A Red Dead Redemption 2 meme from TikTok is making the rounds, depicting John Marston kicking his son Jack high into the air. As shown in both Red Dead Redemption and its 2018 prequel, John and Jack Marston don't exactly have the ideal father and son relationship. Both make an honest effort to set things right, though, even when things between them appear fraught.
Red Dead Redemption 2 takes place several years before the events of the 2010 entry. John Marston is still running with the Van der Linde gang, his wife Abigail and young son Jack tagging along. As one would expect from a child born into a family of outlaws, Jack's youth runs rampant with horrors. He's kidnapped by the Braithwaite family in the prequel, for instance, then later forced to face the loss of loved ones. Jack does experience a few positives in his young life, such as a fishing trip with Red Dead 2 protagonist Arthur Morgan, though that also turns sour in the end.
Recently, Reddit user EnvironmentalTour272 shared a Red Dead Redemption 2 meme from TikTok that doesn't paint John Marston's parenting skills in the best light. The brief video clip runs eight seconds long and begins with John chasing after his son Jack along a shoreline. When the two characters are finally face-to-face, John shouts an expletive and kicks Jack into the air. The poor kid soars several feet up, flailing about before falling with a quick "I hate you" aimed at his once-absent father. See the admittedly hilarious video in the Reddit post linked below:
The video's original creator cleverly spliced together a few choice audio clips to make it all work. And work it does. Again, this doesn't paint John Marston in a good light as a father, yet serves as a funny, albeit sad, reminder that Jack Marston is quite the tragic character.
Rockstar Games and publisher Take-Two Interactive released Red Dead Redemption 2 in late 2018 to critical acclaim and commercial success that's yet to subside. In fact, the Red Dead franchise counts as nothing short of an incredible success for both companies. The 2010 and 2018 installments have moved a combined 60 million units worldwide, Take-Two confirmed in an earnings report over the summer. Red Dead Redemption 2 alone sits at a staggering 38 million copies sold.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available to play now across Google Stadia, PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms.
Source: EnvironmentalTour272/Reddit