Character Analysis
More Like Dead-y
What? Too soon?
Come on, you've had a whole movie to deal with Teddy (a.k.a. John Gamel)'s death… which is weird because we don't understand why he dies until the very end of the film.
In a movie with a million uncertainties, one of the things we know for sure is that Teddy is a dead man. We've seen it happen and soon realize that his death, despite being the introduction, is the culmination of all of the action in the film.
Because of the reverse chronology, every scene is a minor puzzle for both the viewers and Leonard to solve. But the one big mystery that spans the whole movie is the mystery of Teddy. Who is he really? Why does Leonard kill him? What are his motivations for doing what he does?
Some of these things we figure out (Leonard kills Teddy because he's been lying to him, and conveniently has a John G. name), while other things less clear. Let's try to puzzle them out but be ready for the big reveal: that there's just no way of knowing anything for sure.
Frustrating? You bet. Welcome to Leonard's world.
That Sinister 'Stache
Let's tackle the enigmatic Teddy one mystery at a time. First up: who is he?
Well, when Leonard hits him over the head and grabs his gun (this is after he's killed Jimmy) he also grabs Teddy's badge and is surprised to find that Teddy is actually an undercover cop. Also, who but a cop would have a moustache like that?
This leads us to the next question: why is Teddy, an undercover cop, doing what he's doing to Leonard? And, um, what exactly is he doing?
At first, it appears that Teddy is simply using Leonard to make some dough. He gets put on Leonard's case and, being somewhere between corrupt and selfish, decides he can use this guy's disability to advantage. He goes around to different towns finding drug dealers, setting up fake deals, and having Leonard kill them so he can take the money. Like Natalie says, the police "don't look too hard for guys like Jimmy." If this is the case, Teddy is basically a total scumbag with no redeeming qualities at all.
But what if Teddy, for once, actually tells the truth at the end of the film? Teddy tells Leonard that he was the only one who believed him that a John G. existed. He helped Leonard find and kill him (because apparently he actually did exist) and when it didn't stick he created new John G's so that Leonard could re-experience the satisfaction of revenge. And hey, so what if he wants to make a little money on the side… and kill innocent people… well, innocent criminals. Is it really that bad that he's lying to Leonard when Leonard (again, if we believe Teddy) is lying to himself?
Hmm. Yeah. Yeah, that is pretty bad.
Maybe there is no way to see Teddy as the good guy; he's either really bad or just kind of bad with good-ish intentions. But Teddy does have his moments. During the diner scene where they're having lunch, Leonard says,
"He took away the woman I love and he took away my memory. He destroyed everything; my life and my ability to live."
Teddy, feeling his pulse responds:
"You're living."
Teddy, like Natalie, might be an excellent actor and liar (same thing really) but we find it hard to believe he doesn't have a least a little bit of genuine concern and sympathy for Leonard.
Teddy's Timeline