Hosea's Sickness - Red Dead Redemption 2

foreign 2 is a deep game one that has a story packing many layers simply far too much detail to capture in one concise playthrough four and a bit years on and I'm still discovering things that I did not know before or I simply did not notice or pay attention to that's not to say they're new to everybody I'm sure plenty of people knew about things like this way before I did but in today's video we're going to be exploring this detail this soft secret because whilst it's not really a secret it's something that could be easily missed it adds an extra layer of sadness to a pivotal character in The Narrative and no I'm not on about Arthur John Dutch Jack but yes this video is going to revolve around a key character in The vandalin Gang and that individual is none other than Hosea Matthews a seasoned Outlaw Dutch Wonderland's closest friend and often the voice of reason a role he has enacted since the gang's Inception more than two decades prior to the events of Red Dead Redemption 2. he's an intelligent level-headed con artist and if push comes to shove a capable killer but an equal measure a kind-hearted and empathetic old man openly remorseful for the life he's lived but it's the only life he's ever known so he continues to live it until his dying day in chapter 4 of the main story but what if I told you there's a chance this tragic death could not have possibly been avoided and please ignore the fact that Hosea appears to have been reincarnated as a snapping turtle what I mean is it appears as if Hosea throughout The Narrative of Red Dead Redemption 2 and long prior to it has been suffering from some kind of illness it's not something that's well hidden or even attempted to be hidden it's just not something that's fed to us via the means of a spoon but in today's video we're going to be exploring the possibility that Hosea is ill because it gives us quite the insight into this character so to begin with at the start of Red Dead Redemption 2 Hosea Matthews is certainly a highly capable individual and that hasn't changed and is even more impressive when you realize that this is a man who is not well in fact the first hints that Hosea might be sick come in the ride down the mountains at the end of chapter 1 and the beginning of chapter 2 in the main story the first nod at this comes when fixing the wheel all right Charles you and me hold the thing up will you try and put the wheel back on you still strong enough to hold up a wagon shut up I'm just saying about to say less at first I thought this was a routine jab in Arthur's repertoire of jokes and it very well could be but it also sounds like albeit a blunt voicing of concern anyway Hosea doesn't take to it as a joke he takes it as concerned that whilst he appreciates he certainly isn't interested in hearing it right now Arthur Hosea and Charles get back on the road and after a brief story from Mr Matthews himself we also receive this cut scene what are you working on there anyway just some yarrow and Jen sing good for the health it's better than that stuff you buy in the store yeah you can have all this I'm at the point where I can do it with my eyes closed okay thank you Hosea gives away some information here disclosing that he can give away the medicine he just made whilst on the road because he's at a point where he can do it with his eyes closed implying that he has to do it quite often which to me suggests there is a reason why he would need to yes it is the game introducing us as the player to the concept of crafting medicine and suggesting benefits for foraging for the correct herbs in order to do so but RockStar at the point of creating Red Dead Redemption 2 was simply far too smart to introduce that mechanic through a character in the world and not have it possess some form of relevance to that character and the final implication that Hosea is unwell in this main story Mission occurs upon arriving at Horseshoe Overlook the chapter 2 camp we have all made mistakes over the years Vegas every last one of us but I kept us together kept us alive kept the nooses off our neck I guess I'm just worried I ain't got that long Dutch I want folks safe before I go me too Hosea claims that he has not got that long at first it may seem like an old man talking like an old man but I remember thinking even on my first playthrough he doesn't appear to be that old in fact he's probably in his mid to late 50s and early 60s at a push and whilst that's not a bad age for the 19th century it's worth mentioning that the age of mortality throughout history has been heavily skewed by the survival rate of infants so reaching the ages that we as humans do in the modern day is not something that was unheard of couple the fact that the line seems out of place with the things that he's already mentioned or given away prior to this in this exact same Mission it seems as if good old Hosea is not doing so well and he's painfully aware of that but that doesn't stop him from taking us bear hunting not too much later in the story The Hunt goes smoothly and he does not give away much information throughout however when the legendary grizzly bear actually shows up he's quite taken aback by it after sending the bear away via means of lead in the face Hosea gives us his realization you're fine old man of course advice it's nothing nothing at all thank you I think that was fun you know what Arthur Morgan I'm a little old and beaten up to be after the biggest game he knows he's probably a touch on the old side to be hunting grizzly bears which is a terrible idea to begin with he cites his age is the reason why he cannot anymore but that's something he would know for certain I feel something still compelled him to want to try it's almost like Hosea hunting this bear which has nothing to do with the gang nothing to do with anything pressing in the narrative it seems as if Hosea is more interested in simply proving to himself that he still can take down the biggest game but he quickly gives up that Pursuit when he realizes he very much so is outmatched here and thus Hosea returns to Camp to lick his wounds it's back here at the camp at Horseshoe Overlook where interactions between Hosea Matthews and other members of the gang will further suggest that his health is declining we ain't dead yet laughs not quite you all right Hosea fine I'm fine you ain't fine how are you keeping old man uh you know been better I would say you should get the hell away from here we both know that ain't happening how you feeling okay A little better good how you doing my dear friend about how I look then not so well my guess and mine I'm sorry Jose why hurt selfish reasons you yeah like you've been like a father to me you helped me so much not just with the reading but with living you'll be fine you always have been I hope so trust me Jack's gonna be fine you'll be fine we can only get old John to see it a little since we might be able to make a proper family of you yet both know that ain't gonna happen you never know so what about your family my family you know they all died long ago I guess um kind of getting ready to be reunited only I fear my dear Bessie went to heaven well I'll be heading south it's not uncommon to witness Hosea spluttering wheezing and coughing his way around camp with many of the gang members concerned for his well-being at several points Hosea suggests that he will be dead soon and other characters seem to pay attention to when he's coughing and go over to see if they can help asking him how he's doing Abigail even expresses her sadness at witnessing Hosea seemingly unwell Lenny also appears to be quite concerned with the old man's well-being he puts on a brave face but he also doesn't shy away from his belief that he is dying he also gives Jon the same advice that Arthur gives him later on in the story when Arthur himself Falls ill and that message is get out while you still can he even makes reference to his own morality he fears his late wife went to heaven when she passed whereas he being in no mood to cut himself any slack whatsoever believes that that's not where he'll be going and none of his coughing fits or the fatalist language he's using seemed to come as a shock to any of the gang members you don't like me much do you no not much when you're dead I'll miss you and don't imagine the feelings Mutual on top of all of this over the course of the story Hosea is very concerned with the direction of the gang often advising people behind Duchess back in some instances such as telling John to take Jack and Abigail and get out he even expresses concerns with Dutch that are unpopular to the latter's eyes even going as far as saying that the Gang has simply turned into just a bunch of killers he has outright disdain for those he knows to be bad news such as Micah Bell he also doesn't suffer the presence of the young hot heads of the gang easily I'll slit your throat myself excuse me I've excused you quite enough don't sleep it off you drunk is that clear okay foreign doesn't have time for the idiots and he knows it he knows who if he tries he can save and he doesn't take much interest with the rest mirroring Arthur Morgan's mindset later on in the main story after his tuberculosis diagnosis it seems his main objective is to try to get the people who matter to him safe before he goes moving on Hosea Matthews can also be heard speaking openly about his medical predicament around camp or at least a little bit more openly than he has done so far uh [Music] listen I know I ain't welvened Don't Pity Me Envy me I've done all a man could want my grandfather Farm turnips in some bargain Lincolnshire in Lincolnshire which I'm told is in England famous for turnips I've never had to eat a turnip in my life I'm I'm a product of this country false true bad a little good tough old [Music] don't you worry about me I'm okay branding a gang for years never earned a legal dollar it's uh unspeakable evil and remarkable kindness usually from the same folks racing lost a family taught very much the whole country from Madison Avenue to San Francisco did bad did good yes I ain't unlucky at all yes I'm real lucky Hosea doesn't want pity for his situation he expresses that he's had a long life and he's experienced an awful lot in that time it's clear the gang is well aware that Hosea is sick and the miscible hints for the player to pick up on continue into chapter three hey you don't look too Rosy old friend I thought this warmer weather would my days are looking good wonder how many more evenings like this I'll have anyone know come on don't be shy don't be embarrassed they're not gonna see much more in another couple of years maybe five the thing is John the thing is we all got to die I know that I have all people know that excuse me we all Gotta Die but you got the chance to live not just to live to live for love you'll also notice that he doesn't seem to sleep properly often at night his bedding Camp will be empty and he'll be elsewhere in chapter 4 for example I didn't even know where his bed was until I was making this video because he simply never in it outside of several circumstances anyway and he even begins to make more direct references to his illness in the later chapters in which he's actually alive tough couple of months it's been a tough couple of years since I got sick it's all been tough you know we're born with some dreams we acquire others as we get older and we live out something else I was when I was younger I wanted to be a priest I did a priest didn't know he had to be a Catholic to be a priest I guess I was always looking for a messiah funny what you find in this life when I was a kid back East they said there were dragons in the West well I guess we found them found them or made them or became them all these futile lives of petty sin we have lived what choice did we have really paved with gold it was poverty in Europe there's poverty here only here you could stick a gun to someone's head take what you want that was the only difference this interaction in chapter 4 now confirms what we already know to be true Hosea Matthews suffers from some kind of disease and he appears to have been suffering from that disease since far before we ever met him in the game if his coughing fits are any indication his disease not dissimilar to Arthur's tuberculosis is related to his lungs however fortunately unlike Arthur it appears to be a much more slow acting sickness but also similarly to Arthur he's simply trying to make sure people are okay before he goes because he knows his days are numbered and it makes his disagreements with Dutch his concerns for the gang and his doubts in a man he's believed in for over 20 years much more understandable sadly for Mr Matthews this is not what ends him in the end instead he was murdered by agent Milton facing his killer with no fear knowing that this was the end but the long shot was certainly an insult to injury hosea's disease and his death is a true mirroring of Arthur's own fate an unwell Man simply wants to ensure the people that matter to him are okay before he goes but unlike Hosea before him Arthur took the opportunity to truly make things right and redeem himself before the end so rather than sitting around campfires coughing away and lamenting over a lifelong lived Hosea Matthew's very own example in his all but complete wisdom spurred Arthur on to become a better man Arthur would attempt to take over hosea's role upon his passing and keep Dutch in check however upon realizing that that was not working and Dutch's sent into madness was inevitable Arthur knew from Jose's example that going along with it for simply far too long will only bring consequences and so instead he began to break the cycle well that was kind of deep but we are actually at the end of today's video I won't speculate as to which disease Hosea might have been suffering from because I simply could not tell you that I'm not a medical professional but thank you all for watching this video I hope you enjoyed be sure to go ahead leave a like subscribe share the Channel with your friends and all that wonderful stuff that'll be awesome if you're interested in history maybe check out our History Channel decades there's some interesting content going up over there it's going along quite nicely so if it's something you'd be interested in follow the link in the description and check it out but if not no worries and of course with any luck I'll be seeing you all very soon with another video at some point but until next time please take care and goodbye bye [Music] foreign [Music]

Channel: Fizhy

Views: 698,136

Keywords: Fishy Yarpster, Gaming, Gameplay, Banter, PC gaming, Fizhy, Fishy, Hosea Matthews, RDR2, Hosea, Red Dead, Red Dead Redemption 2, RDR, Rockstar Games, Rockstar, GTA, Fizhy RDR2, Fizhy Red Dead, Red Dead Lore, Van der Linde Gang, Arthur Morgan, John Marston, Red Dead Redemption

Id: hvueRlcQDMc

Length: 21min 10sec (1270 seconds)

Published: Sat Mar 11 2023