Saw Wiki
Register
Advertisement

You have seen the flaws in your policy, but what you have not seen is the extent some people will go to when faced with death.
— John introduces William to his test[src]

The Steam Maze is a trap, as well as a fictional location, from the Saw franchise. It was a minor location in Saw VI.

Design and Function[]

This trap was the third one in a series of tests. It was located in the boiler room of the abandoned Rowan Zoological Institute. The room itself was divided in two levels. The first person tested in the trap was chained to a wall on the lower floor. A device was strapped to the victim's chest, which would be activated after 90 seconds and thereby shoot a pointy metal rod through the test subject's head. Once the game began, the victim had to progress through a passage leading to the other side of the room. The way was enclosed by a cage, giving the victim little room for movement. To survive, the test subject had to rely on the help of a second person who was standing on a catwalk above. At two points in the first victim's passage, there were two small tunnels which the victim had to crawl through. They were, however, blocked by steam coming from a row of pipes with high pressure. Each time the victim reached one of these passages, the other person had to pull a lever. This would divert the steam and cause it to burn the test subject's arms and shoulders, while enabling the victim on the lower floor to pass the tunnels. Once the first subject made it to the end, there was a ladder leading up to a small room on the same level as the catwalk. There were several photos which told the victim that the key to the trap around their chest was hidden inside the other person's body. Additionally, the victim was provided with a power saw to cut the key out of the second person's body, while probably killing the person. (Saw VI)

History[]

William Easton's Test[]

Hello, William. You have seen the flaws in your policy, but what you have not seen is the extent some people will go to when faced with death. The lawyer from your firm has 90 seconds to cross this room or the device attached to her chest will discharge and pierce her brain. She will find that the journey across this room is filled with danger. In order for her to make it, you will need to be there for her and it is you who ultimately holds the key to her survival. When faced with death, will she have the skills to live? Let the game begin.
— William Easton's tape[src]

The persons tested in this trap were William Easton, manager of the Umbrella Health insurance company, who had caused the death of numerous seriously sick people by denying the coverage of their treatment costs for spurious reasons, as well as the company's lawyer, Debbie. One day, they were abducted and taken to the Rowan Zoological Institute by Detective Mark Hoffman, the successor of the late John Kramer, better known as the Jigsaw Killer, who was in fact one of William's former clients. At the zoo, he trapped Debbie's unconscious body in the boiler room.

DebbieTrap2

Debbie in the trap

Shortly afterwards, William entered the room and found himself on the catwalk. Seconds later, the door slammed shut behind him. Unable to open it again, William took a look around and quickly found a tape recorder hanging from the ceiling. Upon playing it, he was introduced to the third test of his game. Seconds later, he noticed Debbie, who was chained to the wall on the lower level of the room and began to panic. The tape informed William that she had 90 seconds to free herself from a trap strapped to her chest, as otherwise, it would be activated and pierce her brain with a pointy metal rod. Furthermore, he was told that it was ultimately him who held the key to Debbie's survival and had to help her to get through the maze before her.

180px-Puzzlepiecestill

William guides Debbie through the maze

When the tape ended, Debbie was released from her chains and the timer on the trap began to count down. As soon as she was free, she removed the gag from her mouth and started to panic. She frantically yelled at William to get her out while desperately trying to open the door next to her. However, she finally stopped when William told her to move through the maze before her and eventually tried to find a way forward. As she did, she quickly came to a small passage that was blocked by pipes blowing out hot steam with great pressure. William yelled at her to go on, but when she tried to crawl through the steam, she quickly backed off due to the immense amount of heat. However, William noticed a lever with a sign attached to it which told him to "relieve her." When he pulled the lever, his arm was burned by hot steam coming from a pipe, while the steam in Debbie's way was turned off. As she tried to crawl forward, William backed off, causing the steam to turn back on again. Debbie yelled at him and told him to pull the lever again. When William did it, she tried once more to get through the passage. However, as the pain increased, William let go off the lever again, causing Debbie's legs to be severely burned by the steam. Nonetheless, she managed to get through the passage.

Encouraged by William, Debbie continued her way and climbed through the maze until she reached another small tunnel blocked by steam. She panicked even further, seeing no way out of this trap. William however saw that there was a ladder behind the tunnel and told Debbie to go on. He then grabbed a second lever and turned off the steam in the maze below him, while he himself was burned again. Debbie crawled through the next passage, but as before, she was too slow and didn't get through it before William had to let go off the lever due to the pain. Therefore, the steam burned Debbie's face and her neck.

DebbieWilliamFight

Debbie attacks William

As she finally made it through the passage, she reached the ladder and climbed it up to a room surrounded by a cage. William told her to hurry up and look for a key. Seconds later, a lamp turned on next to her, revealing photos of a scar on William's body as well as an x-ray. Realizing that the key was hidden inside William's body, he tried to calm her down and attempted to get it out. Debbie however grabbed an electric circular saw and opened the door. Moments later, she attacked William and barely missed him with the saw. As she further approached him and tried to kill him to get the key, the two of them engaged in a fight. While William initially managed to fight her off, Debbie eventually made one final attempt to kill him and raised the saw. At this moment however, the timer of her trap went off and the metal rod pierced her brain, saving William's life in the process. While William watched in horror, Debbie staggered, fell over a handrail and ultimately hit the floor below her.

Eventually, William managed to calm down and went on. Upon opening the exit door out of the room, he found the next key hanging from the ceiling. Angered by Debbie's death, he grabbed it and used it to unlock one of the straps around his legs. Then, he opened the next door and continued his way. (Saw VI)

Aftermath[]

The zoo was found and raided by the Metropolitan Police Department shortly afterwards. As the police secured and searched the entire building, they discovered the many corpses of Jigsaw's victims, including Debbie. All of them were sent to the morgue for their obduction by Dr. Adam Heffner and Debbie's trap as well as the power saw were sent to the evidence room. (Saw VI, 3D)

Use in Other Media[]

Saw II: Flesh and Blood[]

Sarah

Sara talks to Michael

A few moments later, Michael Tapp crawled through a vent and found himself in another room. On the lower level, he saw Sarah, who screamed for help as her path was blocked by hot steam. Michael mocked her for her unfriendly attitude back at the hotel, which resulted in a brief argument between the two of them. Nonetheless, he eventually decided to help her and redirected the steam via a valve. His own path, however, was blocked as well. By slowly moving forward and using the valves on the upper and lower level of the room, Sarah and Michael helped each other in turns. This ultimately allowed Sarah to climb up a ladder to the catwalk where Michael was. Despite her initial hostility towards him, she was grateful and called Michael a good man, just like his father. However, when he responded that she didn't know his father, she slapped him in the face and told him that his father still loved him despite having abandoned him as a child. Unwilling to talk about his father, Michael turned away. Unnoticed by him, the door behind Sarah was opened and Pighead grabbed her. As he witnessed how he carried her away, Michael tried to help her, but was held back when the door was closed again. (Saw II: Flesh & Blood)

Navigation[]

Advertisement