Fallout Season 2, Episode 1 Review & Recap

Prime Video's Fallout series is an anomaly in the television landscape. Not just because it's a great adaptation of an iconic video game franchise, but because we didn't have to wait several years for its second season. Eighteen months is still a fair bit of waiting, don't get me wrong, but it's a quicker turnaround time than several major HBO franchises.

Still, with so much going down at the end of Season One, even the typical five-or-so minute recap wasn't necessarily enough to fully catch us up to speed. As a result, the premiere of Fallout Season Two, titled "The Innovator," spends most of its time not just reintroducing us to its characters (well, most of them), as well as the general tone of Fallout, but also sets the stage for what's to come this season.

We already know that New Vegas will play a large role in Season Two, but the premiere does a great job of setting things up and building the anticipation for the entire season.

The House Always Wins

With said focus on New Vegas, it makes sense to start with its ruler.

While we got our first on-screen glimpse of Robert Edwin House at the end of Season One, that was more of a cameo than anything else. In Season Two, he's one of the main characters, portrayed by Justin Theroux (The Leftovers). His screentime is limited, but easily the most impactful, and it's clear that his presence will loom over the entire season.

As it should; if New Vegas is your selling point, it's important that Mr. House has a major impact. The recasting of the character saw some minor criticism online, especially with how well the original actor portrayed him. Yet for Mr. House's character to successfully translate on screen, it needs less of that young, charismatic look and more of the old, seasoned feel. Theroux delivers in this regard, and I can't wait to see more of him.

Yet, for as iconic as Mr. House is, he's just one of many characters residing in the Wasteland.

Unsurprisingly, we spend a bulk of our time with Lucy and The Ghoul. They're still at odds with each other; The Ghoul is cold and cruel, while Lucy remains optimistic and naive. Yet despite being as compatible as water and oil, these two need each other, which means their buddy road trip adventure through the Wasteland continues. Not that it's a bad thing; these sections are undoubtedly the most reminiscent of the Fallout games, whether they're exploring the Wasteland and interacting with its citizens, exploring old vaults, or everything in between.

A Deeper Dive Into Fallout's Lore

One of the biggest revelations from Fallout's first season is confirmation that it was Vault-Tec who dropped the bombs, starting the Great War.

This is something that Season Two is sure to remind you of. To be fair, I get it; it's an important plot point, and one of the most popular television tropes is to remind viewers of important plot details, whether it's in the story or during the "previously on" recap. Why does this matter? Because we're going to continue learning about The Ghoul's pre-war life as Cooper Howard, including Lee Moldaver's role in it.

Do we learn everything? Of course not; there are seven more episodes to go after this. Why go through everything now? Thankfully, the show has proven that it knows how to deliver a slow burn with the pre-war world, and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

One way that they can intertwine is with Norm and Hank's storylines. With the former, I'm actually thrilled with how the writers kept things moving, further increasing my confidence that they'll successfully adapt New Vegas. As for Hank, I honestly didn't expect to see so much of him so soon, but I'm glad to see his storyline is already connected to what else is happening. Again, I want to remain light on spoilers, but I'm excited to see where both of these plots take us.

Fallout Season Two's Premiere Is Almost A Little Too Busy

There's a lot going on as we set the stage; arguably too much. Sure, I enjoy television shows, knowing how to properly ration their time between their cast of characters, but it's silly that for an episode whose entire role is setting the stage, there's a character completely absent from it.

Aside from the "previously on" portion of the episode, Maximus is nowhere to be found.

It's a weird decision for sure, but one that I was honestly okay with. There's so much worldbuilding that takes place as we learn about this season's major characters that I didn't miss him at all. Maximus' story was my least favorite in the first season, not because it was weak, but because everything else was so intriguing. Now that we're introducing Mr. House to the equation, there's not always going to be room for everyone at the table.

Sometimes, it's worth sidelining characters and plotlines, and more Mr. House is a good thing. That said, the decision to feature Reg McPhee leading a support group in Vault 33 feels awkward. Does it match the Fallout franchise's tone to dive deeper into its horrifying lore with a side of humor? Sure, but not including one of your major characters, not to mention the Brotherhood of Steel faction, from your season premiere is puzzling.

Despite this one misstep, the Season Two premiere of Fallout proves that its debut season is no fluke. There's no denying the talent behind the series, but there have been far too many examples of a breakout show suffering a sophomore slump. While again, most of the episode is dedicated to setting the table, it still needs to give viewers a hook to tune in next week. In this regard, "The Innovator" delivers.