“ |
I thought we were close. After his sisters disappeared, he'd come and talk to me... He said I was the only one who understood him... I thought we had a connection. |
” |
—Sam |
Josh and Sam is a friendship in Until Dawn.
Overview[]
Josh and Sam are close friends, Sam being Josh's second highest relationship, tied with Ashley and Jessica and after Chris.
After the disappearance of Josh's sisters, Josh and Sam seemed to lean on each other for support for their mutual loss of people close to them. During a quiet moment when the two are alone, he thanks her for coming to the annual meet-up. Josh likes to tease Sam, and occasionally makes jokes like asking if she needs help with the bath.
Despite Sam's attempts to find Hannah and stop the prank from occurring, Josh still targets Sam and attempts to capture her, successfully or unsuccessfully. These actions leave Sam feeling betrayed and questioning her relationship with Josh, saying she had thought they had a connection and that he had told her she was the only one who’d really understood him.
Until Dawn[]
Chapter 1[]
A year after the disappearance of Hannah and Beth, Sam is seen on the bus, listening to a podcast reporting the anniversary. She watches Josh's video invite which he sent to all his friends calling them back up to the mountain again. While with Chris, waiting for the cable car, Sam voices concern for Josh, claiming that things must be really hard for him. She says that they all need to keep an eye on him because he doesn't seem like one to ask for help. Later, in the cable car, Sam will question if getting everyone back on the anniversary was the right thing to do, worried if Josh is really alright, since it’s hard to tell with him.
Chapter 2[]
Once Mike and Jessica are sent to the cabin after the fight, Sam will opt to take a bath instead of sticking around downstairs. Josh calls up for her, asking if she wants to help him get the fire going. She replies that she's getting into the bath, and Josh jokingly asks her if she needs help with that. She heads back downstairs to report to Josh that the hot water isn't working. Josh takes her down to the basement to fire up the boiler.
The two discuss Chris and Ashley's relationship, and then Josh stops her to say he's grateful everyone came back before indicating that he’s particularly glad that she came back. Sam can either say it's weird to be back, or reassure Josh that they're all here for him. On the way down the stairs, Josh tells Sam to watch her step (these steps will later become a QTE while Sam is running from the Psycho). In response, Sam claims she can handle a set of stairs. Josh apologize for dragging her into the basement and say he wouldn’t want her to be there alone.
Once in the basement, Sam can pick up Josh's baseball bat, and Josh will give her some details about his family life, either saying that his family used to play baseball on the mountain during summer or saying that he used to play with his dad all the time, before he got too busy to hang out. He'll return the bat to its place and ask Sam to help shine the light so he can see what he's doing.
Sam helps Josh fire up the boiler. Once they successfully turn on the hot water, he offers her a high five. Based on a QTE, she will either make the high-five or leave him hanging. After this, they hear a loud noise which scares Sam. Josh teases her, and Sam can either defend herself by claiming she wasn't scared (possibly accuse Josh of being scared too, which he will deny), or she will attempt to prank him by claiming there is something behind him. If Sam continues to insist that there’s really something behind him, Josh turns around and Sam gloats. No matter which choices the player makes, the two share a laugh together. Soon after, another noise will occur, which will frighten both Sam and Josh this time. Sam can either look for the noise herself or choose investigate with Josh, holding his arm as they look together. Either way, a masked man jumps out at them and chases them through the basement. The man reveals himself to be Chris who is merely playing a prank. Sam becomes annoyed, but Josh is delighted by the prank and jokes about her reaction. When Sam, Chris, and Josh meet back up with Ashley, Sam decides not to get involved in the spirit board affair and to finally take a warm bath.
Relationship status[]
- If Sam was mocking when talking about Chris and Ashley, her relationship with Josh will slightly decrease.
- If Sam is serious about the baseball bat, their relationship will slightly increase.
- If Sam is humorous about the baseball bat, their relationship will slightly decrease.
- If Sam is heroic when checking out the noise in the basement, their relationship will increase.

Chapter 5[]
While in the bath, Josh—as The Psycho—will be silently watches her. He closes the door, blowing out her candles and disrupting her peace. She gets out to discover her clothes are missing. She starts to call out for Josh and the others, saying that their little prank on her isn't funny.
In the cinema room, Josh, as the Psycho, will greet her and show her footage of herself in the bath. After, he plays a tape of Josh's “death” by saw blade and asks, "How does this make you feel?" In response, Sam screams. He gives her a chance to run before he starts pursuing her. Sam either evades him or is captured. If she’s caught, he will knock her out with gas or a needle (depending on the player’s choices with Dr. Hill), while saying that he's so sorry.
Chapter 7[]
If Sam had successfully escaped the Psycho, she will come across his workshop. Here, Sam will learn more about Josh and his mental health problems, and ultimately deduce that he is the Psycho.
When Josh reveals his identity, Sam will be shocked, questioning his motives. If she found the workshop clues, she will say that his name was written all over the prank and that it was a cry for help.
Chapter 8[]
If Chris previously hit Josh in the shed with a wooden beam, Sam will snap his name scoldingly. This implies that, despite Josh's actions towards Sam, she still cares about him.
Chapter 10[]
Alongside Mike, Sam searches the mines for Josh. If she finds the Scrawled Journal, Sam learns the truth about what happened to Josh's sisters and urges Mike to hurry in finding Josh. She and Mike will discover Josh talking to himself in one of the caves. After Mike snaps Josh back into reality, Sam informs Josh that Hannah survived falling into the mines and dug Beth up, a knowledge that will ultimately save his life. She obtains the cable car key from him, and leaves the mines on her own, sending Mike and Josh back the other way.
When Mike meets Sam back at the lodge, she will ask what happened to Josh. She is saddened to hear that the Wendigo got him, saying it's an awful way to go.
Credits[]
Sam will always have an interview commenting on Josh. She talks about how, after his sisters disappeared, he would confide in her. She states that she thought they had a connection. It's evident that she feels betrayed by Josh, and that she had considered their relationship special. She rebuffs the interviewer's efforts to get her to open up further.
Trivia[]
- They are the only characters in the game who don't have any romantic relationships prior, or after the game.
- Rami Malek, Josh’s voice and motion capture actor, has indicated that Josh’s feelings for Sam were genuine:
- ”We know [Josh] definitely can be depressed at times, and a bit of a loner. But he takes some solace in one of his sister’s friends, Sam.” [1]
Quotes[]
- "It really means a lot to me that everyone came back this year and you know, that you came, Sam." - Josh to Sam in the basement, Chapter 2.
- "And Mike... I think somehow Josh is involved in all of this-" - Sam
- "Wait... what? How?" - Mike
- "I'm really not sure, but... there was a message from his doctor, and it mentioned a 'plan', that was like a 'bad idea' and now he's dead!" - Sam talking to Mike about her findings in the Psycho's workshop, Chapter 7.
- "Josh, your fingerprints were all over this, it was obviously you..." - Sam
- "Oh really? Really really really?" - Josh
- "You're crying out for help, Josh... Come on, you wanted to get caught, didn't you?" - Sam
- "Oh sure. I'm totally just crying out for help. 'Help me! Oh help me! Help help...'" - Josh and Sam after he tells the group about his prank.
- "I thought we were close... After his sisters disappeared he'd come and talk to me... He said I was the only one who understood him. I thought... I thought we had a connection." - Sam about Josh, Credits.
Interactions
| |
---|---|
Ashley and Chris · Chris and Josh · Josh and Sam · Mike and Sam · Jessica and Matt · Chris and Sam | |
Family |