I found McCree’s reaction to Reyes deciding to kill that man very interesting. It makes sense that he’d be angry because the consequences were so severe, but I think there was more to it than that.
I think all three of the team members’ reactions spoke about their backgrounds. Genji is used to seeing this kind of thing – he’s literally from one of the most dangerous and influential mafias in the world. He even agrees that Reyes made the right choice. Moira has always been an “end justifies the means” kind of person. She probably understands Reyes’ thinking, even if his choice put them all in danger. She’s a devil’s advocate.
But McCree. McCree didn’t like it because it “felt like an execution”. Considering his background in the Deadlock gang, you’d think he’d be used to seeing leaders make themselves the judge, jury, and executioner. But that’s probably why he was shocked and angry to see Reyes do it. Reyes, who picked him up out of the filth and offered him a chance to be more than just a common gang member. Reyes, who saw potential in McCree when most everyone else wanted him thrown in jail. Reyes, the man McCree trusted, followed, and admired. This seems like the first thing Reyes has ever done that betrayed that trust. McCree “didn’t sign up for this” – he didn’t sign up for just another gang killing to get what they want. He had deluded himself into thinking he could use his sharpshooting for justice while working for Blackwatch… But instead found more of the same. This event really was the thing that made everything fall apart.
Reyes: Am I the only one who feels hungry? Moira: That could be an unforeseen side effect. Reyes: I was making a— [fucking dies]
Moira: We could all do with a little culture. The cowboy, especially. McCree: I’m plenty cultured! Have you ever been to the cave of mystery? Heh, didn’t think so.
McCree: What’s it like, Genji? Y’know, as a cyborg. Genji: Pain and agony. And what am I? Man or a machine… McCree: Then why did you agree to it? Genji: I wanted to be able to walk again.
I think that Blackwatch Retribution cutscene opening tell a lot about their characters at that phase.
While McCree is between surprised and angry at Reyes for shooting Antonio because he never acted differently for what their initial plan was before (at least, he didn’t do anything to put the entire team in danger), Reyes clearly wanted revenge for what happened at their headquarters and he knew he couldn’t do anything else in the situation Antonio presented him. He probably thought Antonio would attack them inmediately after being released, and Reyes swore to not let that happen again and not let anyone else die. Of course he knew McCree would react that way, and that is why he doesn’t confront him back. He understands why Jesse is disappointed on him, after all.
The fact that only McCree reacted that way is because Genji just follows orders. He is not interested in if what they are doing is morally right or wrong and is not surprised for assassinate the target they were supossed to capture. He accepts he is their living weapon and that is why he seems to be prepared to kill the instant the alarm goes off. And what to say about Moira?? She is morally gray since ever. She already does anything in the name of science and she seems to be more interested in the new plan Reyes decides to follow.
I like the concept that Moira’s had her own agenda for…well… ever. And you can either help her with it, or you can stand aside, or you can be destroyed. And in a sense she did find a kindred spirit with Gabriel–Gabriel’s growing increasingly frustrated with the red tape holding Overwatch back, and no one seems to be willing to just… do what needs to be done. So Moira comes in like, “You need someone who isn’t afraid to turn you into a goddamn smoke monster. You need someone who won’t hesitate to suck the life out of someone to protect you, and here I am.” So in a lot of regards, he and Moira get each other, and both McCree and Genji get them to an extent, but I think McCree was aware for a long time that Moira is willing to go to lengths that he’s not willing to go to, and the “Retribution” mission sort of served as this turning point where McCree is forced to ask himself, “Is Reyes more like me, or Moira?”
I got a LOT of voice lines dumped on me, so I’m going to try and paraphrase/detail what I heard. It’s hard to get them all in order, but I’ll make an attempt. If you have a clip of more, let me know! I’ll keep adding to this list as I play more.
PHASE ONE
McCree asks Reyes who’s going to fill the void with Antonio’s death. Reyes lists Vitale (murdered in the Doomfist comic), Doomfist in Numbani, and Maximilian with a casino. (This means all three of these people were already players in Talon at the time of the mission.)
McCree asks Reyes why he killed Antonio. He asks if it’s because Antonio made Reyes mad, and absolutely spits ‘is that all it takes?’. Reyes snapped something back, but it was lost on me with an event shift.
After the murder, Genji asks Reyes who Antonio was. Reyes details that Antonio was an arms-dealer with a ‘variety of other interests’. (Genji apparently went on this mission clueless, and just killed/took out men as told.)
McCree apparently went undercover as an Italian waiter to help get Blackwatch in for the mission.
He was so bad at it, he got fired. McCree says ‘that guy was being rude, he had it coming!’ indicating that a scuffle emerged, verbal or otherwise, and that McCree doesn’t care to take shit. Reyes also calls McCree ‘Jesse’ here.
McCree asks Reyes how he’s going to handle the Strike-Commander. Reyes tells him to let Reyes worry about what ‘Jack needs to know’. McCree snarks back ‘you know you can’t shoot him’ and Reyes replies ‘no, but I can shoot you’.
DOCKS/HOTEL/ART
Genji says in the hotel ‘it’s a good day to die’ and in the art museum, how much he enjoys killing. Genji also remarks that it seems like ‘the whole city is out to kill them’, to which McCree replies, amused: ‘just how you like it’.
McCree asks Genji what it’s like being a cyborg. Genji replies, ‘Agony’. McCree then asks why he went through with it – Genji replies ‘I wanted to walk again’.
Reyes pages the pilot, saying ‘Pilot! Where are you?’ indicating the pilot is indeed a throw-away character and not someone of import. She berates Reyes and asks him to stick to the plan next time, to which he replies ‘Now where’s the fun in that?’
Moira laments that it’s not Masquerade. Reyes says he didn’t see her as that kind of person, to which Moira quips ‘You’re not the only person that likes to dress up’.
After the final Art Room phase:
Reyes: Enough art! Let’s get out of here.
McCree: Never had an eye for it anyway.
Moira: Philistines.
FINAL PHASE
Moira comments that ‘we need to talk about your Italian’ (likely related to the undercover waiter bit), which leads to McCree indignantly saying he thought it was pretty good, he watched some old Spaghetti westerns to learn, and then goes on to absolutely butcher an attempt at Italian with Moira tiredly asking him to never do that again.
*Additional Retribution lore:
The Talon soldiers remark that the Blackwatch team is hard to kill.
Reyes 24 SEP skin features his dog tags which list his Religion as none, meaning he is canonly agnostic or atheist even before Reaperfication.
Stop talking and start doing: My Fallout Shelter for my Tumblr blog 