Watch Red vs Blue Season 15 above and read my thoughts and impressions below. Enjoy! Spoilers!
Fifteen Seasons!?
How do you keep a machinima animated web series based on Halo fresh after a decade? Yeah, Red vs Blue has been around for over a decade. The answer to this question is one Rooster Teeth has been exploring a lot in the last four seasons. The first major departure for the series took the titular dysfunctional teams away from Project Freelancer and their bases in Blood Gulch and into a new and original frontier, The Chorus Civil War. The following season fully explored the world, its conflict, and how the team of misfits fits into this undiscovered country. Season 14 saw the most dramatic departure from the norm showcasing an anthology of stories of various visual and technical styles spanning the length of the RvB lore.
Red vs Blue Season 15 New Faces
Red vs Blue Season 15 returns to more familiar territory and picks up where season 13 left off. We’re introduced to two new characters and a new conflict. Dylan Andrews, a veteran combat reporter, is investigating a series of brutal attacks on the UNSC carried out, apparently, by the Reds and Blues on behalf of Chorus. But something about the attacks seems wrong and she, with her enthusiastic intern camera guy Jax, is going to get to the bottom of it.
The first half of the season is Dylan and Jax’s story and the first episodes do a great job of establishing these surprisingly deep and endearing characters. I became invested in Dylan almost immediately thanks to her hard-headed determination, expert use of acronyms, and ability to take her agitated boss’s crap. I was surprised by the depth and detail baked into the character in such a short introduction. Jax serves as Dylan’s comic relief and he does a fair job of it with his well-timed use of production jargon and excessive film references.
Mirror Darkly
But the reporters aren’t the only new characters introduced for Season 15. The Blues and Reds are a counterpart to the Reds and Blues, a prototype squad that predates our heroes by a few years. Not only did they come before but they also have a tragic history involving the Freelancers Carolina and Tex. The conflict of the season revolves around this doppelganger squad and their leader Temple’s sinister plot of deception and revenge. In all, they make an effective foil to the main cast and, eventually, one of the most sinister antagonists they’ve faced.
It takes some time for the title cast to make their return but the wait is worth it as they take center stage for the rest of the season. Ten months have passed since the final battle on Chorus and the teams have retired to a remote moon for an overdue rest. But that rest ends with Dylan’s arrival and the call to action she carries, a message from their departed friend Church. This call leads them straight to the Blues and Reds where the true conflict begins.
Character Growth
I’m continually surprised by the ongoing growth of the Reds, Blues, and Freelancers. Even after 15 years, the writers find ways for the characters to evolve. None of the characters are sidelined for long and each is given a meaningful mini story arc, even Caboose! The Season’s story arcs tie each character’s threads together in a deeply personal way. The themes of loss, tragedy, and parallel paths weave into nearly every scene in the season. This overall story arc is refreshingly standalone with no obvious loose ends or sequel-bait. The enemy is defeated and nearly all the side stories are neatly and satisfyingly resolved.
I have only one major critique for Red vs Blue Season 15. If you’re watching a Rooster Teeth production you are guaranteed to find self-referential comedy. This in itself is not an issue, and for dedicated fans, its a fun treat to see. But this season seems to pour on the self-reference to excess. At some point, the referential nods, gags, and scenes start to feel lazy and a little annoying.
Red vs Blue Season 15 continues Rooster Teeth’s trend of solid storytelling, raucous comedy, and tragic drama. Rooster Teeth continues to surprise with its ability to tell stories like this with a series that, on the surface, seems so limited. As a fan of Red Vs Blue and Rooster Teeth I was not disappointed by this season. If you enjoy Machinima, Animation, or Comedy you won’t be disappointed either.
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