Mama Watson is a minor character featured in Red Dead Redemption 2 and a stranger in Red Dead Online.
History[]
Background[]
Mrs. Watson is the leader and mother of the Watson Boys, a miniature gang consisting of her and her sons. Since she is the matriarch of the gang, she obtained the nickname "Mama Watson".
At some point during, otherwise prior to 1899, Watson becomes affiliated with 2 men whom she names Walker and Wheeler, as well as a group of men she calls "them Russell boys"[1]. Prior to 1898, she began living in a small quant cabin that is west of Wallace Station, and east of Hanging Dog Ranch, in the Big Valley region of West Elizabeth. Her son's likely visit her at the cabin frequently.
Events of Red Dead Online[]
The protagonist can encounter Mama Watson at Watson's Cabin in Big Valley, West Elizabeth. She will not be afraid of them and will even offer them some of her stew, before enlisting them to release some outlaw associates of hers from a jail wagon.
Afterward, Mama Watson can offer the player assassinations, interceptions, and early release missions. Her missions give negative honor.
Events of Red Dead Redemption 2[]
Arthur Morgan has the option of interacting with and robbing Mama Watson inside her house. She initially assumes that Arthur is working for her and tells him to place whatever he has in the cellar.
Arthur will reluctantly head down into the cellar and find an encased semi-automatic shotgun. Once Arthur returns upstairs, she realizes that he isn’t who she thought he was, and warns him to leave. She then leaves the cabin on a donkey (unless Arthur previously killed or stole it, in which case she will flee on-foot) and threatens to bring her sons. Arthur also has the option of killing her during this encounter.
Kill - If Arthur later returns to the cabin after killing Mama Watson during her first interaction, there will be a grave out to the side of the house; the player can interact with it, saying "Couldn't have happened to a nicer woman". After this, Arthur can enter the cabin and kill her sons, who rightfully assume that he was the murderer.
Spare - If Arthur later returns to the cabin after sparing Mama Watson, her sons will be there to tell her about trying to use the money they get from their criminal exploits to move her out of the country. She will express disinterest in the plan. If Arthur attempts to enter the house, the brothers will attack him, and he has the option of killing them all, subduing them, or simply running away. If all of her sons are killed, Mama Watson will curse at Arthur; she can be killed as well.
If Mama Watson is spared throughout her encounters, her rotting corpse can be found in her bed.
Alternatively, if Arthur never interacts with her, John can do so in the epilogue, with the same scenario and options as with Arthur.
Character[]
Personality[]
Watson is shown to be a demanding and stern woman, while also impatient. She claims to the player that she "ain't in a sociable mood"[1], meaning a variety of things, such as the fact she could not be a sociable person. Her impatience is clear as she calls the player a "dumb yack", and "muttonhead"[1]. Although more of a theory than truth, it is possible Watson has some form of dementia or other memory loss diagnosis, affiliating the player with different people.[1]
Appearance[]
Watson is an elderly woman, who wears a fainted purple shirt, a dark blue skirt covering her pants, and simple boots. She wears a 19th Century Capote Hat, with a brown-yellow blue "blanket" on her shoulders. She has a gaunt appearance and walk, often having her back hunched upwards when walking[1].
Mission appearances[]
Red Dead Online
Trivia[]
- She and her sons appear to be inspired by the characters, the Daltons, from the Lucky Luke comics. The gang also had their mother as their de facto leader.
- If the player kills Mama Watson's sons and runs away from her, she will pursue the player on a random horse.
- Even if the player as Arthur in 1899 does not kill Mama Watson while entering her house and never returns to it as Arthur (so that he never ends up killing her sons) and only revisits it as John in 1907, she will still be found dead in her bed, despite the fact that her breadwinners were never killed by the player. Though, it's possible she died eventually due to old age. As to why she was left to rot in her bed and not buried, it's unknown.
- Before giving a robbery mission in Red Dead Online, Mama Watson will occasionally express contempt for Colm O'Driscoll and his gang, while sending the player out to steal a score that they likely intended to hit.
- When either Arthur or John meets Mama Watson for the first time, she will greet them with "Which one are you again? Walker, Wheeler?" This is a possible reference to controversial country singer Wheeler Walker Jr.
- If either Arthur or John approaches Mama Watson's grave, they will say: "Couldn't have happened to a nicer lady."
- Before entering the cabin, the player can hear Mama Watson coughing inside her house. This will continue until Arthur gets inside the shack.[2]
Gallery[]
