Red Dead Redemption 2, like its predecessor, is filled with powerful quotes that capture the essence of the western franchise. Whether it’sArthur Morgan’s contemplation of his life, a Dutch Van der Linde gang member echoing sentiments of the outlaw life, or Marston’s rejection of the Bureau of Investigations ideas of civilization, this idea remains consistent.
However, no character captures these ideas better thanDutch, a tragic heroin the grand scheme of things, and no lines capture that better than his final lines in both games. They’re simple, as often the best quotes are, but they carry a lot of power in bothRed Dead Redemptionand its sequel.
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During the standoff with John Marston and Micah Bell, Dutch’s gun is aimed at Marston who in turn begs Dutch to say something. His reply is a simple, “I ain’t got too much to say no more.” He then turns to shoot Micah, disappearing afterward with a solemn “thank you” from John, and the very fact thatRed Dead Redemption 2’s Dutchhas run out of things to say actually says a lot.
As many know, Dutch always has one more plan, always has something to say, and can sometimes carry a monologue like a cheesy villain. It works for his character, though, as this intellectual chatter defines him, but here it shows how the fallout of the gang broke Dutch. It’s clear he and Micah split ways for years, with Dutch likely reluctantly accepting his proposal comeRed Dead Redemption 2’s epilogue.
Simply put, he’s a broken man, clear as day, and that’s something that can be said for every gang member—his way of life, his very own nature, broke him. This is clear in thatCharles Smith and Sadie Adler, in the whole franchise, are the only ones who make it out somehow.
Morgan’s death likely weighed heavy on Dutch; it’s not something he could forget, perhaps even realizing later on that he was wrong. This may be why he shot Micah, after all. However, it’s also clear that he and John end things on relatively agreeable terms, as the fallout ofRed Dead Redemption 2is something he, John, and all the others carry. Moving past that proves to be impossible, however, as the Pinkertons find Micah’s body, setting into action the events of the first game.
With Javier Escuella in Mexico, Bill Williamson doing his own thing, and Dutch hiding out, it’s clear the gang and the ideology there was never fixed. Dutch may have clinged to it, but as he addresses in his final scene, he can’t fight his own nature. He tells Marston that they’ll just find another monster and ends with the solemn phrase, “Our time has passed, John.”
Dutch’s words can almost be considered prophetic, as after Dutch, the Bureau turns on John as the “last enemy to be destroyed,” the final mission for John inRed Dead Redemption. With this broken ideology by the time of the first game and the ever-changing world, it’s clear Dutch saw that the world was shrinking for people like him, and that those who shared his way of life would eventually be hunted down. In a way, shouldRed Dead Redemption 3ever release, this outlines the fate ofJack Marston.
Dutch believed revenge was a fool’s game, but that doesn’t stopJack from hunting down Edgar Rossto take revenge after his father’s death. Yet this likely just paints a target on Jack’s back, and if a sequel ever explored his time afterward, it wouldn’t be something that ended well. After all, as Dutch’s words prove, theRed Dead Redemptionfranchise is nothing short of a western tragedy of redemption and revenge.
Red Dead Redemption 2is out now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
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