Spoiler Alert: Fallout

Season 2 Episode 4: The Demon in the Snow

We open the episode on the Alaskan Front of the war with Cooper Howard and Charlie Whiteknife. Cooper is wearing T-45 armor and, I won’t sugarcoat this, it looks bad. The CGI isn’t cutting it in the snow for some reason. They’ve done a great job to this point making the power armor look realistic and true to the game but this looks too glossy and smooth. I’m not sure how else to describe it but I was taken out of the episode for a moment while I figured out what was going on with the power armor.

They’re fighting the Chinese and this seems like the first iteration of power armor to see the field because it malfunctions while Cooper is in a firefight just after he sends Whiteknife away because his power armor has also malfunctioned. While the Chinese soldiers inspect the armor as Cooper lies helplessly incapacitated, we finally see what we’ve been hearing behind the enemy line: a huge fucking deathclaw. The deathclaw looks fierce and game accurate. The deathclaw quickly shreds the Chinese soldiers but lets Cooper live after scaring him shitless with a face to face inspection.

We head back to the Sunset Sarsaparilla factory where we’re faced with the aftermath of Maximus reshaping Xander’s head with the super sledge. Thaddeus, the former BoS member and current ghoul/child labor operations manager, assesses the lifeless body of Xander and thinks the best course of action is to “get back to work”. His character is my favorite in the show. The brand of comedy he exudes gets me every time. If you don’t know him from his character on Superstore, here’s a taste of what he brings to the table:

It’s hard for me to separate the two, if I’m being honest. Maximus makes him understand that he has to go with him to save his life and the life of the children (his employees). In order to do so, he has to impersonate Xander by wearing power armor. His lack of skill using the power armor and his nervous banter with the other BoS members (“Dust ‘em up, spit ‘em down) screams Bo Thompson (his Superstore character) in the wasteland.

Now we’re checking in on Lucy, who is recovering from her crucifixion at the hands of the Legion. (Side note: “recovering from her crucifixion” is one of the crazier things I’ve ever written.) The Ghoul has her hooked to an IV drip of Buffout, a staple drug in the Fallout universe. The NCR realizes she might be a good ally after talking to her about her journey. They offer her some weapons and we get a classic Fallout musical overture to accompany the view of the weapon cache.

We take a quick trip underground to discover Vault 33 is rationing water, but that isn’t stopping the Products of Inbreeding Support Group from demanding their allotment as stated in their charter. Priorities, people.

Now back to the surface where Lucy and the Ghoul are back on the road to Vegas, but Lucy is complaining that the air is extra heavy and “itchy”. She’s become addicted to Buffout, which the Ghoul (and I) find amusing. He offers her more drugs, which is exactly what I’d have done in the game to combat the side effects of addiction.

Next they swing us back to the Brotherhood of Steel base where Maximus has told his buddy Dane his plan to kill Quintus. Thaddeus is doing a shit job pretending to be Xander, and hilarity is ensuing. Dane takes it on herself to get the kids to a safe spot in case all hell breaks loose. Dane might be the only character who seems to have been level-headed throughout the show. The only one who didn’t drink the Kool-Aid. It’s nice to have someone be the voice of reason in a society of brainwashed individuals.

Norm has his troop of Vault 33 escapees scrounging for food and they appear to have found a truck of Blamco Mac and Cheese that they’re eating raw. I wonder how hungry they all are after all that time being frozen. I have to assume all their systems were in stasis, so maybe they’re as hungry as you’d be after a night’s sleep. It’s kind of fun to think about having the technology to really accomplish this. I’m sure it’d be abused immediately and then it would only be available to the ultra wealthy. If that’s the case, maybe it already exists. Anyway…

We find out Ronnie was Bud’s assistant so he knows all the dirt and secrets of the plan for Vault 33. He subtly seizes control of the group by testing Norm. He wants to know what Norm knows about the endgame of the Vault 33 experiment. It remains to be seen if Norm has convinced him that he knows the plan, which he clearly doesn't. He lets Ronnie lead the way but that’s the last we see of them in this episode. I’m beginning to think this seemingly silly side story will be the most crucial to our understanding of the true evil that is Vault-Tec.

Back down in the Vault, we see a meeting between the two overseers, Steph and Betty. Betty’s Vault is running low on water and is obviously in favor of Steph sharing her Vault’s supplies. Steph has other ideas and we see how ruthless she can be, seemingly for no reason. She does suggest a trade where she says she “might” help them with their water situation if Betty gives up Hank’s keepsake box. It’s revealed that Steph is from Solvang (in California) but later in the episode when her crimes are being reported back to her, Chet finds her passport that states she’s Canadian. We still have a lot to uncover about Steph. I think she’s an interesting character who will turn out to be another Vault-Tec villain in the same vein as Hank.

Our first glimpse of New Vegas up close comes in this episode when Lucy and the Ghoul finally make it to the entrance. Once again, it’s been beautifully done and we meet some of our favorite Freeside residents. The Ghoul first notices that something is off and suggests they go around to the Freeside entrance, but Lucy, hopped up from her recent drug addiction to Buffout, decides to go straight for the door. She’s met by members of the Kings, a troop of Elvis impersonators that we help in Fallout: New Vegas. Their classic missions are titled by Elvis tracks and movies: Devil in Disguise, Nothin’ but a Hound Dog, and G.I. Blues. Lucy blows one of them away and realizes how much she loves the power. She proceeds to use all the weapons at her disposal to massacre the entire gang of ghouls as Cocaine Blues plays. Why don’t you have a listen while you read the rest?

While the Ghoul and Dogmeat hang back and watch Lucy discover the convenience of headshots, we get a nice view of the Tops casino behind them as well as an ad for the Atomic Wrangler (which I really hope plays a role in the show).

Before our trio makes their way into New Vegas for the first time, we’re brought back to the developing situation at the Brotherhood of Steel base. Thaddeus is still struggling in his armor. He walks into the mess hall to eat still wearing it. I’m really not sure how he thought he was going to pull that off, but that’s why I love him. Elder McRae tries to have a conversation with “Xander” to tell him she doesn’t plan on supporting the growing rebellion. As this is happening, Maximus reaches Quintus and tells him that he not only killed Xander but also plans on killing him. Meanwhile, several Elders are now trying to speak with Thaddeus (as Xander) and Dane is stealing the cold fusion device.

Maximus has his weapon drawn, but he’s letting Quintus monologue like a Bond villain. I wish he would’ve saved us all the hassle and killed this stammering old dipshit the moment he took out that beautifully recreated laser pistol. Maximus tells him how he chose to kill Xander to save the ghoul children and Quintus is so disgusted that he tries to shoot Maximus.

Meanwhile, Thaddeus has gotten himself into a shootout with a room full of BoS Elders because it’s been discovered that the cold fusion relic has been stolen. Dane gives Maximus the relic as he and Thaddeus escape but not before Maximus locks Quintus in a room WITHOUT KILLING HIM. I can’t believe he let that cult leader live. Maximus and Thaddeus escape as the Brotherhood ships take each other down in what you have to assume is the start of a civil war.

The last scene is Lucy, the Ghoul, and Dogmeat finally making it inside the New Vegas gates only to realize they’re alone. They’re greeted by the Lucky 38, Ultra Luxe, and Gomorrah Casinos which I was excited to see in all of their glory. Lucy finds a nest in a planter with a giant egg in it. She doesn’t know who it belongs to, but the Ghoul and the audience know all too well what hatches from those suckers. Before the Ghoul can tell Lucy what she’s holding, we see the owner slowly opening a door. When it realizes it has company it rips the door off the hinges revealing itself. It’s a deathclaw that looks like it’s built for powerlifting roars, the credits roll, and He’s a Demon, He’s a Devil, He’s a Doll plays before we can find out what happens. Hell of a cliffhanger.

What did you guys think of this episode? I thought it was interesting that we didn’t get a check-in with Hank this time. I bet he’ll be heavily featured next episode along with a better understanding of why New Vegas was void of people.

As always, thanks for reading.