Theoretical Freelancing: Can the Entire Blood Gulch Crew Work as Freelancers?

In the vast and chaotic universe of Red vs. Blue, the idea of the entire Blood Gulch Crew functioning as freelancers is an intriguing thought. However, such a scenario would require significant reimagining of the characters, their backgrounds, and storylines.

Character Backgrounds and Motivations

The Blood Gulch Crew, comprising the Red Team and the Blue Team, is portrayed as a ragtag group of soldiers with a distinct lack of organization and discipline. Characterizing them as freelancers, who typically operate with precision and structure, poses several challenges.

Their personalities and quirks, such as Caboose's literal-mindedness, Faligs' sketchy antics, and the overall chaotic demeanor of the teams, do not align with the more serious and structured world of freelancers. Transforming these characters into skillful mercenaries would require a drastic overhaul of their motivation and backgrounds. This transformation could lead to interesting dynamics but would likely diverge significantly from the comedic and chaotic tone that defines the series.

Alternative Scenarios

1. Guns for Hire: The idea that the Blood Gulch Crew could function as guns for hire is both intriguing and highly improbable. The characters have a long history of struggling with missions and turning things around. While their unpredictable behavior might be sought after by some clients, their seeming incompetence would likely make them a poor investment for most.

2. Agents of Project Freelancer: The concept of the Blood Gulch Crew as agents of the military splinter group "Project Freelancer" is more plausible. However, given their poor performance and chaotic nature, they would likely be rejected. Characters like Ohio, Iowa, and Idaho have a history with Project Freelancer, but the rest of the crew would face significant challenges. For instance, the Reds and Blues, despite their bravery, would struggle to adapt to the more structured and disciplined world of freelancers.

3. Lower-Class Freelancers: The scenario of the Blood Gulch Crew becoming lower-class freelancers who struggle with large-scale missions due to their inexperience is the most feasible. These characters remind viewers of their main cast in many ways, with notable flaws that would make them unfit for high-stakes operations. Rejection and failure are likely outcomes for such crews, as exemplified by the fate of Project Freelancer's lower-ranking agents who were abandoned on a barren ice planet due to poor performance.

A Special Case: The Alpha AI, Church

The Alpha AI, Church, stands as a unique case within the Blood Gulch Crew. Due to his extreme intelligence and volatile nature, Church would be unsuitable for direct freelancer supervision. His presence on Blood Gulch was likely an attempt to find a setting where he could thrive without immediate oversight. The failure of Project Freelancer meant that Church remained with the Crew, but even in their relatively isolated setting, his status as an alpha AI would necessitate careful management.

Unique Interests of the Project: Caboose and Doc

Two characters, Caboose and Doc, stand out in terms of their unique experiences and potential interest to Project Freelancer. Caboose, with his friendly kill count, is perhaps the most counterproductive member of the crew. His naivety and well-intentioned yet chaotic behavior would not bode well for a structured operation. However, both Caboose and Doc have extensive experience with Omega AI fragments, which were crucial to Project Freelancer's experiments. The project's post-mortem interest would likely have revolved around their experiences with these AI fragments, potentially leading to their involvement in further studies.

In Conclusion

While the concept of the Blood Gulch Crew as freelancers is an entertaining thought experiment, the existing character dynamics and storylines would need significant rework to make it a coherent and viable scenario. The chaotic nature of the characters and their backgrounds would present numerous challenges that would likely result in their failure in a more structured and disciplined world. However, the unique experiences and potential of certain characters like Caboose and Doc suggest that they could have played a role in the project's research, should the project have succeeded in engaging them.