Finally, the end of the world as we know it has arrived, all episodes aired, and it’s time to delve into what happened and what could come next. I have many questions that can only be answered in Fallout season 2. If you haven’t yet, check out my review of the entire first season of Fallout, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Prime Video has now officially confirmed Fallout season 2 is in the works! (Source: Amazon Studios press release) I’m so ready to return to the Wasteland and have thought about what that could mean, read on below to see the possibilities.
[Warning: This goes deep into spoilers for the entirety of Fallout’s first season]
New Vegas closes out the first season of Fallout
The Lucky 38 casino stands tall in the distance while the camera pans slowly away from Hank (Kyle MacLachlan) who ran off with a Power Armor suit in the finale. If you watch through the end credits you’ll see shots of New Vegas, look closely, there’s a Securitron there. Robert House (Anthony Misiano), appears as the head of Rob Co., known for his major involvement in the plot of Fallout: New Vegas.
In the chilling scene between REPCONN’s CFO Julia Masters (Rebecca Watson), Big MT’s Frederick Sinclair (Michael Mulheren), West Tek’s Leon Von Felden (James Yaegashi), Vault-Tec’s Bud Askins and Barb Howard (Michael Esper, Frances Turner), and Rob Co., House jokes that “Freddie” Sinclair would lose money operating a casino. That’s the Sierra Madre for those wondering which casino Mr. House was talking about.
I’ve had time to try and decipher exactly why Hank would run off to New Vegas, and it’s a tough one to crack, but it might have to do with another Vault. It raises many questions regarding how he’s aware of its existence, but Hank likely gained some information while on the surface pursuing Rose MacLean (Elle Vertes) in Shady Sands.
House did a decent job protecting the Strip, and word had to have gotten out about the Battle of Hoover Dam (see Fallout: New Vegas). Since he’s an employee of Vault-Tec I’m sure he knows of the other planned Vaults since he’s one of “Bud’s Buds”. In the flashback, a map with lit-up dots shows many of the Vaults’ planned locations across the country.
The future for Aaron Moten’s Maximus and the Brotherhood of Steel
Although Moldaver (Sarita Choudhury) succeeded in activating Cold Fusion thanks to Wilzig’s (Michael Emerson) head being delivered by Lucy (Ella Purnell), the NCR was run out by the Brotherhood of Steel. In the opening of episode 8, we see Maximus (Aaron Moten) in a conversation with Elder Cleric Quintus (Michael Cristofer), where Quintus suggests they start their chapter of the Brotherhood.
Quintus says he could be the head (leader) and have Maximus at his side as his “sword.” Since Lucy left Maximus behind, as he was unconscious, he seemed betrayed by her, which may fuel him to serve the Brotherhood’s goals. Fallout season 2 could even introduce some of the Brotherhood leaders from beyond the West Coast, the Commonwealth was mentioned, and maybe we could see Arthur Maxson!
The Brotherhood came out victorious in the battle of the Observatory, but what does that mean? It was stressed that whoever controlled the “artifact”, aka Cold Fusion, had the power to control the land. When the squire Thaddeus (Johnny Pemberton) gets assistance from the “doctor” (Jon Daly) for his broken foot, he trades a Fusion Core for the fix, and the “doctor” notes “You don’t see a lot of those around much anymore, do you”. So, could Cold Fusion be the solution to that supposed problem?
To operate the well-equipped Power Armor suits, you need a Fusion Core to pilot them. Could this be a solution for the Brotherhood on the West Coast? The NCR and, by extension, Lucy and the Ghoul (Walton Goggins), might have to contend with them in the future, so they’re likely already preparing for another showdown.
What’s next for Ella Purnell’s Lucy and Walton Goggins’ Ghoul?
Lucy and The Ghoul paired up at the end once Hank ran off with the suit, and they trekked under the Hollywood sign in LA. The Ghoul asks Hank where his family is, since he believes an employee of Vault-Tec would know. In the flashbacks, while Cooper is listening to the secret meeting Barb is in, she seems to notice the eavesdropping as her eyes point upwards.
Earlier that day, Barb had mentioned to Bud that her Pip-Boy had been acting up and was outwardly transmitting data. My hope is that in Fallout season 2 they continue to do some flashbacks that give us even more of what I loved, exposition on Vault-Tec.
In the first episode, during the birthday party opener, one of the fathers mentions that Cooper probably took the job to pay off alimony. So, Cooper and Barb divorced at some point after that meeting took place. I was partially suspecting Barb when she mentioned that she would get the family into one of the “good” Vaults due to her position in Vault-Tec.
Not every Vault was well-intentioned as a bunker from the blasts, some were controlled or used for experimentation. Sorrel Booker (Glenn Fleshler) has known The Ghoul for some time and notes that he’s “still looking for her”, which could be Barb or daughter Janey (Teagan Meredith), or perhaps both!
There was a subplot of life in the Vaults after Lucy exits Vault 33, and that’s how we discover that Bud is still “alive” as a Robobrain. With the exit sealed off, Bud tells Norm (Moises Arias) that his best bet in staying alive is to enter one of the cryogenic chambers that held his dad previously. Out of all the storylines, this one surprised me the most because I didn’t entirely expect that the cryogenic freezing from Fallout 4 would have come into play.
The method is effective and can keep the subject in suspended animation for centuries as long as the equipment doesn’t fail. Lucy coming back to 33 isn’t far-fetched, her disillusionment with her father and now confirmed dead mother leaves her with only one relative. How she manages to re-enter 33 and discover Norm is in 31 could make for another exciting season of Fallout.
Things that should be explored in Fallout season 2
Vault-Tec proposes each of its competitors with a handful of Vaults to do their own experiments. Big MT mentions two, an overcrowded population that would have to fight for resources, Vault 27. Secondly, a Vault pumped with psychotropic drugs into the air supply, Vault 106. REPCONN wants one that has a robot in charge, to my knowledge that is a new or undiscovered one.
Another from REPCONN wanted to separate parents from their children, which sounded like Vault 29, but the second stipulation was that only the smartest ones reach adulthood (Vault 75?). Then one that West Tek blatantly suggests they experiment on immigrants to turn them into Super Mutant Soldiers via the Forced Evolutionary Virus, Vault 87. I do wonder if we see them setting up some of these vaults in Fallout season 2.
Cooper Howard finally explained Vault Boy’s famous thumbs pose to his daughter that if the thumb covers the blast, you’re safe from the bomb detonation. This has been shared as fact amongst circles, but never made canon. I’m quite happy with this designation, since it’s the exact type of PSA that would have gone out during the height of Cold War fears.
We got a reason for why the jumpsuits for the Vaults are blue and yellow, they were designed to resemble Cooper’s popular Sheriff outfit from his Western movies. Perhaps you might have even noticed that he had scorpions on his Sheriff’s outfit, which was a nice nod to RadScorpions.
What didn’t make the cut for this season?
How awesome was that tease of the Deathclaw skull in the desert? What about the Super Mutant hand (some say there was a roar, but I somehow didn’t hear it myself) at the Enclave research facility in the second episode, on the gurney? Like many others, I wanted to see the iconic monsters that swatted me down in my playthroughs, even the Bloatflies. But budgets exist, and I’m certain that creating those full-scale would have eaten into it considerably.
Now that the first season has gone through and the costumes and sets exist, along with the new tax credit, there’s potential for many more monsters to be introduced. I was quite surprised that there was no narration or cameo from Ron Perlman, yet enjoyed how the line “War. War never changes.” was delivered. I expect him to make a quick hello in the second season if the budget allows for it.
That’s about all we have for right now regarding Fallout season 2. There are so many exciting things to explore (such as MORE unknown Vaults) and answers that fans are eagerly hoping to get answers to. Have you watched the show and played the games? Let us know what you think might happen in the future of Fallout on social media @mycosmiccircus or join the discussion forums on our official Discord server.
Prime Video’s Fallout Series Discussion (Cosmic Circle Ep. 54)
Fallout Review: A Post-Apocalyptic Story Worth the Wait
Review: Alex Garland’s Civil War is an Empty Political Dystopia
