A notable Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption connection, and one clever player has found the theory's strongest evidence yet.
Many fans have drawn connections between Grand Theft Auto 5's The Truth side mission series and Red Dead Redemption 2's unusual Geology for Beginners mission chain. The GTA5 missions, only playable as Michael, explore a religious cult called the Epsilon Program that believes in conspiracy theories, multiple realities and alternate timelines. Red Dead Redemption 2's Geology for Beginners questline, meanwhile, introduces the player to an anachronistic stranger named Francis Sinclair. The Stranger mission sees the player locate and photograph ten different rock carvings that seem to portray futuristic events. These two questlines have inspired a GTA 5 and Red Dead time travel theory that connects Rockstar's beloved franchises into a single narrative.
Well-known Rockstar Games YouTuber Strange Man has discovered evidence that connects Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2. The theory suggests that RDR2's Francis Sinclair is actually the son of Carpa Tom, who appears throughout GTA 5's Truth side-story. The end of the Geology for Beginners Stranger questline sees Francis Sinclair appear as an infant, with his mother explaining that Francis' father Tom had recently died. The adult Francis, who kicks off the quest, is dressed almost identically to GTA 5's Carpa Tom. Strange Man posits that Carpa Tom's full name is Tom Sinclair, and that he and his son Francis are time travelers who journeyed between the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption timelines.
Strange Man's theory is very sound, but some feel that GTA 5 and RDR2's worlds being connected is a bad idea for both series. While the Grand Theft Auto series does have its moments of intensity and political commentary, in general the series is known for its lighthearted tone and wacky gameplay. The Red Dead Redemption series, meanwhile, strives for a much more somber narrative and realistic gunslinger gameplay. Connecting the two franchises, especially through time travel, risks ruining the grounded tone of Red Dead.
Fans have long speculated about the connection between Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2, and Strange Man may have finally cracked the code. RDR2's Francis Sinclair is clearly meant to be a time traveler, and many details add up to suggest that GTA 5's Carpa Tom is his father. With Grand Theft Auto 6 currently in development, Rockstar Games may build more connections to Red Dead Redemption in the series' next installment.
Source: Strange Man/YouTube
