Amazon Prime's Fallout TV series was nothing short of bomb-tastic, with fans and critics alike praising everything from the storytelling to the countless easter eggs from Bethesda's game franchise. The show's finale paved the way for what will be an even bigger second season. Lucy MacLean and Cooper Howard have a longer journey ahead of them now. With that in mind, here are 10 things we hope to see in Fallout Season 2.
Warning: The following contains extreme spoilers from Fallout Season 1, including the finale. Read at your own discretion.
10 Things that should be in Fallout Season 2
Super Mutants
After Super Mutants were name-dropped by none other than Leon von Felden of West Tek during the Fallout Season 1 finale, it seems all but inevitable that we'll get a formal introduction to them during the second season. West Tek was the architect of the Forced Evolutionary Virus (FEV), which created the Super Mutants in the first place, among other mutated creatures players come across in the games.
However, like nearly every other monstrous experiment that occurred at the hands of one corporate power or another, the Super Mutants broke free from West Tek in the California wastelands. Gradually they migrated across the entire country and their numbers grew exponentially in the Capital Wasteland of Washington DC.
Alongside Ghouls, Super Mutants are some of the most fascinating tragic creations of the Great War, and given that their origins lie in California, seeing them appear during Lucy MacLean's journey would not be far-fetched in the least. A more discerning question would be if we'll see a mixture of Super Mutants who are still lucid compared to their more violent counterparts, or even the darker-skinned Nightkin variant created at Mariposa.
Deathclaws
The creature that everyone wants to see more than anything else in Fallout Season 2 is, without a doubt, the Deathclaw. We thankfully got a hint of that possibility near the end of the Season 1 finale, when Hank reaches the outskirts of New Vegas and walks by a Deathclaw skull in the desert sands.
Deathclaws are all but synonymous with the Fallout franchise, given their reputation as the apex predator of the Wastelands. Conceived by the US Military before the Great War with the intent to use them on the battlefield in place of human soldiers, DNA was spliced from chameleons among other animals to create their vision of the perfect killing machine.
However, when the bombs were dropped in 2077, Deathclaws were among the many mutant creations to escape out into the nuclear landscapes. Given their high degree of survivability, they spread in increasing numbers from coast to coast, including the Mojave Wasteland. While we got our first encounter with a Yao Guai early in Season 1, we imagine that Deathclaws will be saved until later on in Season 2.
Related: How to build Maximus in Fallout 4
More SPECIAL Skills Like Lockpicking
Fallout Season 1 introduced us to an incredible abundance of Vault lore throughout each episode. One of the greatest instances of it was Lucy's brother Norm hacking into Overseer Betty's computer in her office to gain access to Vault 31. Along with the computer itself being a carbon copy of the model from the games, the hacking process played out exactly the same as well, much to our delight.
Given the sheer accuracy of that scene among other things like Lucy reciting what makes her SPECIAL in the season's intro, there are many more opportunities for classic Fallout skills to be flexed. Lockpicking (as seen above) would be an obvious choice, especially if Cooper is the one who teaches Lucy the more uncouth skills of the wastelands.
More Weaponry Like the Fat Man
Those with keen eyes likely noticed the good variety of game-accurate weapons that got introduced in Fallout's first season. From the 10mm Pistol (Fallout 1 & 2) brandished by Brotherhood squires to the AEP9 Laser Pistol (Fallout 4) used by Moldaver and the AER9 Laser Rifle (Fallout 3 & 4), there was clear dedication to rendering some of the games' iconic artillery for practical use.
That said, given just how much weaponry there is to choose from across the franchise, Season 2 has ample opportunity to make use of some truly flashy choices. Perhaps the most iconic nuclear hardware of all is the M42 Launcher, otherwise known as the "Fat Man" Tactical Nuclear Catapult. First debuting in Fallout 3 during an encounter with the Brotherhood of Steel, this ridiculously cool weapon is essentially a gigantic slingshot that hurls "mini-nukes" at a chosen target.
While first made by the Pre-War US Military to bolster its power against China on the ground, remnants of its creation can be found in-game across the Capital Wasteland. Bethesda even made a creative promo for Fallout 3 with the Fat Man as the centerpiece (as seen above). If we don't see at least one of these being wielded by someone in the Brotherhood or otherwise, we'd be atomically surprised.
Mojave Landmarks Like HELIOS One & Novac
Since Fallout Season 2 is set to take us out into the Mojave Wasteland for at least some of the time (depending on where Maximus and others end up), fans will be clamoring to see some of the biggest landmarks from New Vegas show up, hopefully. While there are a number of places to choose from, some of the most memorable include the HELIOS One base and the small town of Novac (both can be seen above).
HELIOS One is one of the focal points of power in New Vegas, given that it's the source of Poseidon Energy's renewable solar energy, which is what keeps the lights on in the city of New Vegas. There were also top-secret government projects conducted there, including the development of the ARCHIMEDES orbital weapon.
These discoveries led to ongoing conflict between the New California Republic (NCR) and the Brotherhood of Steel, who attempted to keep control of it. However, the NCR managed to drive them out and assume control themselves. This could definitely become an interesting subplot in Fallout Season 2, should they want to pursue it.
While not nearly as big or intimidating, Novac is one of the most beloved locations in the original game, particularly because of Dinky the T-Rex, the former tourist attraction that overlooks the town and the surrounding Mojave. Whether we'll get to see the "world's second-largest thermometer" in the show remains to be seen, but after seeing the scale of set-building in the first season, it could definitely be possible.
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Securitrons
Fallout: New Vegas is home to many of the franchise's best characters, and among them are the Securitrons. While Fallout 3 gave us the Protectrons, Eye-bots, and the ever-charismatic Mister Handy, New Vegas took it up a notch with the Securitrons, which feature some of the most engaging AI behavior of any automated character in the series.
The Courier protagonist encounters a variety of Securitrons over the course of the game, from cowboy Victor to the hilariously charming Yes Man (seen above). Initially developed by RobCo Industries, they serve a variety of uses to the protagonist such as aiding in regular combat and even playing a big part in the finale of the main story.
Since we'll be paying a visit to New Vegas in Fallout Season 2, and Mr. House uses a fleet of them to ensure security and order in the city, it would be incredibly surprising if we didn't come across at least one of these entertaining one-wheeled robots.
Boomers From Vault 34
Fallout Season 1 gave us an extraordinary look into the origin of Vault-Tec's vault system and took us inside a few different ones around the California wasteland, all with very different, mysterious agendas. The Vaults alone contribute a staggering amount of lore to the game franchise, and season 2 could dive into more of these sanctuaries-turned-social-experiments.
One such example would be Vault 34, which players can visit during their adventures in the Mojave Wasteland. The next number up from Lucy MacLean's own vault, 34 has its own tragic history. A purposefully overstocked armory led to the perpetuation of gun culture inside the vault, and limited living space led to overpopulation and eventually revolt when the Overseer denied citizens access to the armory for self-defense.
Riots broke out which led to different groups of vault residents seeking their own solutions. One group, known as the Boomers, decided to leave the vault altogether as a means to retain that right. When vault security had to go to the exit to deal with that incident, another group broke into the armory and stole the artillery inside. Violence from all sides led to the vault's reactor being damaged and radiation leaking out.
This ultimately leads to many of the residents turning into ghouls, with very few (including Horowitz, seen above) able to escape that gruesome outcome. The Boomers who relocated to the Nellis Air Force base nearby could make for a fascinating tangent into Vault 34 for Season 2.
The Fiends Controlling Vault 3
Speaking of more intriguing vault stories to tell, another would undoubtedly be Vault 3, one number down from the Vault 4 we visited in Season 1. This is another vault that can be visited in the New Vegas game, and it happens to be the headquarters for none other than the Fiends. Remember that Lucy and Maximus first encountered two of them in Episode 5 while crossing a bridge and nearly ended up as lunch.
For those unfamiliar, Fiends are a group of Raiders in Fallout: New Vegas that are infamous for being extreme chem addicts. Not only that, they're guilty of just about every sociopathic atrocity against humanity, with highlights on cannibalism. When Vault 3 decided to open their doors and seek help from the outside for a water leak inside their infrastructure, the Fiends caught wind of their activity and chose to take advantage of it.
Conning their way into the vault itself, the Fiends ruthlessly murdered everyone inside and turned Vault 3 into their new base of operations. Should Lucy bump into any more of these cold-blooded Raider fanatics, it would be a prime opportunity to explore yet another vault that showcases just how devastating life turned out to be in many of them.
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More Fantastic NPC Side Stories
One of the elements that made Season 1 of Fallout so fantastic was the inclusion of 'NPC'-type characters that helped give the wasteland even more life and turn it into a character of its own. Whether was the quirky snake-oil doctor that nearly turned Thaddeus into a ghoul, or Ma June in Filly, every episode was heartily supplemented by supporting characters that were perfectly engaging and entertaining.
Fallout: New Vegas on its own is filled to the brim with some awesome side quest characters and companions that all interweave to some degree within the overall main story of the Mojave Wasteland and its warring factions. There are plenty that Lucy and Cooper can meet during their travels, from former-NCR Craig Boone of Novac, to Arcade Gannon of the Followers, or even King and his robotic canine companion Rex.
Mr. House (and Benny?)
The final entry on our list goes to none other than the two biggest antagonists of Fallout: New Vegas - Mr. House and Benny. Since we saw Hank MacLean heading for New Vegas at the end of Season 1, these two characters will be the biggest proverbial elephant in the room until they do (or don't) appear.
Also known as Robert House, we caught a brief glimpse of the billionaire RobCo founder at the dramatic board meeting in Fallout Season 1's finale episode. After the bombs dropped and the country became a nuclear wasteland, New Vegas was one of the few cities left standing and somewhat intact, thanks to the intervention of RobCo's laser defense system that took out the warheads that came too close. Since then, "Mr. House" remained the self-proclaimed ruler of New Vegas, at least until the Courier came along.
Benny, Mr. House's second-in-command, sought to take control of New Vegas himself via the platinum chip. The Courier, whom the player takes control of, winds up in a "wrong place, wrong time" situation at the game's intro that has Benny end up shooting them in the head, kicking the game's events off from there. In time, he stands as the final hurdle between the player and a showdown with Mr. House himself.
While Fallout: New Vegas has been reconfirmed as canon by Bethesda themselves, it remains to be seen what the scene on the New Vegas strip will look like at this point in time, technically after the events of the actual game. Granted, there is the in-game option of Mr. House retaining control of New Vegas, or just removing the Courier from the equation, which the showrunners could go with in order for it to make the most sense.
Also RIP to Matthew Perry, who provided the voice of Benny in the game. It would be a fitting homage on that front as well.
That concludes our list of 10 things we hope to see in Fallout Season 2! We hope you enjoyed reading. Be sure to check out our latest guides and news for Fallout, such as how to build Lucy MacLean in Fallout 4.
Published: Apr 23, 2024 12:45 pm