Should You Kill Or Spare Jean-Marc In RDR2?

There are hundreds of side activities and missions in Red Dead Redemption 2, and many of the optional stories are just as interesting as the main questline. A later-game mission called Idealism and Pragmatism for Beginners is one such side story, where Arthur can make some questionable decisions in the pursuit of “progress.”

Idealism and Pragmatism for Beginners takes place across three parts that take several in-game days to complete, and most are opportunities to build or lose Honor based on your decisions. You’ll learn about the quest’s various steps and outcomes here.

How to Begin The Idealism And Pragmatism For Beginners Mission

To start the Idealism and Pragmatism for Beginners mission, you first need to make your way all the way to Chapter Four of the main story quest when you and the gang are set up near the southeastern city of Saint Denis. Even if you rush the story, that process is liable to take at least a few dozen hours.

Next, complete the Chapter Four mission ‘The Gilded Cage,’ where Arthur and some gang members attend a gala at the mayor’s mansion in town. Several in-game days after completing the main mission, head to any post office and pick up the Invitation from Mayor Lemieux.

You’ll know there’s a letter for you because the Post Office icon on the map will be an open envelope rather than a closed one.

The letter will tell you to visit his mansion any night, so wait until after 9pm and head over. Go around the back and approach the back door to trigger a cutscene explaining your first task: intimidating a local art expert to say a bunch of fake paintings are actually the real deal.

Follow Jean Marc, the mayor’s butler, to a cart out front, and follow the marker down the road, turning right when Jean Marc says so. Shortly after, Professor Shiftacre will walk out from a path to your right. Jean Marc will point at him and ask that you follow at a close distance.

Stick at least fifteen feet behind the professor and follow him until you’re in a small, secluded garden. There, you’ll need to confront him and “convince” him the paintings in question are, in fact, “real.”

How you convince the professor will depend on what kind of playthrough you’re doing. You can either beat the man senseless, only threaten him with violence, or even give him one small bruise to get the point home.

Regardless of your choice, so long as you get Shiftacre to relent, which he’ll say aloud, your main task is done. Return to Jean Marc in the carriage and he’ll give you $15.00 for your troubles, plus plenty of grumbling on his part.

How To Intimidate Hector Fellowes

After three in-game days, another letter will arrive at the post office, the Second Invitation from Mayor Lemieux. Once collected, wait until nighttime and return to the mayor’s mansion.

This time, you’ll be sent to “convince” a wealthy local man, Hector Fellowes, to fund a library the mayor wants to build. He’s taking a coach out of town, and you’ll need to catch up with him. The coach is heading north on the main road.

As you reach the destination marker on the map, you should see the carriage rolling slowly away in the distance.

You can either ride along the carriage and jump to it or ask the driver to stop. Either way, enter the stagecoach with Mr. Fellowes, and when prompted, intimidate him.

Arthur will hold the man by his tie out the coach’s door, and you’ll need to let the tie slip just a little bit to threaten Fellowes with a very bad time.

You don’t want to let Fellowes die, so be quick about grabbing hold of his tie again.

After two short drops, he’ll give in and you can leave the coach. The mayor will wish to see you again after dark.

How To Complete The Idealism And Pragmatism For Beginners Mission

When you return to the mayor’s mansion, you’ll find him rather than Jean Marc at the door. It seems the good butler is having second thoughts, and Limieux wants you to have a word with him.

You’ll find Jean Marc’s home a little ways south of the mayor’s residence. As with the Professor in the first part of the mission, approach Jean Marc and confront him. Arthur will knock him out, at which point the meat of this section starts.

You now need to get Jean Marc back to the mayor without being seen by the law, and while you can do it on a horse, it’s much safer and easier to do it on foot.

If you get the Wanted status because an officer sees you, the mission will fail.

Head across the road from Jean Marc’s house into the walled garden, then hang a right to take the exit at the northeast part of the garden. Make sure the roaming officer is far enough away that he doesn’t hear you.

Once you make it back to the mayor’s residence, take Jean Marc around back and drop him in front of the mayor. Limieux will eventually tell you to kill Jean Marc, but will leave before the deed is done. You can either kill him as requested or let him escape.

To kill Jean Marc, simply shoot him in the head. Holster your weapon for the choice to let him live.

Should You Kill Or Spare Jean-Marc?

There are two outcomes to Idealism and Pragmatism for Beginners, which you’ll learn about three days after deciding Jean Marc’s fate.

1. If you kill Jean Marc on Mayor Limieux’s orders. For a job “well done,” the mayor will reward you with a 10 percent discount at all shops in Saint Denis. You will also lose some honor for murdering someone for potential profit.
2. If you spare Jean Marc. He’ll report Limieux’s corruption to the newspapers, and the letter will explain who’s taken up the mayor’s position. You will also gain some honor for not murdering someone for potential profit.

Between the two, killing Jean Marc has a much greater gameplay benefit, and there are plenty of ways to recover the lost honor following the mission, provided you do it soon after gaining access to the mission.

Keep in mind, this mission becomes available well into the endgame, so consider your choice carefully — you might want to weigh the moral implications against the tangible rewards.