Fallout knows how to end a season. After seven episodes of solid writing, clever characters, fun action scenes, and layered mysteries, Fallout proved it still had gas in the tank. “The Beginning” features the best action set pieces, the most impressive reveals, and the most engaging character arcs. This is the moment everything led toward, and every step of the ride made it worth it. Fallout starts well and ends better.
Wayne Yip directed Fallout‘s season finale. The English talent directed four episodes of Amazon’s controversial Rings of Power series in 2022. His name appears in episodes of shows like Hunters, Doom Patrol, Treadstone, and The Wheel of Time. The episode’s writer, Gursimran Sandhu, contributed to six outings in Game of Thrones’ eighth season.
After Maximus willingly sacrificed himself to ensure Lucy could escape with the head, the young soldier returned to the Brotherhood of Steel headquarters, where he started the series. On the chopping block, the Cleric discovers his deception, links it to his previous accusations, and threatens his life. When he swears he can find the real head, his old friend Dane speaks up for him. They believe Max, prompting them to arm up for a new onslaught. Max intends to wield the Brotherhood like a private army, driving a few power-armored knights to Muldaver’s door and carrying out Lucy’s will through overwhelming force. Max’s character arc leaves him at odds with the Brotherhood, but his willingness to return to the techno-fascist order raises questions. The show never dug deep into the Brotherhood’s motivations, but Max could return for a future storyline.
The big event is Lucy’s arrival at Muldaver’s compound. After hunting her dad for seven episodes, she has everything she needs to carry out the rescue she’s always imagined. She mentions a scrapped scheme to hide a grenade in the severed head as a vague terrorist strike while listing her potential options. Lucy reaches the Observatory and discovers, to her shock, that Muldaver runs a humble community complete with cooperative farms. Moldaver’s surprises are far from over. She finally drops the bomb on who Lucy’s dad is. The reveal coincides with the conclusion of Cooper’s flashback and the big secret of Vault 31. Everything rests on one jaw-dropping moment. If this scene didn’t work, the entire show would suffer dire consequences. Thankfully, it’s a stellar conclusion that answers several questions while raising endless new ones. Kyle MacLachlan returns to the cast for the finale, delivering a masterful performance in multiple extremely challenging roles. Lucy reaches her emotional peak while the Ghoul dials up his gruff cowboy routine to full-on Western hero. It’s a tour de force of acting talent before anyone draws a gun.
The action scene that dominates around two-thirds of “The Beginning” is the best one in the series. It’s a fireworks display in which every character gets to flex their muscles. The Ghoul has been the hypercompetent super soldier throughout the series, but his enemies were generally pointless pawns. Here, he’s able to draw his weapons against a seemingly massively superior army. The Ghoul also reveals his greatest strength here. His experience makes him a deadly weapon against almost any foe. He doesn’t know everything, but his centuries of life in the wasteland and his eclectic past arm him to face impossible odds. The season ends with several bangs. It’s also a great opportunity to study the show’s production design. The power armor works in every scene, the show’s guns are gloriously realized, and the comical gore remains enjoyable. Fans will want to redownload their favorite Fallout title, pick up a hand cannon, and recreate this climactic conclusion.
With this conclusion, questions are answered, and new heights are reached. However, this story is far from over. There will be a second season of this show, barring some cataclysmic disaster. This show is a great binge-watch. It’s such a fun ride. Few shows can keep up this level of energy for almost eight hours. When future seasons hit the streaming service, fans will undoubtedly return to enjoy the series again. However, without a proper conclusion and with several cliffhangers, many will dislike the inconclusive nature of this season’s final moments. It’s an ending, but fans will never be happy with this conclusion. New developments in the franchise should look to Fallout the series as an example.
Fallout is a breath of fresh air for the modern video game fanbase. It’s a thrill ride with a fun sense of humor and no shortage of compelling character moments. Sure, parts of it struggle. There are repetitive elements, jokes that don’t land, and plot beats that can’t go anywhere yet. Despite those mild inconveniences, Fallout remains one of the best of its ilk. With a sharp wit, some fun set pieces, and a solid creative vision, Amazon published a shockingly solid adaptation of something that seemed impossible. Fallout is a blast from beginning to end.
Leave a Reply