Fallout TV series Season 1, Episode 5 review — “Everyone wants to save the world, they just disagree on how”

Episode 4’s mid-series reveals did not disappoint. After what felt like a legitimate quest from the games, we found out so many details. There’s no time to dwell on them now, with a full half season left to explore. This is where things really start to heat up, and this episode starts off with a squire being branded.

It doesn’t end there either, with Maximus revealing certain secrets that could get him killed by the Brotherhood along with this squire. Even worse, they don’t see eye to eye, resulting in a fight that leaves the other squire injured and Maximus stranded in powerless Power armor. The squire leaves with the package they procured in Episode 3, and Maximus is left for dead. Just as the Radroaches start munching on his T-60, Lucy comes to the rescue, in a blaze of gunfire that showcases her newfound callous nature. Makes sense, as everyone has been trying to kill her every time she acts nice. Just more good character development by the showrunners.

While it’s still hard for Lucy to work with Maximus for fear he might betray her, he earned her trust providing the Radaway he promised after she fell unconscious due to radiation sickness. A pact is struck, that she’ll use her homing device in the package to help Maximus in exchange for the Brotherhood’s help in her situation. I don’t feel it here, but I do hope the show doesn’t force a romance on these two. The dynamic between them is great, and a love interest side story feels unnecessary.

There’s a specific moment in this episode where Lucy and Maximus are crossing a bridge that is just so… Fallout. Two other wastelanders are wanting to cross, but neither side is budging given the lack of trust. No one wants to get screwed over or caught off guard after all. After what takes ridiculously long to figure out, yelling back and forth and assuring each other that neither have weapons (which is a lie by Lucy and Maximus), both move by the others with hands raised. Of course, everyone is lying in general, with the fiends attacking. But, Maximus was ready for any issues, grabbing Lucy’s weapon and gunning them down. I’m glad Lucy hasn’t lost her humanity, trying hard to move by them without problems, but you can tell the corrupt surface is wearing on her.

Maximus gets shot in this encounter, and the two have to divert to find first aid. Impressively, they’re right by a medical facility, although on the surface world, that doesn’t inspire confidence. The ambience is truly perfect and feels pulled straight out of the game; a Vault-Tec location. Watching Maximus walk in and seeing the desks with computers made me want to play Fallout 4 as he passed them by without trying to hack a single one. There’s more here that happens that we’ll skip because of spoiler implications, but needless to say Maximus and Lucy have dropped into a very intriguing situation.

Back in Vault 33, it’s election time. Given Hank has been gone a while, the three on the council all want their shot. Norm still feels really hinky about everyone after the discoveries of Episode 4, and there are too many connections and coincidences for him to trust the leadership. If you’ve played the games, you know that each Vault has a story, and whatever Nolan and company are building has a perfect amount of mystery to it. Every sliver of narrative we get is just enough to leave you wanting more without leaving you in the dark, which is indicative of how well paced the show as a whole has been.

With there being a Vault 31 in the picture, I’m extremely curious as to what their role is in all of this. We’ve learned of Lucy’s mother’s death due to an “illness”, but it seems as though these moments are somewhat curated, similar to the attack at the start of the show. We know all of these Overseers are in contact, so the unease Norm feels is certainly felt by the viewer. This is due to Moisés Arias doing an outstanding job as Norm in the last two episodes, after seeming like an afterthought in the first one. Whether or not we’ll even find out more about Vault 31 this season is yet to be seen, but I hope Norm escapes the potential danger that his knowledge might bring.

While the plot has generally kept everyone on screen, this is the first episode we haven’t seen Walton Goggins’ Ghoul. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, even as outstanding as his Ghoul has been. You’d assume we haven’t seen the last of him, especially with a bounty to find. His absence allows the other two characters time to breathe.

You can read our review for Episode 6 here.

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