Fallout: Season 2 Episode 6 – Recap and Review

Fallout continues to sluggishly build up to something you hope and pray will compensate for what feels increasingly like a sophomore slump.

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted on Hours Updated on

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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Episode 6 “The Other Player” Recap and Details

  • Director(s): Lisa Joy
  • Writer(s): Dave Hill
  • Public Release Date (Prime Video): January 21, 2026
  • Check out more of our “Fallout” coverage.

Do You Really Think I’m A Monster?: Barb, Cooper, Super Mutant, Dr. Wilzig, Hank

Is Barbara someone who willingly went over to the dark side? Possibly no. Dr. Wilzig, of the Enclave, seemingly had a hand in her pushing the idea of the end of the world, controlled by America’s biggest companies. Now, who pushed him to do that? Was he controlled? Why target Barbara? A lot isn’t clear.

What was clear is that Barbara was asking questions, just as Cooper was. Also, while she took meetings, Barbara wasn’t the head but rather one of the arms. So, everything Cooper put on her – in terms of her being the villain of this story? He may have been set up to think that way.

Which makes the only thing we know for sure is that Hank seemingly had the cold fusion diode in his neck for safekeeping. It isn’t clear why he was chosen or why it was placed in his neck, but the past is blurry. Especially since Cooper is remembering what happened while impaled on a broken light pole, as a Super Mutant drags him away and heals him, and after the same one knocks him out for rejecting an alliance.

Is This The Reunion You Planned?: Thaddeus, Cooper, Max, Hank, Lucy

Due to power armor having trackers in them, sadly, the one Thaddeus was in gets abandoned, leaving Thaddeus and Max not powerless, due to having a valuable and dangerous item, but lacking notable means to protect it. So, in Thaddeus’ mind, they are better off just selling it and living well. But for Max, he figures maybe Lucy can make something of it.

As for how he can find her? Well, after the Super Mutant’s proposal to join forces is rejected, he dumps Cooper somewhere, and thanks to Dogmeat, Max, Thaddeus, and Cooper get reunited. Now, as for whether he’ll help them? Hard to say. He knows his kid is alive, Hank likely has them, so he might be down to make a trip.

Switching to Lucy, rather than being taken to the vault, Hank has placed her in either a showroom or had one of the offices made to look like a vault. On top of this, he has expanded well beyond the snake oil salesman and now has legion soldiers, a handful of NCR, maybe raiders, and more, as obedient employees. Lucy is initially appalled, but, with being reminded of how they act when not under RobCo’s “The Automated Man” device, she gives in. Leaving her to wonder, while her dad needs to be brought to justice, does the end justify the means?

The Vaults Weren’t Meant To Last Forever: Betty, Chet, Reg

Between rumors that Woody has disappeared, which alarms the soon to be (forced) wed Chet, and then Reg and Betty bumping heads, things aren’t getting better in the vaults. If anything, it seems there is bound to be a war but as for which factions will be fighting, that is hard to say. But, it is certainly a case of when far more than if.

New Characters in Episode 6

Super Mutant (Ron Perlman)

Super Mutant (Ron Perlman) – Fallout Season 2 Episode 6
  • Character Summary: While mostly veiled, it is clear there are super mutants near Freeside and one is preparing for a war. One in which those who are ghouls, super mutants, all those who are humanoid but not seen as human, will rise up and become a dominant force in the wasteland.

Review and Commentary

Highlights

A New War Is Coming [81/100]

Super mutants gathering other “abominations” to go to war with humanity could be AWESOME! It will call to action the Brotherhood of Steel, maybe lead to the origin of Super Mutants deeper, maybe, assuming that was Ron Howard we saw, him getting the same treatment Cooper got, where we see his flashbacks?

To me, if we were to head into the past, I’d rather see the origin of super mutants carried out over a season than drag out the circumstances that led to the bombs dropping. But, more on that issue later.

On The Fence

The Past Is Still Mostly A Bore & Does Little To Support Present Day [74/100]

The key to the past has always been making Barb and Janey people whose value would make Cooper search for them for over 200 years. The only effort made to make Janey special is by showing she is a cute kid, and Barb? I’d submit they’ve done a terrible job at making her notable in a long-term way.

Yes, they pushed the idea that she had a hand in the bombs being dropped and knew about the super mutant virus. But it seems any possible way they could undermine her, they have. The push is that it was the Enclave that wanted her to nudge the corporate leaders into maybe dropping a bomb. They make it clear she is nowhere near the top of the echelon, regarding Vault-Tec’s corporate structure, and even in terms of her marriage, they don’t present Cooper and her as a loving couple. More so, they present the idea that they may have stayed together because they have a kid, and for the sake of Cooper’s image. After all, divorce wasn’t highly looked upon when they were both mobile and smooth-faced.

And I get, not everything can be quick and easy answers, but I can’t be alone in believing they have really dragged out the question of who dropped the bombs way past its peak, right?

The Vaults Remain A Drag [71/100]

With Lucy not ending up back at the vaults, all hope is lost. Betty and Reg having their stand off was ruined by Reg treating it as a joke and Betty not coming down hard. Steph coercing Chet to marry her? Who cares? I would even say Woody’s disappearance doesn’t feel like a big thing.

Why? Because the issue is, and may always been when it comes to the vaults, what reasons are we given to invest? There isn’t a character you love, you hate, or love to hate; they simply are the ones left behind. The characters who, if this were the video games, you would never see again after entering the wasteland – and seemingly for good reason.

Which makes me wonder, considering how Fallout has rushed through certain things from the games, why did it dwell on the one area it should have cut quick? Was it purely for the experiment angle? Because, with every tease there were far more interesting vaults out there, it makes being stuck with Bud’s trainees more and more frustrating.

Max, Cooper, and Thaddeus [73/100]

The struggle with this trio is that, Max breaking away from the Brotherhood of Steel, removes one of the most interesting aspects of his character. Thaddeus is basically written in a similar fashion to Reg, in terms of being a comedic character, and Cooper? With him deciding to avoid a storyline with a super mutant, being paired with two characters who could be on a downturn seems like a red flag.

Now, granted, having the key to cold fusion does bring something to this trio, a means for Cooper to see his wife and daughter, by having a major bargaining chip. But the longer Fallout goes on, the more I find myself wondering if they are potentially mishandling the franchise? Because, at this point, it is starting to seem like they should have made this an anthology, focused on different sects or places within the Wasteland, rather than staying steady with a handful of characters. For the lack of upward trajectory is increasingly worrisome.

Overall

Our Overall Rating [74/100]

I think we might be coming to the point where Fallout is going to become notably reliant on big moments from now on. As for the episode-to-episode drama, the comedy, things like that? When we’re not seeing bombs explode, battles play out, things like that, this is going to be a show that feels like it doesn’t live up to its potential.

Ultimately pushing the idea, while video game adaptations have gotten better, there remains the issue of maintaining an audience’s attention beyond that initial pop from seeing, in live-action, certain scenes, characters, storylines, that you spent longer than the duration of an episode with.

What To Check Out Next

Visit our main TV shows page! There you’ll find other shows we’ve covered or look below for more of our coverage for this series:

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Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been writing reviews since 2010, with a focus on dramas and comedies.