Fallout, the best-selling role-playing video game, comes to life in Prime Video’s large-scale live-action adaptation. Helmed by Westworld creator Jonathan Nolan and writers Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner, the series explores a future United States ravaged by nuclear war from three very different perspectives. These individuals’ worlds collide as they all attempt to not lose their heads.
After the stunning end to episode six, we open to a distant Wasteland farm as a father and son dig for bullets to sell for caps. Upon their return home, they find The Ghoul as an uninvited guest. Fearing the worst, the father is relieved to find his daughter alive and unharmed. The Ghoul questions the father about his eldest son’s past involvement with a particular cult led by Lee Moldaver. In a violent showdown, he eventually gets the information he’s looking for: Moldaver and her followers reside at the Griffith Observatory.
We flashback to Cooper listening to Moldaver at the Hollywood Forever group meeting. Having heard enough of their conspiracies, Cooper prepares to leave. Before he departs, Moldaver hands him a small listening device to intercept Vault-Tec communications to discover the truth. Cooper asks her if she enjoys being a communist. Moldaver responds by saying that’s just “A dirty word they use to describe people that aren’t insane.”
We return to the present with Lucy in Vault 4 learning the truth about the mission of the vaults. Bertie shows her footage of the Hawthorn family, the first test subjects during the vault trial period. The video shows the husband and wife fending off an attack from some wayward creature. Soon they both disappear off-screen. Lucy is shocked by this revelation and begins to question life in the vault. Lucy and Maximus finally leave, with Maximus stealing their fusion core for his knight suit. In a sentimental moment, Lucy convinces him to return it, citing her father would be disappointed that she destroyed a whole community trying to save him. And she reassures him he’s a good person outside of the armor.
Next, we return to the surface and catch up with Squire Thaddeus on his trek to the radio station. Limping from his foot injury, he comes across the Filly serum salesman. Promising he can heal Thaddeus’ wound, the salesman convinces Thaddeus to take a mysterious elixir. Despite the horrible taste, Thaddeus’ foot heals instantly. And all it cost him was the fusion core he stole from Maximus’ knight armor.
Back in Vault 33, Overseer Betty announces new assignments for Vault members, sending some to renew society in the desolate Vault 32. Chet, who is now Stephanie’s partner, is assigned to the new vault while Norm remains in Vault 33. Norm calls Chet a coward for deciding to forget all they have learned about Vault 32. He simply responds with the obvious: “We all are, Norm. That’s why we live in a vault.” Stephanie, an original Vault 31 dweller, is named Oversee. Just like Hank and Betty.
As The Ghoul inches closer to Thaddeus’ trail, we receive another flashback. Cooper is at home and attempts to activate the listening device Moldaver gave him. At the last minute – afraid of betraying his wife Barb’s trust – he pitches the PIB bug in the trash. But later that evening, he fishes the device out of the garbage, with man’s best friend, Roosevelt, by his side. Moldaver has struck a chord.
Back in the present day, Thaddeus reaches the radio station and sends his signal to the Brotherhood. As he waits for the fleet to arrive, Maximus and Lucy walk toward him. Scared, Thad immediately begins shooting at the pair, missing them entirely. He then attempts to run away but sets off one of the several booby traps surrounding the radio station. Just then, the Brotherhood is seen across the horizon. To stall them, Maximus plans on providing them with a phony head, allowing Lucy to escape with Wilzig’s head. Maximus promises to find her as he and Lucy exchange a kiss.
This episode was decent, mixing its high-octane mystery with some of the series more funnier moments. The flashback scenes centering on Cooper and his moral dilemma were excellent. While it was expected that something would flourish between Lucy and Maximus, it still felt a little unearned. Possibly something the writers could have saved for the second season. All in all a solid entry.
Rating: 8.5/10