FallOut: Amazon Prime Series: Season 1 Episode 1: The End

Read Time:5 Minute, 45 Second

S1E1: The End

Prologue: The End

In the year 2077, Cooper Howard, once celebrated for his roles as cinematic cowboys, finds himself performing stunts at young Roy Spencer’s birthday bash. Assisting him is his daughter Janey, while the gathering whispers about Cooper working this modest gig to cover his alimony. At the party, Mr. Spencer requests Cooper’s trademark thumbs-up pose for a photo, but Cooper politely declines. Puzzled, Janey inquires why her father refused, leading him to explain an old tale: in a nuclear blast, if the mushroom cloud is bigger than a thumbs-up sign held at arm’s length, survival is unlikely. Trying to lighten the mood, Cooper then fetches a slice of birthday cake for his daughter.

The Moment of Impact

As the party unfolds, the unthinkable happens—a nuclear bomb detonates over Los Angeles. The partygoers initially mistake the bomb’s blinding flash for a camera’s flashbulb. Realizing the danger, Janey extends her thumb against the backdrop of the mushroom cloud, a chilling realization washing over her. As windows shatter from the shockwave, panic ensues. The Spencers hastily retreat to their bomb shelter, denying entry to others. In a desperate bid for safety, Cooper and Janey mount a horse and gallop away, while more bombs continue to rain down on the city.

Part 1: Lucy

Fast forward 219 years, Vault 33 thrives under the leadership of Overseer Hank MacLean. His daughter, Lucy, a dedicated member of the vault community, requests the council arrange a strategic marriage for her with a male from the neighboring Vault 32. Supported by her pregnant friend Steph, Lucy prepares for the impending wedding. Hank reminisces with Lucy about his own past, how he left his home Vault 31 to marry her mother, who has since passed away. At the vault gate, Lucy’s cousin Chet hesitates, secretly harboring feelings for her. Lucy confronts him about the dangers of inbreeding, prompting him to finally open the vault door. Lee Moldaver, the new Overseer of Vault 32, introduces Lucy to her future husband, Monty.

The wedding goes ahead, and at the reception, Hank toasts to a future where the Vault Dwellers might reclaim and repopulate the surface world. After the celebrations, Lucy and Monty retreat to their suite to consummate their union. Meanwhile, Lucy’s brother Norm ventures into Vault 32, only to find their crops have disastrously failed.

Part 2: Maximus

Maximus’s life took a dramatic and dark turn in the once-thriving town of Shady Sands, a community under the governance of the New California Republic. His world shattered the day Hank MacLean unleashed a devastating nuclear strike on the city. Amidst the chaos and the ruin, young Maximus found an unlikely sanctuary within a milk vending machine, which shielded him from the blast’s lethal effects.

Emerging from his metal cocoon amidst a landscape littered with debris and destruction, Maximus was a lone child in the desolation. His fortunes changed when a member of the Brotherhood of Steel, encased in formidable power armor, discovered him. Recognizing the boy’s potential and resilience, the Brotherhood member brought Maximus into their fold, marking the beginning of his new life steeped in the strict and disciplined ways of the Brotherhood.

Within the Brotherhood, Maximus trained as an initiate alongside Dane, who quickly became his closest peer. The bond they shared was forged in the crucible of their rigorous training and the shared dream of one day donning the Brotherhood’s revered power armor. Yet, not all within the Brotherhood looked upon Maximus favorably. Thaddeus, another initiate, harbored a disdain for Maximus, perceiving him as weak and underserving of the Brotherhood’s mantle. This rivalry cast a shadow over Maximus’s days, filling them with challenges beyond the physical trials of his training.

Tensions escalated when, unexpectedly, Dane received a promotion over Maximus. The announcement stirred mixed feelings within the Brotherhood’s ranks and sowed seeds of suspicion and envy. The situation took a mysterious and troubling turn the following morning. As Dane rose from his bed, he cried out in pain—an inexplicable injury had maimed his foot. Whispers and sideways glances quickly turned towards Maximus, whose recent bypass for promotion cast him as a prime suspect in this unsettling incident.

The air within the Brotherhood’s quarters grew thick with suspicion and accusation, as Maximus found himself at the center of a controversy that threatened to unravel his ties to the only family he had known since the destruction of Shady Sands. The question of his innocence hung heavily over him, challenging his honor and his place within the Brotherhood of Steel.

Part 3: The Ghoul

The Ghoul’s story took a darker turn when he became entangled with a figure known only as Dom Pedro. For years, he endured unimaginable torment at the hands of Pedro, who subjected him to periodic, gruesome mutilations as part of a twisted ritual of surfacing him only to cut pieces off of him. This cycle of cruelty continued until a bounty on an Enclave researcher named Siggi Wilzig emerged, drawing the attention of bounty hunters Honcho, Slim, and Biggie.

Dug up from his grim confinement, the Ghoul was initially informed of the bounty as if it were merely another job. However, the suggestion that this could be their “one last job” struck a nerve. Deeply entrenched in the life and thrills of bounty hunting, the Ghoul passionately declared his dedication to the hunt, not for necessity, but for “the love of the game.” In a chilling turn of events, he displayed his lethal skills and unyielding spirit by killing Slim and Biggie. Honcho, caught in a deadly lasso trick, met a similar fate, presumably dragged back into the grave that once imprisoned the Ghoul.

This climactic moment underscored the Ghoul’s brutal resolve and the depths of darkness that the post-apocalyptic world had driven him to. His story is not just one of survival but a grim ballad of retribution and the haunting legacies of war.

Soundtrack Highlights

“Orange Colored Sky” – Capturing the abrupt change of their world.
Connie Conway’s “Who Do You Suppose” and “Brighter Side” – Reflecting the mood swings from hope to despair.
“Some Enchanted Evening” by The Castells and other classics set the nostalgic yet haunting tone of the era.
Johnny Cash’s hits resonate with the rugged survivalist theme of the story.

Behind the Scenes

References to Anchorage, Sugar Bombs, and Grognak & the Ruby Ruins sprinkle the narrative, linking back to the broader Fallout universe.
Cultural nods include Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace and the iconic water lilies painting, connecting the post-apocalyptic setting with threads of classical and popular culture.
Vault-Tec technology like the stimpak, which heals characters in the video games, brings the Fallout gaming experience to life with familiar sound effects.
The daily flip sign from Vault 76, along with various chems used by raiders, add layers of authenticity and continuity for fans of the series.