I feel like Sam and Hannah's relationship goes by a deep show-but-don't-tell rule during the duration of the game. Sam actively pretends to not know what Chris was doing when he tried to give her a subtle space to talk about Hannah before they're completely on the mountain and even Josh was side eyeing her when she didn't understand the score system, something that he definitely believed she should have known considering it might have been a tennis scoring system. One of Hannah's sports.
It's only when Sam goes into Hannah's room that we see her knowledge Hannah in some way and it's strange to say the least because she chooses to focus and comment on the very few clues of Hannah liking Mike in an almost mean fashion. Is it anger? Frustration? Bitterness over what happened?
Or is Sam deluding herself for a moment that Hannah is still around but just outside the room? That she's maybe doing something elsewhere in the lodge and Sam is going to tease when she gets back?her comments lack any tone that Hannah is gone at all.
I cannot say and don't understand the point in getting snarky over something Hannah can't defend herself over anymore unless Sam has been in some sort of denial about Hannah being gone.
The fact as soon as a spirit board is mentioned Sam is quick to leave and take a long bath, long enough to potentially avoid any other interactions.
Even when Emily comes back and tells them about Beth and her theory that Hannah had still been alive Sam doesn't really react to the news. It's like she didn't even hear her right. Or maybe she didn't want to listen to the possibility that Hannah could have been rescued. That they had a month to do it and in that time Hannah had waited, starving and injured.
It's finally when she sees the evidence herself that Sam breaks. Hannah had been in the mines for a whole month and no one knew, maybe not even bothering to check. She waited and starved with only her sister's rotting body for company and eventually succumbed to eating it to survive bc they failed her. It should feel like closure to finally know but the full knowledge on Hannah's fate only makes it so much worse.
And now Hannah had become a monster, something supernatural. And Sam's greatest fear has always been the supernatural.
The last time they see each other, the tone has shifted. Sam can no longer pretend. She looks at Hanndigo now with full understanding, grief, and horror of who they used to be.
And it's one of the few times we see Hannah in Hanndigo's expressions. Hannah's fear and grief in knowing Sam nearby, that she won't be able to save her if the monster part finds her. Bc Hanndigo did look in Sam's general direction and her expression did soften and reveal fear and concern when coming up to where Sam hid.
Hanndigo even showed surprise when she indirectly saved Sam.
The fact Sam didn't even try to fight Hanndigo's hold even knowing it would be pointless. That all she did was look at Hanndigo and take in the parts that were Hannah and maybe finding comfort in that or maybe finally taking in the reality.
Butterfly effect at full circle.
The ending for if Sam lives has her deep diving into the supernatural, something she has been stated to fear deeply. Specifically the legends pertaining to what happened to Hannah and the events of that night.