The horrific death of Dr. Lewis Dodgson in Jurassic World Dominion appears to mirror another significant death scene from the first film of the series 29 years prior. Jurassic World Dominion, released in 2022, sets up Dodgson as its main antagonist as the character is now revealed to be the CEO of Biosyn. As CEO, Dodgson has his chief scientist, Dr. Wu, create prehistoric locusts that can wipe out food crops not owned by Biosyn. This is not the first time in the series that the scientist resorts to trickery in order to get ahead.
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In the 1993 film Jurassic Park, Dodgson bribes InGen computer programmer Dennis Nedry to steal dinosaur embryos. Dodgson works for Biosyn, which is a genetics company in competition with InGen, and believes stealing these embryos will give his company a competitive advantage. Nedry feels that he is not being paid enough money for the job he does at InGen, which is why he is so quick to accept Dodgson’s bribe and go through with his plan. The two men initially meet outside a mall where Dodgson gives Nedry half of the money as well as a Barbasol can that has been modified to be able to conceal the stolen embryos. In order to obtain the embryos, Nedry deactivates Jurassic Park’s security which results in many of the dinosaurs being able to freely roam throughout the park.
Nedry meets his brutal demise while attempting to escape with the stolen embryos. He is disoriented by the weather and crashes his jeep in a forest, where he is eventually killed by a Dilophosaurus who sprays him with venom. Nedry’s death sequence is eerily similar to Dodgson’s final moments in Jurassic World Dominion. When Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler discover the locusts in the 2022 film, Dodgson attempts to burn all the evidence to avoid arrest which causes the sanctuary to catch on fire and the insects to escape. While he attempts to flee the scene, Dodgson is surrounded by a group of Dilophosaurus and meets the same venomous fate as Nedry. The death of Dodgson is a full-circle moment for the character’s relationship with Nedry. These characters are alike in their awkward personalities, their desires, and their final moments. Dodgson dying in the same manner as Nedry serves as karma for his initial involvement in what led to Nedry’s death.
The Meaning Behind Dodgson's Death
Nedry and Dodgson as characters share many similarities other than just their eventual demise. They are both depicted as greedy and morally corrupt men, whose judgments become cloudy when opportunities for potential wealth and power are presented. Nedry, who is unhappy with the amount of money he is making at InGen, agrees to assist Dodgson with his scheme because of the large amount of money promised to him if he helps. In Jurassic World Dominion, Dodgson uses the locusts to ensure that his business solely succeeds at the expense of others. It is their greed that led both men to their vicious deaths.
The fates of the two men are also connected by the modified Barbasol can, which is the tool given to Nedry by Dodgson to assist him in stealing the dinosaur embryos. When Nedry is attacked in Jurassic Park, he drops the can and the film never shows whether it makes it to Dodgson. The Barbasol can is later seen displayed on Dodgson’s trophy shelf in Jurassic World Dominion. After his plan is foiled, he grabs the can before making a run for it, alluding to the can containing embryos once again. Like Nedry, Dodgson drops the Barbasol can as he is preyed on by the group of Dilophosaurus. Although Dodgson and Nedry have limited screen time together, these characters are connected throughout the series by their loose morals and their selfish cravings for money and power. Their almost identical death scenes in Jurassic Park and Jurassic World Dominion solidify this connection and seem to conclude their story.