Red Dead Redemption 2 is widely loved by most and debates endure about whether RD2 or Grand Theft Auto 5 is Rockstar's true masterpiece. Much praise goes to its graphics, exceptional open world, and story, which tells a tragic tale about the dying "Old West." These are characters stuck in a time period that America has passed by, and they refuse to incorporate themselves into modern society, preferring instead to conduct a futile attempt at keeping the outlaw lifestyle alive.
And while the story is truly magnificent, it does have its fair share of iffy plot points. Most are nothing that breaks the game, but they are confusing for many players, nonetheless.
Why Did Molly Lie?
Character choices shouldn't often be questioned. People act silly in real life and make stupid and seemingly nonsensical decisions. But many felt that this one was just egregious. At the end of her line with Dutch, a drunken Molly reveals to him that she ratted out the gang to the Pinkertons. Unsurprisingly, she is shot and killed in retaliation.
But Arthur later learns that Micah was the rat and Molly never said anything. So why did she say what she did? She probably just wanted to hurt Dutch in some way, as their personal relationship had completely collapsed, but surely she knew this would result in her death?
Pay Off The Blackwater Bounty
This is an instance in which gameplay and story clash. Red Dead Redemption 2 allows the player to pay off their bounty, which, in turn, allows wanted players to roam free. For example, players can do this in Valentine, despite shooting up the entire town, and in Strawberry.
And yet they can't do this in Blackwater for some unknown reason. There is a reason - it's to keep the player out of the area until the epilogue. It's just not a story-driven reason.
How Did The Pinkertons Know About The Saint Denis Robbery?
The middle portion of the story sees the desperate van der Linde gang attempting to rob the bank in Saint Denis. This, of course, goes terribly, as the Pinkertons were lying in wait. The plan goes horribly awry, and numerous major characters are killed in the resulting shootout.
But how did the Pinkertons know about this planned robbery? Molly didn't talk, and Micah wasn't flipped until after the gang returned from Guarma. Was it just a happy accident? Or unseen detective work?
Sadie's Letter
And speaking of the Pinkertons - what exactly was going on with Sadie's letter? After returning from Guarma, Arthur finds the Pinkertons scouring the Shady Belle hideout. He sneakily makes his way inside and finds a letter from Sadie, informing him of the camp's new location. Did the Pinkertons seriously not see this letter?
It's not exactly hidden, and there's no indication that they had read it. In fact, it's implied that Micah told the Pinkertons of the new location, indicating that they never found or read the letter - this, despite it being on a table two feet from the main entrance.
Why Doesn't Milton Just Follow Arthur?
A lot of this plot can be boiled down to "the Pinkertons are horrible at their job." Early in the story, Arthur takes a bored Jack fishing in an attempt to bond with the boy, get him out of the camp, and provide him with some fatherly love. While fishing, they are accosted by Pinkerton agents who ask Arthur to flip on Dutch in return for a lenient sentence.
Arthur tells them to beat it and rides back to camp. Why didn't the Pinkertons follow? Dutch even explicitly asks Arthur if he was followed back to camp, which raises the question - why wasn't he?
Why Would Arthur Go For The Money?
Player agency is often a good thing, but not if it flies in the face of a character. The end of Arthur's story gives a choice, being one of the video games where your choice really does matter, but it is a false choice. Players are given the option to either flee with John and provide him with an extra hand or go back for the money. Why is this even a choice?
Not once did Arthur display a desire for the money, and besides, he knew he was actively dying. Of what use would that money be to him? It's choice for the sake of choice, even though it doesn't make sense within the context of the story.
Ross Finds John
The end of the game sees Pinkerton agents discovering Micah's body and tracing his killer back to John's farm, and the tragic implication is that seeking vengeance against Micah sealed John's fate. It's a brilliant segway into the first Red Dead Redemption, and this more expansive story is just one of the reasons why some people feel RD2 is better than the original.
However, the timelines don't exactly match up. The end of Red Dead Redemption 2 takes place in 1907, whereas the first game begins in 1911. So what exactly was Agent Ross doing for four years?
Arthur Never Infects Anyone
Of course, the major twist of the story comes halfway through, when Arthur makes the horrifying realization that he has tuberculosis. This is the catalyst for his entire character arc, as the fated Arthur realizes that his time is short and begins treating others with more respect. But it's very bizarre that he never infects anyone around camp, despite coughing all over the place.
Of course, it's possible that some were infected but died before they could find out. But this is never explicitly stated, and it's quite curious.
Dutch's Money Problems
Red Dead Redemption 2 follows the "one last score" trope - a popular trope of the Western genre. Dutch needs to round up enough money to get the gang to Tahiti - or, anywhere that isn't "civilization," for that matter. Players later find out that Dutch actually has upwards of $60,000 squirreled away, which obviously discredits his plan of getting money and getting out of America.
Dutch had lost the plot by the end of the game, but his faculties were quite clear at the beginning. He had good intentions, but he never actually acted on them.
The O'Driscolls Find Shady Belle
It's well established in the game's lore that the O'Driscolls are not active in Lemoyne. So how is it they found Shady Belle? Granted, the twist of Kieran's death is positively shocking and grotesque, and it makes for one of the game's signature scenes.
It's obvious that the O'Driscolls tracked the gang somehow, and said tracking likely involved Kieran. But this is all depicted off-camera (so to speak), resulting in the player being just as shocked as Arthur.