Red Versus Blue Through The Years

[Soviet Heavy]

So Season 10 just drew to a close on Monday, effectively capping off the Halo 3 variants of the Blood Gulch Gang. It answered a lot of questions, and then promptly raised more, as usual. However, at this point, I think they are really beginning to wind down the backstory elements and move onto something new.

Seasons 1 through 5 were the adventures of the idiots stationed at Blood Gulch. The Revelations Trilogy and the Freelancer Seasons dealt with events that happened before the Blood Gulch Chronicles, providing context and expanding on the history of the project.

However, while I still find that the new seasons are good, I really think that the show peaked back in Season 6: Reconstruction. That was really the game changer for RvB. It introduced the new plot elements and villains, but it still tempered things with the humor and insane escapades of the older episodes. All the while, it made the story much more cohesive, and on its own, I really believe that it is the standout season.

Recreation was fun, with the more dicking about behavior from the cast, but it still tried the storyline, and I felt it didn't do as well. It felt rather disjointed, but not in the madcap comedy way of Blood Gulch chronicles. The Meta was turned into a much sillier threat than the freaking monster from Reconstruction. And then this comedic style was completely shot in the foot at the end, with the mood whiplash into very dark territory very fast.

Revelation is where I think things really started to go off the rails a bit. Monty was a great addition to the production team, but I think they should have kept him on a tighter leash. With every season onwards, he has gotten more and more time to showcase his animation. While that's great, it also marks a shift away from comedy and towards eye candy. I really don't think this was the best way to go.

Because then you got the Freelancer Seasons. Half the story turned into anime drama, complete with the over the top fight scenes, impractical glamazon models power armor, and shallow drama hoisted on characters we either already hated (South) or knew nothing about (CT)(Carolina). And then, with Season 10, it got worse. Now, the hackneyed drama was seeping into the Blood Gulch Gang's side of things as well. Episodes devoted to Carolina moping around and being a complete ***** to the others.

Washington got totally screwed over. From competent but out of his league in Reconstruction, to remorseless cold tracker in Recreation and Revelation, to Carolina's whipping boy in Season 9 and 10.

I dunno. I still enjoyed Season 9 and 10, but so little is explained about the past of project freelancer, too little comedy, far too many fight scenes that go on for way too long, and just a whole feeling of vagueness that really hurts the episodes. Who are these Rebels? Why are they fighting Project Freelancer? Are they connected to the insurrectionists from the main Halo Franchise who fought the UNSC? What are they doing with the Aliens? Why is nothing explained/ Why are there two minigun mooks with smiley faces on their helmets?

Spoiler

WHY THE HELL IS CAROLINA TEX AND LEONARD'S DAUGHTER!?

 

[SmytheTech]

Okay, since I don't really know where to start with replying to some of this (still lurking on here mainly) I'll just dive in and see where I end up.

I can see where you;re coming from relating to seasons 6 onwards - the show has gotten a lot less crazy and more serious over the years with less obvious humour and more action in its place. And whilst you make the point about Monty's animation I feel it helps further the idea that the freelancer's themselves where just that much more 'badass' in comparison to the Red's/Blue's that we've lived with for the past 10 years (give or take, I'm not quite sure myself). I mean we're constantly told that these guys were practically one-man-armies ever we first meet Tex back in Blood Gulch. Over the top as it might have been it shows a very distinct difference in skill set.

I do disagree with your comment on 'hackneyed drama' though - for me they've continued to build upon each characters personality and actions throughout the years - its nice that we see them at there best/worst otherwise we don't connect to them in a way that leaves a lasting impression. They just become mooks with no actual character going from one place to another, which is kind of boring. This is especially important for characters like Carolina where we have such a short time to get to know her.

Not sure what else I can add to this I'm afraid, I may need to lie down since I've stepped into the light and stopped lurking for now.

Spoiler

And they probably made Carolina her daughter as its an interesting idea - trying to live up to the ideals/skills/whatever of your parents.

 

[Vrex360]

I honestly think what Red Vs Blue needs is to find a clear stopping point and just end. As hard as that would be to accept given the nostalgia and charm attached to the property (it's consistently funny and at times even quite moving, it's amazing how attached you get to these idiots after a while) but the sad truth is that if a series goes on forever it will inevitably reach a bad spot. I honestly think the peak of the series was season 8, there was a lot of character development on display and it rounded the series off rather nicely. Sarge's 'why are you here' speech consistently giving me goosebumps from how well it was done and the fist pumping 'hell yeah' of the defeat of the Meta.

However I'm also left wondering where the series can go after 'project freelancer' has been finished off. I mean they could go back and see if there's anything to mine from Junior and the Aliens and the 'great prophesy' which is honestly the only thing I can think of that might have a story worth expanding on (though if they are using the Halo 4 engine that plan went to hell in a handbasket). It's fitting really that this next season will be in Halo 4 because the same opinion I have for Halo 4 I have for Red Vs Blue:
"Didn't we conclude it already, what is there left to say beyond stuff we make up on the spot?"

I mean I admit it was very sad, like more than usual, but maybe the story needed a sombre ending. However it will continue and I'll doubtlessly still watch it and most likely still love it but still I do have to wonder where the series can do from here.

I also agree a bit on the Project Freelancer stuff, bits were interesting I admit but for the most part as cool as the fight scenes and general CGI was it didn't distract from the fact that I didn't even know/care who half of these people were. I realize now that just throwing some cool guys (and girls, I do like the fact that there was a diverse female cast I'll give it that) and big set pieces together alone isn't enough. It can be exciting in the moment but to be perfectly honest the only CGI fight scenes that I really remember were the ones starring the Reds and Blues, a fight scene means more if you know/care about the characters involved and Sarge telling the Meta to 'settle a bet' just meant more than the other ten million CGI fight scenes in season 9.

But still it's a good awesome series and I will doubtlessly still watch it so we'll see how it goes. Also can I just say that I never forgave Washington for shooting Donut? I know Donut didn't die but still it kept him out of the action for a really long time and he was one of my favorites.

Also as far as Halo goes, it's safe to say the relationship between Red Vs Blue and Halo is really tangential at best. I imagine it's set in some alternate universe but then they keep referencing real Halo canon. One surreal bit was when a character in season 10 was briefly watching Grifball apparently being played on Sangheilios and you can clearly see the team playing was Halo Elites. Which now raises the question as to whether or not the 'aliens' that the Reds and Blues encounter are Covenant elites or just some other alien species that happen to look a lot like them. In addition if the human/covenant war was still going on at that point why are elites obliging humans by playing human sports and allowing human beings to watch and in turn why are humans interested in watching? And if it is post war, then why do people keep referring to the 'great war' during the Freelancer project and why do they say it was started as a way to fight Covenant but instead only fights humans?

It doesn't make any sense and after that moment I honestly just threw my hands up in the air and said 'whatever' and stopped trying to make sense of it.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

I have a bad feeling it's going the way of Dragonball Z. It's still entertaining, and at times can even rival the best of the series, but things just keep getting bigger and more convoluted as time goes on that any sense of grounding in reality goes out the window.

I think I would have preferred it if the Freelancer stories were contained to the mini seasons, the way Out of Mind and Recovery One were. Each of them telling a self contained story that tangentially plays out within the larger universe.

It would have been much better than dividing our attention between Comedy and Action Scenes.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Honestly I liked the newer seasons as I actually did got interested with the Freelancer project and cared for the characters despite most of them had meet their desmise in the present day.

Don't get me wrong I love the old season (heck one of my most important backup files are season 1-3 that I've downloaded back in the 56k era) but it make sense for them in order to have more seasons then they would had to go to a new direction since the olde comedy routine would of gone stale in the newer season (yes I know they still got it, I mean all comedy episodes).

Who knows, maybe season 11 (someone quote me in the new RT project RWBY thread) could possibly carried on from 10 which may dwell more about that rebel group.

 

[Lionsfan]

I could probably write quite a bit on this, but I've got classes. What I will say now is that you could almost consider them 2 separate series. Which I don't really like all that much.

I loved 1-100, and I thought Season 6 was just as great, probably the best one, but since then it seems to have gone a different direction. The animation allows them to do more, but I feel it's letting them get away with cheap stuff. Like before the jokes were all verbal and well written, but now they can just throw in a quick nut-shot and call it ok.

That's my two cents for now, maybe if I have more time later I'll post again

 

[Michael Rogov]

The show has definitely seen a steady decline in humor and over all appeal over the years if you ask me. Seasons one to five? Fantastic. Recollection? Not too bad. Nine and ten? No thanks

 

[Soviet Heavy]

I love redvsblue and I love season 1-10

its just I didn't get all Tex, Carolina,Director and Alpha stuff...........I know some of it but some stuff I don't know.

Spoiler

Church was the Alpha AI. Leonard Church created him from his memories to try and resurrect his dead girlfriend, Allison. The first Allison drone was agent Texas. When Washington confronted tbe Director and the Meta at the Freelancer Archives, the Emp destroyed Alpha, Sigma, Theta, Omega, Gamma and Delta, along with whatever other AIs Maine had acquired.

Caboose successfully managed to reactivate the Epsilon Unit, which was Alpha's memories. This in turn, resurrected the other AIs through the unit. Epsilon was essentially a backup file for Alpha.

After the UNSC Chairman of the Oversight Committee put out a warrant for Leonard Church at the end of Reconstruction, he went on the run, and fled to one of the Freelancer storage facilities. The Beta AI (Tex) was continually uploaded into new combat drones as the Director tried to resurrect Allison, without success. Every copy was doomed to fail.

Carolina was apparently Leonard and Allison's daughter, possibly illegitimate, given that Leonard's video of Allison shows her being very young when she left him and died.

 

[sizzle949]

I only really got into seasons 9 and 10 once I disassociated the first 5 seasons with it in my mind. Instead of seeing it as a comedy it becomes a drama series and there's an interest of seeing what is going to happen with the characters, especially those in the Freelancer project. I enjoyed the entire series and should be interesting if there is in fact a season 11 to see where it will go. Hopefully they can go back to their roots and aim for a more humorous season then a story-based one.

 

[CrazyGirl17]

I dunno, I liked the later seasons. Don't get me wrong, the first 5 seasons were great with lots of funny moments... but seasons 6-10 managed to mix humor with action, while delving into what really went own behind the scenes.

Spoiler

And I did feel really sorry for Director Church. Yes, what he did was morally reprehensible, but when we finally got to see him, he just looked so broken that neither Epsilon-Church or his daughter(?) Carolina had nothing but pity for him in the end.

...That being said, if they made a season 11, perhaps they could go back to the comedy setting...

 

[Kolby Jack]

MONTY OUM.

Nuff' said. Dude's incredible at what he does, and Rooster Teeth was lucky to have snagged him when they did. I think the series has found a good rhythm, and am pleased as punch to see it continue going the way it is. Granted, I'm not sure where they could go after they pretty much ended the Freelancer story-line with season 10, but I'm sure they have plans in place already.

 

[ZZoMBiE13]

I could probably write quite a bit on this, but I've got classes. What I will say now is that you could almost consider them 2 separate series. Which I don't really like all that much.

I loved 1-100, and I thought Season 6 was just as great, probably the best one, but since then it seems to have gone a different direction. The animation allows them to do more, but I feel it's letting them get away with cheap stuff. Like before the jokes were all verbal and well written, but now they can just throw in a quick nut-shot and call it ok.

That's my two cents for now, maybe if I have more time later I'll post again

I agree with this entirely.

One of the best parts about RvB of old was that they were essentially screwing around in the game we were all playing at the time. In jokes like the trouble driving the tank or flipping the Warthog up atop the Red Base, those were great little gags. They were jokes we'd all experienced when first learning how to drive in Halo or playing around with the physics engine.

I was amazed by "Haloid" when I first saw it. It showed off a Spartan soldier the way they were described in the books. But the constant over the top action of RvB post season 7 has just lost all it's unique flavor. It's almost like an "UGH" moment when you can feel a long drawn out fight scene is about to pop. I don't say "Here comes the awesome", I say "here we go again" with a hefty eye roll.

Taking the series out of the games has taken much of the fun out of it. I liked the dramatic bits with Wash and the Alpha and Church, but once they started letting Monty off the leash, the series just started to feel disconnected.

To be clear, I don't hate new RvB. I'm even still a Rooster Teeth sponsor. I just don't care for anything they've done with the telling of the Freelancer tale. It's almost a "midichlorian" kinda thing, where it was a lot better before they went and tried to explain it all.

Or maybe I'm just a cranky old fart who longs for days that have passed. I dunno.

 

[Ryotknife]

Season 6 and 8 were my favorite. They were hilarious, and even the animated scenes with the reds and blues in a fight fit them pretty well.

Now, im not going to lie, I really liked some of the fights in Project Freelancer. Especially the Highway fight. But the seasons (especially 9) were not as funny. Season 10 was a bit better especially in the begining with humor. I was surprised at how sad the ending of Season 10 was.

 

[Saviordd1]

I agree with you
but I also disagree.

The fight scenes are over the top sure, but in a fun way, and I like Washingtons development; It was interesting to see him fighting with following his old CO against being loyal to his new friends.

That said there was less humor in season 9 and ten, and hell some of it was just damned heart wrenching.

That said I still get excited for RvB, but I think after another season they may want to call it quits before it goes to far.

Also,

Spoiler

Maybe its just me, but Carolina being the directors daughter didn't surprise me at all, actually I went "called it" when it happened.

But flowers being a freelancer?

THAT I didn't see coming.

 

[Full]

I found it very cool that they tied up almost every loose thread at the end of season 10. Even smaller jokes from the first 5 seasons that I barely remembered got answered, and answered well at that.

However I felt that there were great moments that provided the best of both comedy and drama, that they just didn't utilize on the other episodes. I liked the moments where it gave a feeling of "Man, shit must have gotten fucked", and Carolina is ultimately just trying to make it all end (even if there was some overacting on that front). It kind of made me care about her and what exactly made the freelancers disband

Spoiler

and get pretty much picked off one by one

They also could have have kept the absurd sense of humor while also providing decent drama.

Spoiler

e.g. the York diaries while Church was stuck in a car.

I would have liked the season better if they did that more, instead of spending the span of episodes focusing on one battle.