Harley Sawyer
“ | My name is Harley Sawyer. I'm called "the Doctor." When I look at this company we've built, I do not feel proud. Declining profits, failed experiments, people are constantly seeing things they shouldn't. How is that anything less than complete failure on our part? It's pathetic. | ” |
— Harley Sawyer, VHS #1 |
Dr. Harley Sawyer, also known as The Doctor, is an executive who works at Playtime Co. He makes his debut in VHS #1 of Project: Playtime and is the person behind the Bigger Bodies Initiative.
Appearance
His appearance is currently unknown.
Personality
Judging by the VHS #1 tape, he wants to solve the company's problems by creating alive experiments in the shape of their mascots. This way the company won't need to pay workers or spend money on fixes to maintain working conditions. He seems to have a superiority complex and a lack of empathy towards his subordinates. He also seems to only care about the company and would sacrifice anything to keep it afloat, even if it involves innocent lives. Sawyer appears to be grumpy and tired, likely hinting that he works very hard and/or long.
A noteworthy part of his personality is shown in the tape Your Gift has finally arrived, where Sawyer finds out someone was recording him and ferociously yells at the camera to be turned off immediately. This is quite contrasting to his normally calm and stoic personality, which either shows it is a cover for his more aggressive personality or he gets furious very easily.
In the Experiment 1188 Bigger Bodies Proposal, the person writing the proposal states that "Dr. Sawyer insists he handle the extraction himself.", which indicated that Sawyer was dedicated to the Bigger Bodies Initiative and/or wanted to be credited for the extraction either as an honor to the dedication of research or an arrogant way to gain glory.
Story
Backstory
Harley Sawyer was hired during an unknown time by Playtime Co. and presumably became a scientist, with his coworkers calling him "the Doctor" or "Dr. Sawyer." During his employment, he learned about the company's failed experiments and realized they would go bankrupt if they got sued, which seemed to be an eventuality. Determined to prevent this, Harley strove to find a solution for the toy company.
Can you hear us? Can you see this?
In the late 1980s or early 1990s, Harley approached the Playtime Co. executives with a solution for the company's ongoing problems. Incidents of lower-level employees witnessing confidential experiments and decreased profits were causing Playtime Co. to crumble. Harley proposed the development of large toys to increase the workforce and cut costs as a potential solution. He called this solution the Bigger Bodies Initiative and requested that he oversee and lead the project.
Your gift has finally arrived.
Sometime after March 30, 1991, Harley Sawyer visits Boxy Boo's containment cell. The angry hunter roars as the doctor revels in his success, proclaiming the creature to be "the first of many" and its very existence opening many possibilities- some presumably leading to immortality. Harley then decides that the creature's appetite must be attuned to human flesh. He asks a nearby doctor for an update on Rowan Stoll. When a phone starts ringing, Harley notices that someone is recording him, and yells for them to put down the camera and stop recording.
Cross-Department Report
In the Cross-Department Report from the Chapter 3 ARG, Harley Sawyer is revealed to be in charge of Research at the Playtime Co. factory. In the report, he talks about the difficulties of CatNap's creation, and how he is extremely pleased about CatNap's behaviour, even comparing him to Experiment 1170, Huggy Wuggy.
Trivia
- It's presumed that the person recording in VHS #2 was Rowan Stoll, calling back to the events of the Project: Playtime ARG. This event is when he finds out about Boxy Boo, leading up to his third recording.
- It's speculated that Harley Sawyer was the one who wrote the Experiment 814 report.
- His nickname, "The Doctor", may unintentionally reference himself, because a doctor wants to keep people healthy and alive by helping them combat issues with their bodies, just like how Sawyer wants to keep Playtime Co. alive by creating the Bigger Bodies Initiative to combat the current problems of Playtime Co.
- Since Sawyer is also referred to as "Dr. Sawyer", he possesses a doctorate of unknown degree, most likely a Doctor of Philosophy as it is often a requirement for Scientists to hold this degree.
- It is theorized that Harley Sawyer knew Elliot Ludwig either personally or professionally, owing to Sawyer's influence in Playtime Co.
- He appears to have had some part in "extracting" something for the creation of CatNap, as seen in the second page of the Experiment 1188 Bigger Bodies Proposal.
Civilians
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Elliot Ludwig • Leith Pierre • Rich • Avery • Interviewer • Stella Greyber • Scientist • Jaren • Sharon • Patty Hall • Marcas Brickley • Sarah Abell • Matteo Lata • Jimmy Roth • Eddie M.N. Ritterman • Dr. Matthew Wayson • Rowan Stoll • Resource Extraction Specialists • Harley Sawyer • 1170 Retrieval Team • 1199 Scientist • Micath Pierciado • Claire Harper • Joel Sinclair | |
Marie Payne • Makayla Hyssop • Thomas Clarke • Theodore Grambell | |
The Player • Molly Ludwig |