tushanshu application.

[givenanonymity]

Player Information:
Name: Ramen
Age: 26
Contact: (PLURK)socalramen, (AIM)legalgargoyle,
Game Cast: Nobody!

Character Information:
Name: Mark Hoffman
Canon: SAW [Film Series, specifically films III-VII]
Canon Point: POST SAW IV, pre - SAW V. Just after the confrontation at Gideon meat packing plant.
Age: 44
Reference: SAW WIKI

Setting: SAW is a horror film series. Be warned, here there be graphic depictions of horror.

Det. Mark Hoffman is a lieutenant in the Metropolitan police department. Previous information about the series (released in promotional materials for the first film) indicate that the story takes place in Los Angeles California circa 2003. This was then changed with the sequel, so apart from the logo (which is the LAPD logo) for the metropolitan police department Hoffman exists in a city that has heat and snow and weather. Which doesn't matter as the majority of it takes place in basements, underground tunnels, and massive amounts of urban decay. Hoffman lives in a crumbling city that is all cities, as Jigsaw is supposed to represent American cities were the message that Jigsaw passes around - live your life to the fullest and don't waste it with guns, drugs, and horrors - would be the most beneficial.

Hoffman doesn't see anything particularly wrong with this, or if he has then we don't see it in the series. He is much at home amid the grime and grit and the angry, very unhappy people. It's natural - as SAW tries to remain true to the original premise of the first terrifying film. Low budget. He fits in with this - the merciless face of the American legal system that somehow manages to be overworked (rooms filled with files, no pictures of family - or pictures of family who have fallen in the line of duty) underpaid (he drives a buick that looks like it belongs in the eighties) and overwhelmingly corrupt. (The sad fact is, he's a serial killer and he doesn't give a shit.)

Hoffman, Amanda, and John Kramer are all people who come together because in some capacity or another they've lost family. The central theme of the series is family (seriously, the torture porn is window dressing for kids who are willing to shell out 13 dollars to sit in a theater for cheap visceral thrills.) The second and third film are full of the story of John Kramer and Amanda Young who becomes the daughter that John Kramer has never had. It demonstrates ultimately that his whole philosophy is corrupted and that he really is just a psychopathic man who has a number of problems. He manipulates Amanda into becoming a murderer.

He manipulates Hoffman, but to a lesser extent. While Amanda is enticed, Hoffman his told. While Amanda is encouraged, Hoffman is berated and yet the notion of actually accomplishing something appeals to Hoffman. In SAW V, the writers attempt a quick and dirty backstory trying to make him a character that's Amanda's equal. It falls considerably short and he's left with a backstory that's completely thrown out the window in SAW VI and VII. He jumps from being an everyman cop, willing to look the other way occasionally if justice has been served, someone who protects people who defend women and children - to someone willing to beat Betsy Russell into a pulp without even trying and willing to kidnap and torture women - and enjoy it.

In order to accurately explain Hoffman's place in the setting, I have to give some background on his personal history as it is brought up pretty regularly by John Kramer and motivates his actions throughout the majority of the film.

PRE - FILM

At some point, Mark Hoffman lost his family. Lacking parents, aunts, uncles, the only family that really mattered to him was his sister. He and Angelina rose above their humble beginnings to make something of themselves. He dedicated himself to service, we assume for the sake of clarity that she did as well. He wanted to be a cop, he enjoys being a cop, and someone happy and supportive of a sibling normally means a good person. He genuinely seems to care about her, and to care about the people that he works with knowing their personal details as well as maintaining a friendly atmosphere of them.

SAW III

Hoffman is introduced as a forensic detective that comments on the ingenious nature of Jigsaw's traps and behavior. Other cops are stunned by this, commenting that Jigsaw is nothing more then - at best a vigilante. At worst, a mindless thug.

SAW IV

If you listen to the SAW IV commentary you get Director Darren Lynn Bousman advertising Repo the Genetic Opera for literally two hours and thirty minutes. It's a sad fact that the film's plot is full of holes but we gather that the federal government has finally decided to step in sending a faux Mulder and Scully to deal with Hoffman and Amanda. At some point they put together that Jigsaw had a third accomplice beyond Amanda Young (who was outed by Hoffman - subtly). What we discover is that SAW III and SAW IV were taking place at the same time, that while Jigsaw was being murdered and Amanda Young was losing her mind Hoffman - in an effort perhaps to do things right was trying to recruit his own accomplice (a coworker) and eliminate the people who could implicate him in the murders. This both backfired and did not backfire, as Rigg failed his test - learning desperation, disappointment, and horror - but Amanda and John were still eliminated leaving Hoffman the supposed "victor."

SAW V

Ultimately Hoffman's backstory is told, not fulfilled and poorly written, and he and Strahm square off. He convinces Strahm to kill himself (from a legal standpoint) and frames him for the further jigsaw murders.

SAW VI

Hoffman goes after a corrupt (of sorts) healthcare provider who was previously responsible for John Kramer's health care being cancelled. Either he was feeling charitable, willing to conclude John's business or he was trying to fulfill the last bargain he made with Kramer - continue the work with his wife Jill Tuck. (another accomplice emerges) Jill ultimately attempts to kill Hoffman and does not succeed as he staples his own face back up and goes on the hunt for revenge

SAW VII

Hoffman has degenerated into a mindless thug. He kills half of his former colleagues, kills Jill Tuck, and tries to escape only to be caught by more accomplices as the Jigsaw movement has caught on and inspired a group of ordinary citizenry to take matters into their own hands. Hoffman is locked away from the world in the bathroom where the whole movie series began (and the audience is left to wonder "why didn't it end there seriously for the love of god")

OFF CAMERA Off - Camera we discover (according to both producers and writers via commentary) that Hoffman's Homicide department was corrupted (this is actually alluded to on camera "You and your whole crooked department") but somehow never addressed thanks to the overwhelming desire of how many people can we put in big metal machines and make squirm. We do learn however that they were popular (again off camera in a scene in the script that was cut - nurses and Hoffman exchanging words and saying hello (saw V). Despite being corrupt.

Overall Hoffman fits the scenery of the scenario and his world. He is done in sepia and gray like the buildings (abandoned doll factories, meat packing plants, grim sewers). Ultimately his color becomes black towards the end, but from his canon point he's the harsher equivalent of the detectives that you see on police procedurals. As opposed to making a joke and smiling while the music starts - believing in justice, he instead shoves it down and decides that he wants to see the guy suffer. A desire that will eventually lead to his psychosis, and his undoing.

Personality:

MAN Hoffman is fundamentally capable of caring, affection, and interest in other people. He is not a sociopath - he does not use or manipulate others (contrary to what other people might believe) or at least prior to meeting with Jigsaw he doesn't. He suffers an incredible tragedy, the loss of his only family and his only sense of emotional support. This support, a younger sister named Angelina is murdered. He is brought to justice but a flaw in the prosecution of the case puts her killer in jail for only five years. Embittered, Hoffman decides to take revenge. He pleads his case to Jigsaw - explaining (without using so many words) that the man would have most likely killed him anyway. Jigsaw explains that he still broke the fundamental code of being a police officer (preserve all life) and that he was fundamentally screwed. During the course series we watch his degeneration from human being to monster - dragged down by John Kramer. At his canon point, he is a man who has faced a major failure - the death of a longtime friend who he considered decent enough to be recruited into his cause as well as the death of his mentor.

While he is nowhere near as weak as Amanda Young in terms of her loyalties (she is the poster child for Stockholm Syndrome) his willingness to remain with Jigsaw despite being initially being blackmailed to the role assigned to him indicates he was suffering from some sort of psychological manipulation. Regardless, he had the capability of stopping but didn't. Pushed to the edge, he translates from sepia and gray to black quickly. By SAW IV he's full of anger and regret, not that he'd admit to it. He has made himself emotionless for his profession, to protect himself (Jigsaw was threatening to expose him for murdering his sister's killer) and to enable his mentor's work.

COP Hoffman is considered a first class officer. He is promoted, and at the beginning of SAW V he has set himself up to be a hero (it's assumed that he set up Rigg to be a hero too, as two hero cops could never be suspected of being vigilante killers) He demonstrates an innate sense of forensics and computer work. That's not unusual, American police officers regular go through different rotations in the penal system. He is well liked, but not someone who plays by the rules. (As indicated in off camera: Allison Kerry and Eric Matthews are two of his detectives who are having an affair. This is a big no-no. AS well as his friend Rigg hitting a man accused of beating children. Regardless of the circumstances or if he was guilty or not, that is still assault) He has shot people in the line of duty, and while that is considered abusive - again, not sociopathic. He is illustrated as a police officer that believes in the thin blue line. Cops for cops first (trained to think like pack attack dogs) and civilians are secondary, especially if they resist thinking of police officers as the be-all-end-all of protection.

KILLER Jigsaw kidnaps Hoffman and indicates to him that he knows that he murdered his sister's killer. Hoffman tries to justify it and fails abysmally. When he tries to leave Jigsaw announces that if he does not assist him he will expose him. Hoffman explains that he'd kill him if needed. Jigsaw says:

"But you're not a true killer. That's your dilemma."

Jigsaw is not the doctor. Jigsaw does not know that he lies, or at least he does not start to lie until the introduction of Amanda Young. His motivations are purely profitable, he wants muscle and someone capable of covering his tracks within the law - but he does not intend to make Hoffman into a monster. He tries to encourage him to see things as emotionless and to lock his heart away. Initially Hoffman admits that he feels remorse for Paul - who is not guilty of anything other then being suicidal. Jigsaw slaps him down. It can be assumed there were other similar traps to Paul's. Gradually jigsaw wore away at Hoffman's remorse and human feeling until Jigsaw meets Amanda and devotes his twisted sense of caring to her presence. Hoffman is left alone with his feelings worn down.

He's fine with that. You have to have a degree of heartlessness in order to be a police officer anyway (not recklessness but a sense to lay their life on the line)

As a killer at this particular canon point he is still motivated by selfishness and a desire to prove that he can be better at killing people then Jigsaw. He has convinced himself that he can and survive this, but he is in a place of doing what little mourning that he can for his friend.

Appearance:



Heavyset police officer, medium length hair. Despite appearances (that he might be overweight) he's capable of taking someone on physically, just not winning.

Abilities:

While he has no superhuman abilities, he is a first class police officer with some skill in police forensics (the skill and detection of fibers, fingerprints, etc.) This is applied to the fact that he is a serial killer. He is skilled in reading people, manipulation, and building torture traps and kidnapping people.

On a scale of measurement between one being - the villager from animal crossing and ten being hannibal lecter he is about six point five to seven.

Inventory:
9mm handgun (police issue standard) with one clip - in the weapon.
One speech - written thanking people for his heroism and the awards. ("Justice is the backbone of every peaceful society...and I believe true justice has been served today.")
Blue Tie
light blue shirt
black suit
Award Meritorious conduct awarded to Detective Lieutenant Mark Hoffman.
Wallet one picture, Allison Kerry, Eric Matthews. One picture Daniel Rigg and Mark Hoffman as Academy graduates, One picture Angelina Hoffman and Mark Hoffman at his graduation, Diver's License, Police Identification, Police badge, Two hundred dollars in cash.
Knife small knife. Two point five inch blade.

Suite: In terms of SAW - Hoffman would be happier with the metal section and it allows him to do more working with traps. Therefore he would like a two story suite in the metal section. Failing that, if unavailable please give him the same in the wood section. :) So flexible.

In-Character Samples:
Third Person:

Time was on your side, but your obsession wouldn't let you stop.

Mark Hoffman knows all about obsession. It was on the face of every cop he saw watch a killer walk free. It was in the eyes of every victim who had to go without justice, It was in every corner of his apartment after Angelina died. She's on his mind a lot thinking of Rigg, Daniel Rigg and Tracy Rigg who wanted to start a family. His buddy who had come up through the academy with him and who should have risen to the higher level that was the work. Sure they'd had different Rabbis - different men to guide them through the system but they had always watched each other's back. He should have made Detective, he shouldn't have been there, he should have been smart enough to fucking listen...

But he did what he had to do. What Hoffman would have done before he knew better.

Something else he owed John Kramer. Or John Kramer's ghost. The more he tries to tug away from the old bastard the more he is tethered to him. It's like the tug of a leash and he thinks about Amanda's ape comments, dog comments, and it makes him want to growl he's better then that. Isn't he?

Hardly. He studies himself in the mirror, adjusting his tie before taking a seat in the back of the press conference room and studying his friends that have passed on. Directly or indirectly - people that he had killed. Family that had failed him, pack that had failed him if you wanted to be more direct about it. He is suddenly struck by a sense of isolation. The room buzzes. He wants to go home, he wants to drink - no. He doesn't want to drink. Kramer cured him the system works. Yeah right. Yeah right. Look at how well the system works if it worked...

There would be no people dead. His job would not exist - his past, his sordid awful past would be gone and Angelina would be married with two children calling him Uncle Mark. This however would be gone and he would be doing absolutely nothing. Nothing whatsoever.

A choice between doing the right thing and ceasing to exist.

It made more sense to accept that people would be murderers -

"I'd like to give way to the newly promoted detective lieutenant, Mark Hoffman."

He stands, his musings gone and dives back into the world of the scum and the slime and the muck I was already promoted. he thinks, shaking their hands, I was promoted twice.

The system at work.

Network:

[One man, reaching middle age with a wary expression on his face. Then he smirks - the smirk dissolves into a smile but those who are observant, very very observant - might be aware that the smile is not genuine. He runs a hand through his hair with something tucked under his arm.]

I was going to have today off anyway. You know. I get that I'm not dreaming and I get that I'm not going to be able to get back.

[At that, his eyes widen and there's a sense - especially to those of you who might be extra observant that this might be a good thing. Or an unusual thing. It's not something he's had time to process yet.

The expression goes dark.]

Which is pretty fucking rude if you don't mind my saying so. There any order to this spontaneous kidnapping people for riding on turtles sort of thing?

[he is betting no. however.] This would be the part where I flash my badge and introduce myself as Detective Hoffman. [He does so. One handed out of habit before realizing it and sticking it back in his pocket.] ...or indulge that habit and ask people if there's anything that I need to know about being here that's not in the welcoming committee.

...I'd appreciate any response.

[And the policeman turns off the feed and waits.]

REVISIONS TO APPLICATION - LIFE/DEATH/THE NATURE OF JIGSAW.

In brief, Hoffman's feelings on life and death and being in a place between those two states would shake him - but he would keep it very far off camera. John Kramer attempts to impress upon Amanda (and his other apprentices) that Life and Death are equal. This is part of the thing that makes SAW so terrifying. (and it was recently mentioned in a stuyd that you can read about here. Hoffman due to his experiences however has a very dark worldview regarding his own mortality and his place within the world. On the one hand, initially his "test" by Jigsaw and seeming rebirth into service is supposed to have made him a better man. On the other he is still crippled by what he sees daily and the fact that he acknowledges through his actions that he has very little to live for.

By the end of the series he is more then ready to cut ties with everyone and try to start anew - this is not someone burdened with the glorious purpose that jigsaw instills in his victims. So, where is he at his current canonpoint? Grieving, for his friend who he killed (not that he would see it that way) and even more aware that his life is not as fulfilled as it should be. However he has demonstrated a willingness to keep going, an almost stubborn desire to keep existing just to prove that he can. Blind ambition is just that - blind ambition without a goal but his actions in the film demonstrate that he cared for his friend and therefore wanted things in his life worth living for.

Given that he is still in grief, his initial reaction would be shock (not that anyone would know it) annoyance (well what am I going to do now) a sense of freedom (well now at least I can choose) and depending on how circumstances might go he might acknowledge that what he did was considerably wrong and that he should atone for it in some way. (spoilers, he won't) or that he has failed in his ambition to prove Jigsaw wrong in some capacity and that he must return by any means he has to.

In short, he does not adopt a peaceful stand on this issue at all, but there's no way whatsoever that anyone will know it.