I do think a lot of people donāt realize that the point of dispatch isnāt just the idea of redemption. I mean yeah, thatās the most blatant theme in itāthe game about redeeming villains is about redemption, go figureābut dispatch is not only that. I think it more so explores the idea of a bonafide hero, which (you can say Iām wrong because I only have tumblr/yt but) I donāt really see discussed??
mecha man is slandered on LIVE TELEVISION for failing to avenge his father. even after years of being a hero the world only admonishes him when he finally canāt do so; invisigal tries to rebut robertās criticism of her in ep. 2 by claiming that heās āno real heroā; mandy confides in robert about how tired she is of the āBlonder Blazerā identity, saying that people see the hero before mandy; flambae refers to mecha man as a āreal, actual heroā (really interesting considering how fast he called out mecha man in the superhero bar. . .); and there is a continuous choice in terminology when it comes to royd and robertās conversations in āmaking the man mechaā.
there is a consistent theme of attempting to be a REAL heroā and the utterly crushing toll it takes when finally achieved. people donāt care that youāre a hero, they donāt care how well or long youāve been doing your job, they will only watch and stare at you for doing what is considered the minimum. it only matters when you slip. one of the strangest writing choices in my opinion (and I think a lot of people share the same sentiment) was robert being forced to cut someone. I remember distinctly getting to that part of the game, hearing blonde blazer say itās to āraise the barā and being so utterly confused?? like, gee whiz what an easy way to make your team hate you. and the fact it happens so early in the game as well? you barely know this team. you donāt know a lot about the team members, none of their motives, stories, etc. you are essentially taking a complete stranger and deciding to cut them off from their support network, friends, and job.
and I do think the game understands thisā when cut, sonar/coop both go to red ring, which while sounding extremely banal, does make sense when you think about it. they have no other place to go to besides the phoenix program. with criminal records like that, they wonāt find any work other than that of crime. as I stated before, you basically strip everything they had from them when you cut them from the team. where else are they to go?
invisigal plays a HUGE role in this convo as well. we know that she is probably newest to the program, compared to the other z-team members who are all extremely comfortable with each other (blonde blazer saying she āsees a lot of potential in invisigalā, meaning she couldnāt have been in the program for that long); sheās the rowdiest, insubordinate, and generally a wildcard. sheās impulsive and reckless and extremely immature. these are likely the traits the player likely gets from her first impression, and thatās why her argument with robert was so confusing to me when i first watched it. why is this defiant, arguably least hero-like hero out of the whole z-team trying to define what it means to be a hero, and to mecha man of all people? and not even to mention that this convo comes right after invisigalās failed attempt at capturing thunderstruck, ending with an injured civilian.
and I think itās all really just a heady dose of projection. invisigal understands the standard on what it means to be a hero because sheās always trying to hold herself to it. itās very explicitly stated that invisigal WANTS to be a hero, she wants to be good. she is always holding herself to the framework of being a hero, and yet it is so unattainable for her. to not just be one, but to look like one; she patently states that she isnāt like blazer in the manner of which she can effortlessly be a hero, but that invisigal innately has āvillain powersā. she is destined to be evil, because she doesnāt have the look, or the powers, or the destiny that allows heroism within the life that was bestowed upon her. that sheāll never be viewed as anything more than vermin, an average villain.
except thatās EXACTLY what the z-team aims to disprove, and thatās why I absolutely love them. the z-team is a fucked up group comprised of infamous, boisterous, unruly former villains, with their dishonorable lives and lewd humor. and yet they also saved the city. and yet they were able to pull together as not just a team, but the team that rescued la from a crime gang. and yet they care so very deeply for one another with their own flawed yet so very loud ways. yes, they were never the ideal group of elite saviorsā theyāre an insanely strange bunch of people. but theyāre heroes, and they protect lives and community and their city. because they were given the chance to finally grow instead of being perceived as outcasts.
what Iāve been trying to say (very verbosely) is that the point of dispatch isnāt just the idea of redemptionā itās that, and the support, tenacity, and courage it takes. itās that and the care for the person underneath it takes. itās that and the understanding of an individual not just as an emotionless worker set to certain standards, but a moving, breathing person who needs someone to guide them, to support them, to see their potential and let them through the door. and that person is you.