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Prime Video’s Fallout has just beenreleasedand fans are loving it,myself included. Throughout its eight episodes, we see first-hand thetrials and tribulations of wasteland lifeand it’s a pretty entertaining watch. However, how does the first season end, and where can it go from here?
Prime Video’s Fallout is Truly Something S.P.E.C.I.A.L
Much like Nuka-Cola, Prime Video’s Fallout is a refreshing and bold take on Bethesda’s legendary video game series.
Massive spoiler warning to those who haven’t seen Prime Video’s Fallout
How does Fallout End?
The last episode of Fallout, “The Beginning”, throws a lot at the audience in terms of story. Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell) finally reaches Moldaver (Sarita Choudhury) at the Observatory. Lucy gives her the head and Moldaver tells the truth about why she kidnapped her father, Hank MacLean (Kyle MacLachlan).
The big reveal, of course, is thatHank is the true villain of the show. Before the bombs,he worked at Vault-Tecas an executive assistant, thereforesecuring his place after the apocalypse via cryo-sleep. He’s given access to run Vault 33 and to continue the values of the company. This includedbombing Shady Sands, where Lucy’s mom, now a living corpse, was staying. Lucy, conflicted by it all, ends her Mom’s suffering and tells Maximus (Aaron Moten), born in Shady Sands, about his involvement. Unfortunately, he let Hank go beforehand, giving him the chance to put on Power Armor and knock out Maximus. Ghoul (Walton Goggins) enters and gets a good shot at him, grazing his cheek. As Hank jets away,Ghoul asks for the whereabouts of his family, confirming that they (at least his wife or daughter) did survive the bombing. His intentions are unclear, as his wife was responsible for dropping the bombs on the U.S. Given his appearance, I’m sure he’s not looking for a happy reunion.
Ghoul confides in Lucy,giving her the choice to join him in finding Hank and stopping him before it’s too late. Lucy tries to wake Maximus, still unconscious, but leaves him to follow Ghoul.
Meanwhile,Norm MacLean (Moisés Arias) enters Vault 31and finds out about his father’s usage of cryo-sleep, as well as the other overseers. A human brain-powered machine, revealed to be the former head of Vault-Tec, Bud Askins (Michael Esper),locks Norm in, giving him no choice but to wait for his rescue. Though it cuts out before we see what he does, it’s not too surprising to wonder if he might’ve gone into cryo-sleep.
When Maximus wakes up, confused, he calls for Lucy. She’s a no-show, but Moldaver appears, though worse for wear.She finished the Cold Fusion, created by Wilzig and unlocked by Hank, which lights up all of the city. Turns out,she’s not the villain of the story. She just wanted revenge for bombing Shady Sands and every other bombing. In her last moments, she holds the hand of Lucy’s dead mom and looks upon the city, fulfilled. The timing proved to be convenient (or not so), as Dane (Xelia Mendes-Jones) and the Brotherhood of Steel find Maximus next to Moldaver’s body. Of course, it looks like he did Moldaver in, andthey cheer for the now-knighted Maximus, conflicted.
Where Can Fallout Go From Here?
Well, certainly it can go quite a few ways. For starters,it’s clear we’ll see the city of New Vegas, as it might be where many Vault-Tec employees from pre-apocalypse are. We know Hank is there, so we can say Ghoul, CX404, and Lucy will soon follow.
Speaking of Ghoul,we still don’t have solid confirmation about his family’s survival. We can guarantee at least his wife, Barb, is alive, as she was high-ranked in Vault-Tec. Who we can’t is his daughter, Janey. The last time we saw her, she and Ghoul (then Cooper), were galloping away from the explosions after a kid’s birthday party.
Lucy, as we’ve seen throughout the show, has undergone some character changes. Mainly, she isn’t the bubbly optimist we knew in the beginning. Now, with her whole life being changed due to Hank’s involvement in Vault-Tec, her mother’s death, and the bombings, she’ll be more serious.
For Maximus, there will likely be some dilemma with the Brotherhood of Steel. He’s started to realize they may not be as great as he thought they were, as they slaughtered and massacred many innocents.Plus, he still hasn’t told them that he let Titus die.Thaddeus, now a Ghoul, is the only one (outside of Lucy) who knows this, though his fate is left unknown.
To top it off, Cold Fusion has come into the mix. The concept is new to the franchise, though its roots in science contribute to the series' notable feature: nuclear bombs. Basically, cold fusion is a room-temperature-based nuclear reaction. This contrasts with the intense heat needed for nuclear fusion. We see it in Fallout as a source for lighting up the city.Though, it’s obvious what others may use it for: a nuclear bomb. The Enclave seems to be working on it and succeeded thanks to Wilzig. Who knows if they may be able to create more and, if they do, who they’d give it to?
