Warning: SPOILERS for Spiral follow, including important plot reveals such as the killer's identity and links to the original Saw movie.
The Spiral managed to subtly call back to a red herring from the original. While the Saw movies are far from perfectly plotted and have occasionally tripped over themselves when trying to tie everything together, the fact that the writers, directors, and producers behind each installment even make an effort to tell a coherent long-term story is commendable. In a genre where killers sometimes get blown to bits or otherwise torn asunder at the end of one movie, only for them to reappear intact without explanation in the next sequel, it's always been nice to see the Saw movies buck that trend.
Still, it was a good move for Spiral to try and take things in a new direction as, after eight films centered on the games put into motion by John "Jigsaw" Kramer and his apprentices, the plot had become tangled and started to fold in on itself. Plus, there's only so much fans can buy Jigsaw being able to plan for years and years after his own death in Saw 3.
While some fans were disappointed to not see Tobin Bell pop up as Kramer in Spiral, the soft reboot set up an intriguing new path for the franchise to walk going forward. Yet, that doesn't mean Spiral ignored Saw's prior movies. There were several references to Kramer's adventures, but the most subtle involves the new killer who's taken up the Jigsaw mantle and a callback to a memorable character from Saw 1.
Spiral's New Killer Has A Subtle Connection To Saw's Zep Hindle
While Saw fans are well-acquainted with John Kramer's Jigsaw after eight films, the original Saw famously ended with a final twist revealing his identity. Up until the last scenes of the film, the most likely culprit behind the Jigsaw murders seemed to be Zep Hindle, an orderly at the hospital where John's cancer was being treated. Zep had taken Dr. Lawrence Gordon's family hostage and seemed to know everything about what was going on. Of course, this was all a red herring meant to fool the audience, as Zep was in fact himself a forced participant in Jigsaw's games, one who ended up dead for his troubles.
Spiral's new Jigsaw killer first goes by the name William Schenk, but once his villainous nature is revealed, tells Chris Rock's Detective Zeke Banks that his real last name is Emerson. Zep Hindle was played by actor Evil. While Spiral's killer having the last name Emerson could just be a coincidence, it's unlikely, especially considering star/executive producer Rock is a noted fan of the Saw franchise. It's a clever nod to the past, but done in a way that doesn't call too much attention to itself.
