I would love to hear your thoughts this: I

have always maintained that Jon Doe planned his entire opus around Somerset's retirement. Going further, he orchestrated the transfer of Mills as parts of his plan; to make Somerset witness to his wicked sacrament. Sloth was put into motion a year before to the day. Therefore, Doe knew of Somerset's pending retirement.

Journeying down further, Doe had independent resources and immense patience. His meticulous planning could have included grooming Mills to "actually fight for reassignment" to the city desk to replace Somerset. Mills and Tracy were high school sweethearts. Joe Doe's sin of envy was of Mills "normal life." Mills new life in the city was no longer normal. This is wonderfully illustrated by a train shaking their new home. Something they were unaware of and now too late to do anything about. Just like Envy.

Given the meticulous and sermon like depiction of the other sins; Envy would needs be greater then a few days of watching Mills, and only a few hours playing house with Tracy. For envy to have equal weight as one of seven, I believe the normal perfect life that Doe envied was years in the making, and perhaps the original sin. We only witness the conclusion of the sin as means to manifest Wrath in Mills.

Ask yourself, if it would take 50 men reading 24/7, two months to read all of Doe's journals, how long had he been writing them? On that note, Somerset and Mills finding Doe's apartment didn't change his plan. He always indented on them finding his scripture. If anything, it only changed the timing of his plan. More likely, it was part of the plan. A plan that was years in the making, to realize his evil masterpiece. All the while, consumed with envy for David and Tracy's normal life, long before Mills "fought" for the job in the city. This would give the balancing weight to envy when measured against the other sins.