Fallout: Season 1 Episode 7 – Review/ Recap

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Plot Recap

Vault 31 – Norman, Steph, Betty

After the raiders are all killed with rat poison, Steph is appointed the interim overseer of Vault 32, and there is a need to question how people were chosen to transition to the vault. With that in mind, Norman decides to sneak into Betty’s office and contact Vault 31. To his shock, they respond, and him pushing the idea the mission isn’t going well leads to them being willing to let Betty return.

Now, it isn’t clear what Betty would have returned to since Norman arrives and the place is empty, but he may soon get an answer to who the “High Council” is.

Heading Towards A Reunion Of Sorts – Cooper, Maldover, Barb

Maldover and Cooper met when she was pushing the idea there is more to Vault-Tec than Cooper knows. He didn’t believe her, but she planted a seed that led to Cooper not trusting his wife or the company.

What doesn’t help is Maldover revealing how Vault-Tec has worked against humanity’s interest. From crushing Maldover’s research into infinite energy, a key source of the issues between nations, to the argument that, as the nation’s richest company, why would they want peace when it would negatively affect their investors? If there is no fear, there are no vaults to sell, and with that in mind, Cooper bugs his wife’s PipBoy.

However, whether he will eventually hear anything notable is being held off for the season finale.

You’re A Good Person Afterall – Maximus, Birdie, Lucy, Ben, Thaddeus

Thanks to Maximus crushing his foot, Thaddeus’ has a toe hanging on by a rotting ligament, and he knows he doesn’t have long to live. Slightly luckily for him, he meets the guy who likes to have sex with chickens who claims to be a doctor. For the power core Maximus had in his power armor, he takes a shot that completely heals his foot. What he doesn’t realize, though, is that the miraculous cure comes with the side effect of him becoming a ghoul.

This makes things easier for Lucy and Maximus, though they haven’t had things that hard for them in a while. Despite Lucy going to Level 12 in Vault 4, disturbing Ben’s apparent ancestors, the only thing that happens to Lucy is getting banished from Vault 4. Birdie doesn’t even fight or disagree with Lucy getting two weeks of supplies as she is kicked out.

However, the real kicker is that Maximus steals the vault’s fusion core, causes havoc, and nothing happens to him. In fact, he decides, after his gallant attempt to rescue Lucy, which wasn’t needed, to confess his truth, and she accepts him. She even pushes for the idea of him joining her vault and being with her. This level of acceptance leads him to return the fusion core he took from Vault 4, which they simply thank him for and don’t make a fuss about.

And maybe because of this karma, things go so easily with Thaddeus. Lucy and Maximus track him down thanks to the bug in Dr. Wilzig’s nose, and while Thaddeus shoots at them on sight, not a single bullet hits them. In addition, where they meet, Thaddeus is a radio station with traps all around, and Lucy and Maximus don’t step on a single one, but Thaddeus does.

Him living through getting an arrow through the neck confirms he has become a ghoul, and knowing that the Brotherhood of Steel would never accept him and would likely kill him leads to Thaddeus running as they are approaching his location due to him calling them from the radio station. This leaves a short amount of time to make decisions, and Maximus decides to take a head from one of the traps to slow down the Brotherhood as Lucy runs with Dr. Wilzig’s towards Maldover’s camp at the observatory.

Cast Guide

Character’s Name	Actor’s Name
Norman	Moises Arias
Steph	Annabel O’Hagan
Betty	Leslie Uggams
Cooper	Walton Goggins
Maldover	Sarita Choudhury
Barb	Frances Turner
Maximus	Aaron Moten
Birdie	Cherien Dabis
Lucy	Ella Purnell
Ben	Chris Parnell
Thaddeus	Johnny Pemberton

Review

Highlights

On The Brink Of Learning The Truth About Vault 31

As it becomes clear that Vault-Tec has had something sinister going on in nearly every vault, so comes the question of what was happening in Vault 31? You could assume that maybe the overseers it produced were robots, but Steph had a child, so that seems unlikely. There is the need to question if, with Barb making it seem there were tiers, maybe some of the executives live in Vault 31?

The mystery has been played out in such a way that it does feel slightly dragged out, mainly because Norman and Cooper are both leaving breadcrumbs, but I am hoping for the kind of payoff it feels like we’re building up to.

Lucy and Maximus

When it comes to relationships that are going to last a while in shows, a slow burn is always better than something that catches fire and burns out by the end of the season. This relationship, while still new, has been tested. Lucy has been vulnerable with Maximus beyond anything sexual. Maximus has opened up and told the truth unprompted. Also, both seem willing to sacrifice some of their comforts and take the long road to their goals or joy for the other person.

Is the relationship perfect and butterfly-inducing? No. However, there is a bond there that is about more than survival, and there is a growing love between the two where it seems, whether friends or otherwise, they just want each other to be happy, and if they can be a part of that, it would bring them bliss.

Background Information

Episode Title	The Radio
Release Date	April 10, 2024
Network	Prime Video,
Director(s)	Frederick E.I. Toye, Clare Kilner
Writer(s)	Chaz Hawkins
Previous Episode	Season 1/ Episode 6
Series Page	Fallout
Character Guide	Fallout (TV Series): Character Guide and Noteworthy Information

 

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