth to ensure he was not hanging above the spewing pipes. The third and final room contained 16 monitors, each with a different picture on-screen. Michael had to play a matching game to open the last door and choose the corresponding images until all eight pairs were found. Eventually, he successfully moved Solomon to the end of the track, where the latter was freed from his chains and fell to the floor.

MichaelSolomon

Michael interrogates Solomon.

Michael then demanded information about the drug cartel. Solomon told him about Henry Jacobs and Joseph Poltzer, who used to steal drugs from the police station's evidence room to sell them on the streets with the assistance of Carla Song and Sarah Blalok. Furthermore, he stated that Michael's father, Detective David Tapp, coincidentally stumbled upon the cartel while investigating the Jigsaw case and that Sarah was supposed to knock him off their trail. Eventually, Solomon confronted Michael with a newspaper article that had destroyed his father's reputation. In a fit of rage, Michael assaulted Solomon, who evaded his attack and ran away. (Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Attempted Escape[]

Michael pursued him to the sewers beneath the plant. Solomon insulted him, stating that it was his fault that Jigsaw targeted them. Therefore, Michael attacked him again and caused him to back off. In his attempt to escape, he crawled through a small passage in a collapsed hallway. However, upon leaving it on the other side, Solomon was attacked by a mysterious man with a sinister pig mask. As he tried to flee, Pighead pushed him into a pit filled with thousands of syringes and closed the door behind them, making it impossible for Michael to reach them. (Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Personality[]

Solomon Bates' most notable character trait was his extreme cowardice. When given the opportunity, he preferred to avoid the consequences of his actions instead of facing them. Despite this, he displayed an arrogant attitude toward others and often acted in a sarcastic and occasionally insulting way. Furthermore, his involvement in criminal activities showed that he was dishonest and selfish, only interested in his safety and profit.

Appearances and References[]

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