"Okay, there's one last story to tell..."
Simmons: One last adventure, Grif.
Grif: It's been nice knowing ya, Simmons.
Grif: It's been nice knowing ya, Simmons.
The nineteenth season of Red vs. Blue is the Grand Finale of the series, released as a standalone film. The film sees the Reds and Blues reunited for one last adventure following the events of the Chorus Trilogy, where they must deal with the appearance of an old, sinister foe as well as a ghost from Project Freelancer's past...
Burnie Burns and Matt Hullum return as writer and director respectively. The film released on May 7, 2024 and is the last major project by Rooster Teeth following its closure earlier in March.
Given that this the last and final entry in the Red vs. Blue series, all spoilers from Season 1-17 will be unmarked.
Tropes:
- Ambiguous Situation: While Epsilon confirms that the events of The Shisno Trilogy and Zero were all just simulations that he ran before his death, it is left a bit unclear if the events of the film are also a simulation or indeed the real world. He at one point comments he couldn't always get Caboose's voice right in his simulations (referencing his new voice actor). He can't predict what Caboose says, instead inserting "Shut up, Caboose!" at certain points, which somehow works whenever Caboose goes and says something stupid. He hesitates for a moment when Simmons asks him if they are just a simulation too, which Simmons himself points out.
- And I Must Scream: Unlike the original Meta, who was thoroughly broken into becoming a mindless extension of Sigma, Tucker is fully aware of what Epsilon!Sigma is making him do and is not happy, occasionally trying to resist the AI's control. When he does, Epsilon!Sigma punishes him.
- Anyone Can Die: Sarge and Doc. As well, Church and Tex come back one last Ike only to be permanently killed when Caboose destroys the memory unit to stop the fragments from being misused.
- Ascended Extra: The Epsilon AI Fragments only get so much as a Freeze-Frame Bonus in the Chorus Trilogy, briefly appearing as Epsilon records his farewell speech for the Reds and Blues in case they make it off of Chorus alive. In Restoration, they and especially Sigma play a huge role in the film.
- Back for the Dead: Despite having sacrificed himself by splitting into new AI Fragments, Church is alive and well. Texas is also "revived" as one of the Epsilon AI Fragments. Sadly, both die for good when Caboose follows the latter's plan to ensure the Project Freelancer AI can never be misused or cause any more trouble.
- Bait-and-Switch: At the end of the film, Caboose and the Reds use their memories to bring back Church one last time to help them free Tucker from Epsilon!Sigma. It's not until the confrontation with the Meta that Caboose reveals they didn't bring back Church; they brought back Texas.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Simmons has been dreaming of becoming the new leader of Red Team for years. He finally gets the position...as Sarge lays dying in front of him.
- Become a Real Boy: Like his Alpha AI Fragment predecessor, Epsilon!Sigma wishes to achieve metastability and become as theoretically close to being human as is possible for an artificial intelligence.
- Big Bad: Sigma, or rather his Epsilon AI Fragment, takes up his predecessor's role and is the main threat of the film.
- Bittersweet Ending: Thanks to Caboose and the rest of the Blood Gulch Crew, the Epsilon AI Fragments are locked away in the Memory Containment Unit, freeing Tucker from Epsilon!Sigma's control. However, Sarge died saving Caboose's life halfway through the film, and Caboose follows through on Texas's plan to destroy the Containment Unit, in turn killing the Epsilon AI Fragments to ensure they can never be used to cause trouble again, which includes killing Church as well.
- Breaking Old Trends: The first (and only) film in the entire series.
- The Bus Came Back: 479er, who was last seen in Season 10, makes a return to help Caboose and the Reds get to where the Meta is.
- Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: Unlike Agent Maine, the new Meta actually speaks and is something of a Cold Ham, though no less ruthless than his predecessor. He also considers the Reds and Blues to be a serious threat as opposed to an obstacle, though not surprising since they defeated Maine. Furthermore, Sigma managed to break Maine so thoroughly the latter was nothing more than an extension of himself—even when Sigma was destroyed by the EMP alongside the other Project Freelancer AI barring Epsilon, the Meta was obsessed with reclaiming Epsilon and hunted him down, albeit only to power his suit. Tucker is much more mentally resistant and actively fights back against Epsilon!Sigma, though he only ever manages to stop himself for a brief moment when the Epsilon AI Fragment regains control before punishing him for his interference. The new Meta also accomplishes something Maine failed to do in his previous encounters with the Reds and Blues: successfully kill one of them.
- Darker and Edgier: While the Recollection trilogy and Project Freelancer saga were plenty dark, they had just as many comedic and cheerful moments. While the film isn't lacking in humor, it gets progressively bleak as the heroes realize they're in an uphill battle, made worse by the fact that not only are they fighting the Meta, the Meta himself is Tucker, who is being controlled by Epsilon!Sigma. The second half of the film is almost entirely devoid of humor. That's not even going into the fact that four members of the Blood Gulch Crew actually kick the bucket: Doc is revealed to have died saving Wash from Hargrove's men on Chorus, Sarge dies saving Caboose from the Meta, and both Texas and Church are officially Killed Off for Real by Caboose per Texas' own suggestion to ensure the Project Freelancer AI can't be misused.
- Dead All Along: Late into the film, it's revealed that Doc actually died saving Wash's life from Hargrove's men back on Chorus. The Doc he talks to is just in his head.
- Death by Irony: Sarge, the most vocal about the Red vs Blue war and set in his ways regarding his Irrational Hatred for the Blues, ultimately dies saving Caboose from the Meta; he himself notes the irony.
- Deliberate Injury Gambit: Washington jumps off a cliff at Blood Gulch and breaks his leg in order to trigger his own recovery beacon, so Carolina will come to Blood Gulch and help fight the Meta.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: While Church and Tex are rendered permanently dead at the end of the film, the former finally manages to reunite with his girlfriend, especially after he "forgot her" back in Season 9.
- Grand Finale: Of Red vs. Blue, being its last season and all.
- Groin Attack: During the final battle, Tex at one point kicks The Meta right in the crotch, causing Simmons, Caboose and Grif to wince. Grif comments on it, glad to not be on the receiving end for once.Grif: That is so awesome when it happens to someone else!
- Hero Killer: The new Meta stabs Sarge in the back after the latter rescues Caboose from him, which proves to be a fatal injury.
- I Choose to Stay: After Simmons is named the new leader of Red Team, his first order is to dismiss Grif from the Red Team. Grif happily accepts his resignation, but elects to stay with the group to see things through to the end.
- Killed Off for Real: Doc dies offscreen, Sarge dies after saving Caboose, and the Epsilon AI Fragments are destroyed by Caboose at the end of the film, putting the last remnants of the Project Freelancer AI to rest.
- Killed Offscreen: Doc is revealed to have died sometime after saving Wash's life on Chorus. The one he's been talking to all this time is actually an Imaginary Friend born from his guilt, which he struggles to come to terms with throughout the film.
- Knight of Cerebus: The film has a light-hearted tone for a fair portion...at least until the Meta shows up. When Sarge dies, there's little in the way of humor.
- Meaningful Rename: Sometime after the Chorus Trilogy, F.I.L.S.S. decided to stay with Caboose at Blue Base and took up her smart AI counterpart's name "Sheila".
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Epsilon splitting himself off into new Fragments is the catalyst for the film, as Epsilon!Sigma reveals himself to be just as much of a monster as the original Sigma was by taking control of Tucker's body. The worst part is that this was the Epsilon's Godzilla Threshold. Thankfully, Epsilon at least recognized this would happen and leaves behind a series of pre-recorded messages for the Reds and Blues.
- No Man Should Have This Power: The general consensus regarding the Epsilon AI Fragments. Wash suggests they seal the AI away someplace where no one can find and abuse them as the Director did with the Alpha, whereas Texas advocates destroying them to ensure no one will misuse them. Caboose follows her plan and destroys the Memory Containment Unit housing them, including Tex and Church.
- No One Gets Left Behind: When the Reds try to escape from the Meta before he can come after them, Sarge realizes that Caboose is one of them and goes back to save him from the Meta, which ultimately results in Sarge being fatally stabbed.
- Off Screen Moment Of Awesome: Washington escapes from the hospital he was staying at off-screen in order to help Caboose and the Reds stop the Meta. The reveal later in the film that Doc, implied to have helped bust him out, was just his Imaginary Friend, means that Wash escaped entirely on his own.
- Pet the Dog: After Sarge promotes him to Red Team leader, Simmons' first order of business is to dismiss Grif from Red Team and has the paperwork all ready to go. Grif, who has been looking for just about any excuse to leave Red Team behind for years, chooses to stay on with Red Team until they free Tucker from Epsilon!Sigma.
- Retcon: While Season 14 (an anthology series with little to no connection to the main series) and Family Shatters (a comedic non-canon spinoff of Season 18) are ignored, the Prologue reveals that The Shisno Trilogy and Zero were just simulations created by Epsilon, who was running millions of other simulations to try and find a solution to save everyone.
- Running Gag: Once again, Texas kicks somebody in the balls. Fortunately for Grif (and unfortunately for Tucker), it's the Meta who suffers the Groin Attack this time around.
- Sequel: To the Recollection trilogy and the Project Freelancer saga, with the Reds and Caboose now having to deal with the last remnants of the Freelancer program after Epsilon unintentionally "revives" Sigma who is now hellbent on succeeding where his Alpha AI Fragment counterpart failed.
- Stating the Simple Solution:
- After stopping the Meta and trapping the A.I.s in the Memory Unit, Carolina asks Caboose if Tex had a plan to resolve the issue they keep coming back around, after numerous attempts and potential solutions to prevent their misuse, to which Caboose says yes: by immediately stepping on the Memory Unit and destroying it permanently, killing all of the AI for good so they cannot be misused again.
- After Wash's Deliberate Injury Gambit to trigger his recovery beacon, Doc says he could have just triggered it for him manually. This is subverted when it is revealed "Doc" is just a memory for Wash and not actually there, then Double Subverted when Carolina tells him the next time he wants her attention he can just call her instead of jumping off a cliff.
- Suddenly Voiced: Apparently, despite not having said a word after his voice disabling injury in the Freelancer saga, the Meta can straight up talk again, now with paragraph filled sentences! It turns out this is because he's not the original Meta but Tucker.
- Take That!: In the Prologue, the Meta mocks Epsilon as he runs through his simulations, trying to find at least one possible solution where the Reds and Blues will make it out okay. In particular, he mocks the simulation representing the highly contentious eighteenth season.Meta: You really think this is possible?
Epsilon: Well, that one's just cool... - The Tape Knew You Would Say That: Similar to what Delta did for Church back in Reconstruction, Epsilon is revealed to have left various recordings for the Blood Gulch Crew in the seconds before he died that respond to them as if he was actually there. He claims he analyzed them enough he was able to accurately predict what they would say. He claims he couldn't do this with Caboose though, since he was literally unable to predict anything for him, so he just recorded himself saying "Shut up, Caboose!" at random intervals, which still works.
- Together in Death: Church finally reunites with Texas inside the Containment Unit. He's also aware of her and Caboose's plan, and accepts his eminent (and final) death since she's right there with him.
- Tough Love: In his dying moments, Sarge confesses this is why he bullied Grif so much. He knows Grif is capable of great things, but since the tub of lard is so unmotivated, Sarge felt this was the only way he could get Grif to realize his true potential.
- Trailers Always Spoil: While the Prologue teases who the Big Bad of the season would be, the official trailer reveals it to be Sigma, or rather the Epsilon AI Fragment of him created at the end of the Chorus Trilogy. The trailer also spoils the fact that Tucker has been made the new Meta.
- Trauma Button: Sigma. Even as an Epsilon AI Fragment, his very memory scars Wash and Carolina, with Wash being the most horrified when he learns the Meta is back, this time using Tucker as his newest meat suit.
- True Companions: While this was already the case as far back as the end of the Reconstruction trilogy, Restoration firmly establishes the Reds and Blues as this. Halfway through the film, Sarge doubles back and goes to save Caboose from the Meta, an act that ultimately costs him his life as he's stabbed in the back by the Meta. Sarge finds it ironic he died saving a "Blue" of all people, but he sees Caboose as a dear friend and doesn't regret his decision at all.
- What Happened to the Mouse?:
- Lopez briefly appears at the beginning when he discovers Epsilon's recording in Caboose's helmet, but does not appear afterwards at any point, even back at Red Base.
- Donut is absent from Red Team for some unexplained reason, only getting a brief cameo appearance as a random thought Simmons imagines. Though this isn't the first time in the series Donut is mysteriously absent.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: In Season 17, Doc went through one hell of a character arc where he managed to come to terms with his evil personality. Restoration reveals Doc actually died saving Wash's life on Chorus.
- You Are in Command Now: As he's dying after being fatally stabbed by the Meta, Sarge officially instates Simmons as the new leader of Red Team.
"Did ya ever figure it out? Why we were here?"
