Joyce Dagen

Joyce Dagen
Biographical Information
Appearances	Saw 3D
Status	Deceased
Died In	Saw 3D
Cause of Death	Roasted alive
Role	Supporting Character Protagonist
Reason Tested	Unknowingly profiting from her husband's lies
Relationships	Bobby Dagen (husband) Mark Hoffman (abductor)
Portrayed by	Gina Holden

“	I know you can get overwhelmed at times. But we have to keep moving forward, Bobby. You were meant to do this.	”
	— Joyce encourages Bobby

Joyce Dagen is a fictional character from the Saw franchise as well as the tertiary protagonist of Saw 3D. She was portrayed by Gina Holden.

Biography

S.U.R.V.I.V.E.

Joyce, Suzanne and Nina attend an autograph session

Joyce Dagen was the wife of Bobby Dagen. While initially having a normal marriage, their life changed drastically when Bobby gained wealth and fame by writing and publishing his book "S.U.R.V.I.V.E. - My story of overcoming Jigsaw", in which he told his readers how he supposedly survived a deadly trap set up by the infamous Jigsaw Killer and how his life developed afterwards. Thereby, he was supported not only by Joyce, but also by his best friend, Cale, his publicist, Nina, and his lawyer, Suzanne. All of them accompanied him on his promotional events, such as interviews or autograph sessions. (Saw 3D)

Daybreak

Joyce watches the interview

At one point, several weeks after John Kramer, the Jigsaw Killer, had died at the hands of Jeff Denlon, one of his victims, Bobby organized a national tour, thereby attracting even more public attention. Thereby, Bobby was invited for an interview by Donna Evans, the host of "Daybreak", a reality show. During the interview at the Stage 6 Studios, she asked Bobby about the attention he got due to his tour, during which he promoted his book. Bobby responded that he was quite overwhelmed and flattered by the great public response to his story, stating that it pleased him if his story helped other people. Donna also asked him about his actual experience in the trap. In a dramatic speech, Bobby told her how he had escaped by inserting two hooks into his pectoral muscles and hoisting himself up to a platform. While he had been close to accepting his impending death, he had eventually decided to fight for his life as in this moment something inside him had started to grow "from the bottom of his soul." Impressed by his dramatic story about what he called his rebirth, Donna thanked him for the interview and thereby further promoted his tour. (Saw II, III, 3D)

Joyce encourages Bobby

After the interview, Nina asked Bobby why he didn't kiss his wife after the interview as discussed earlier. Therefore, Bobby claimed that he had been afraid to seem unauthentic if he acted excessively emotional. Nina however insisted on him showing his love for his wife, calling it the "heart of the story." Suzanne agreed with Bobby, stating that too much emotion might cause his performance to feel like pandering, but was quickly rebuked by Nina who was annoyed since the public relations were her job. To cool the situation down, Bobby admitted that he had made a mistake. Cale however told him that he had done nothing wrong. When Bobby shared a private moment with his wife afterwards, she further encouraged him and stated that the people would feel that his story was real. Cale then interrupted them, reminding Bobby about a meeting with a self-help group for Jigsaw survivors the next day. Moments later, Bobby and the others left the studio. (Saw 3D)

Survivor Group

Joyce and the others during the group's meeting

As scheduled, Bobby attended the group's meeting the next day, accompanied by Joyce, his crew and a camera team which recorded the session, which took place in a local church. During the meeting, Bobby listened to the stories of the other survivors, including a woman named Sidney, who had been forced to kill her boyfriend, Alex, in order to escape one of Jigsaw's traps. However, she stated that Alex had frequently battered her and said that her game was the first time she took action against him. Therefore, she was berated by Simone, another survivor, as Alex had to die for Sidney to leave him and then told her about her own game, during which she had cut off her own left arm. Afterwards, she spoke to Bobby and asked him why he had brought a camera team with him to film their conversation. Bobby responded that he wanted to illustrate the fact that a traumatic experience such as the kind that each one of them had been forced to endure can have a positive outcome, such as a new perspective on life. As Simone attempted to contradict him, Bobby interrupted her, showing understanding and respect for her anger, and told her to take a look at the other survivors, who had all managed to find something positive in their horrific experiences.

Joyce is introduced to the group

In yet another one of his dramatic speeches, he encouraged the others not to be ashamed of their experience but to be proud of having been able to survive. Thereby, he unbuttoned his shirt and let the others take a look at his own scars. Furthermore, he talked about the value of beloved people, which he, according to himself, had never done before his martyrium, and then introduced Joyce to the group, while kissing and declaring his love for her. He was, however, interrupted by Dr. Lawrence Gordon, another survivor, who, unknown to Bobby, was an accomplice of Jigsaw and therefore knew about his lie. Therefore, he sarcastically mocked him and his "remarkable" ability to get something positive out of his horrifying experiences. Bobby however tried to act confident and thanked him. Therefore, Gordon and the other confused members of the group applauded him, showing their gratefulness of being part of his story. (Saw 3D)

Abduction

After the meeting, Bobby and his crew were about to leave the church, when Cale asked him to talk to him alone. Therefore, Joyce went on ahead with Bobby's driver and told Bobby she'd wait for him in the car. On their way, she was however attacked and subdued by Detective Mark Hoffman, the successor of Jigsaw, who covered his face with one of his sinister pig masks. Afterwards, he took Joyce to the abandoned Clear Dawn Psychiatric Hospital, where he put a collar around a neck and chained her to a metal platform. Furthermore, he had prepared a deadly game for Bobby. (Saw 3D)

Bobby Dagen's Trial

Joyce witnesses Bobby's game

When she woke up again, she was terribly frightened and immediately started to panic. While she desperately screamed for help, a TV suddenly turned on in front of her, distressing her even more as it showed her husband lying on the floor of a room. He soon managed to pick himself up and began to find a way through the hospital to reach Joyce. On his way, he met Nina, Suzanne and Cale, who had all been abducted as well and put into vicious, deadly traps by Hoffman. Due to the security cameras observing Bobby, Joyce was able to observe his progress and his attempts to save the others. However, she became more and more worried as all three of them died in their respective traps. Additionally, the chain attached to Joyce's collar was pulled tighter every time Bobby failed one of his tasks, thereby eventually forcing her down on her knees.

Joyce in her trap

As the time went by, Bobby reached another room. From his room, he could see and hear her over a TV screen as she screamed for help. Bobby wielded his hands before the camera and promised Joyce to save her. Joyce begged him to hurry. As he looked around, searching for a tape, the screen suddenly switched to a mechanical ventriloquist puppet, which introduced him to the next game. It informed him that the heavy metal door before him was the last obstacle between him and his wife. In order to open it, he had to enter a four digit combination. The necessary numbers had been etched onto his two upper wisdom teeth. The puppet refered to a chart hanging on the wall, which showed him which teeth to pull and in which order to enter the digits. When the tape ended, the screen switched back to Joyce. Bobby told her he didn't want her to watch his game and turned away from a camera as he began to pull out his teeth. (Saw 3D)

Death

Joyce awaits Bobby's arrival

Bobby ultimately managed to open the door and shortly afterwards, eventually reached Joyce, who was still chained to her trap in the center of a big hall. He apologized to Joyce for what she had to endure. She however was relieved to see him. As she begged him to help her, he immediately ran towards her but was held back and briefly paralyzed by an electric fence surrounding her. Moments later, a TV turned on, showing the puppet once more. The puppet again confronted him with his dishonesty and told her that he had to overcome the game that he had described in his own book. In order to save his wife he had to pierce to hooks, which were attached to a pulley system, through his pectoral muscles. Then, he had to hoist himself up to the ceiling, where he had to connect two extension cord before the clock expired.

Joyce watches as the clock expires

When the TV turned off, Joyce asked Bobby what the puppet had meant by referring to his dishonesty. Therefore, Bobby remorsefully admitted that he had never been in a trap. Shocked and angered by this, Joyce condemned him for his lie and started to cry. However, when Bobby told her that his love for her had always been true, she reciprocated his feelings. After that, Bobby took off his shirt and, despite the great amount of pain, inserted the hooks into his chest muscles, before he began to pull himself up with the chains. As he hoisted himself, Joyce frantically encouraged him and told him to hurry. Bobby pulled himself up further and further and thereby finally reached the cords. However, just as he grabbed them and tried to connect them, his muscles could no longer support his weight, causing him to fall down several feet to the floor. With only a few seconds left, Joyce desperately yelled at him. Moments later, the timer went off and the platform, to which she was chained, was lowered down.

Joyce is roasted alive

Then, two arching walls emerged from the sides of the platform above her position and join together at the halfway point. Finally, a funnel-shaped dome sprang up from the front of the platform, thereby entrapping her in what appeared to be a giant oven. Seconds later, fire erupted from all sides of the oven's exterior. Bobby tried to get through the electric fence to save her, but collapsed due to the electric shock. While bursting into tears, he was forced to watch while Joyce was slowly and painfully roasted alive before him. (Saw 3D)

Personality

Joyce Dagen was a kindhearted and faithful woman as well as a loving wife, who supported Bobby during all of his promotion campaign and cared for him in the time after his supposed traumatic experience. Due to her love for him, she never questioned his story and instead believed and encouraged him. She was convinced from the good in Bobby's message, stating that it was his calling to spread his story. Therefore, she was even more shocked when she finally learned the truth about his lie. Nonetheless, this didn't change her deep feelings for him.

Trivia

• Joyce's death is considered by the fandom as one of, if not, the most unjustifiable deaths in series due to her kind and caring personality and not even knowing about her husband's lies.

Appearances and References

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