Fallout Season 2 Review

Fallout (2024-)

Season 2 - 8 episodes (2025)
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Created by: Graham Wagner, Geneva Robertson-Dworet
Based on: Fallout by Bethesda Softworks
Starring: Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Walton Goggins, Kyle MacLachlan, Justin Theroux, Moisés Arias, Johnny Pemberton
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer

Plot
In a future post-apocalyptic Los Angeles brought about by nuclear decimation, citizens must live in underground bunkers to protect themselves from radiation, mutants, and bandits. Season two has the characters headed to New Vegas.

Verdict
As much as I liked the first season, I was never as excited for this season. I wish it did more exploration which would show how this world functions. This bounces around between characters and even time periods. That makes a quick pace, but we don't spend enough time with these characters to develop them enough. There are no big emotional victories. It comes down to a story that's lacking. While the flashbacks have story relevance, I often dreaded them. I don't believe this same cast of characters would still be the most important players now and two hundred years ago. The show has the lore and often captures the spirit of the game, but I frequently found episodes stacking up before I'd get around to watching.
It depends.

Review
Season one began two hundred years after nuclear bombs ravaged the planet. An attack on Lucy MacLean's (Ella Purnell) home leads to her exiting Vault 33 to rescue her father. She's too naive for the 'outside.' We're also introduced to the bounty hunter Ghoul (Walton Goggins) and Maximum (Aaron Moten), a Brotherhood of Steel apprentice. The three meet in episode two with Lucy and the Ghoul later joining to pursue a scientist and his new discovery. Meanwhile Lucy's brother Norman (Moisés Arias) chases down mysteries in Vault 33. The big reveal is Lucy's father's control over the vault and Vault-tec, the creator of the vaults. Vault-tec planned the end of the world and the Ghoul's wife was also an executive. The end of season one hinted that New Vegas would be a likely destination in season two.

E1: Walton Goggins, Ella Purcell play The Ghoul, Lucy MacLean

The first episode jumps right back into the show without missing a beat. Lucy and the Ghoul clear out a raider camp while tracking her father en route to New Vegas. She tries to do it peacefully but of course that's not working. This show captures so much of the video game, doing a great job of translating it to screen from creatures and lore to props. Lucy's wasteland encounters feel a lot like the game. She has a choice of whether to help someone in distress or not. The Ghoul urges her not to, and that's when radscorpions appears. 

In the past we meet Mr. House (Justin Theroux) who runs New Vegas. He's developing a mind control device, and we learn Hank knows about it in the present and may be continuing the experiments. Hank's goal seems to be to eliminate anyone that's not related to Vault-tec.

Macaulay Culkin plays Lacerta Legate

We're introduced to the Legion in episode three, though we haven't seen New Vegas yet. They've styled themselves after the ancient Roman civilization.  Lucy is captured by them while trying to do the right thing. The Ghoul helps her along with the NCR (New California Republic), but that's because it's to his advantage.

Maximus is regarded as a hero in the Brotherhood, having been knighted last season. That also makes him a target. A civil war is brewing inside the Brotherhood, and a new knight arrives wanting to lure Maximus to his side.

I loved season one, but I never had the same excitement for season two. I can't place why, but the first few episodes didn't reel me in. Part of that is the flashbacks. It takes away from the main plot, and it seems a bit cute that we're dealing with the same characters now and two hundred years ago. The flashbacks slow the plot's momentum. I'd like the season more without them whatsoever. The core plot is Lucy chasing her father while the Ghoul is after his family. I wish the show focused on the two of them and their adventures in the wasteland. This could easily have an emotional setup and payoff. After two seasons it seems like these characters aren't much further from where they started. Lucy should have a much different outlook on the world at this point.

We get to New Vegas in episode five, but it felt like a set instead of a legitimate location. While seeing death claws is fun, the episode seems like some kind of stage play. We also find out why The Ghoul is helping Lucy. His goal, as always, has been to find his family and Lucy was a means to that end. That realization ends with them separated and The Ghoul abducted by a super mutant. This one is more composed and nicer than what we've seen in the game. The super mutant seems to exist only to introduce more game lore into the series. If the show wasn't going to use him, why even introduce him?

E7: Johnny Pemberton, Aaron Moten, Walton Goggins play Thaddeus, Maximus, The Ghoul

Lucy has found her father and his goal to bring peace to the wasteland. She doesn't like his method, but it does have its advantages.

The final two episodes include lots of death claws. This season introduces tons of lore including the Legion, NCR, and super mutants. While the Ghoul's search for his family continues, we know where he's headed next. Lucy's battle with her father comes to a close. What will she do next? I'm guessing next season will feature the Legion, Enclave, and more of the Brotherhood, likely in some kind of battle. Season three has been confirmed.
I'd really prefer this show to focus on a few characters. I didn't care about the flashbacks or Norm's plight. We get hints of a Brotherhood war and we even see a super mutant, but nothing progresses in this season. Why introduce it if we won't see it? I don't know if the show wants to introduce as much lore as possible in case it doesn't get renewed or is just setting up future plot lines. It ends up being a tease.