Fallout season 2 is taking us to Vegas, baby, and Lucy and the Ghoul are definitely pressing their luck by wandering through its post-apocalyptic ruins.
While the Mojave Wasteland functioned as the central location in Fallout season 1, season 2 centers on New Vegas and features everything from run-down casinos to broken marquee lights (although we do get to see it in its pre-nuclear disaster heyday by way of flashbacks throughout each episode). New Vegas is also the main location of Fallout: New Vegas, which is arguably the most popular game in the franchise. But what is New Vegas, and how much of the video game does the live-action TV show incorporate? We answer your questions below (and without any spoilers to boot).
What is New Vegas?
New Vegas is what's left of the old Las Vegas, some 200 years after the nuclear war. It's the central location in Fallout season 2, as well as Fallout: New Vegas, the video game.
In the video game, New Vegas is one of the post-War cities that lie within the Mojave Wasteland (known only as the Wasteland in the TV show). The center of the city, the New Vegas Strip, is controlled by a strange man named Mr. House and his "three families," small factions who govern the casinos: the Chairmen, the Omerta, and the White Glove Society.
Some quick history: Vegas is one of the only major United States cities that more or less survived the nuclear war, known as the Great War. This is due to the fact that Mr. House, aware that the disaster was coming, took the proper precautions to ensure that the city was (mostly) still standing after the dust of disaster settled. This didn't last very long, however, and New Vegas fell into disrepair – with Mr. House competing with two small, rival factions known as the Legion of Caesar and the New California Republic.
In Fallout season 2, New Vegas is where Hank Maclean runs off to in a stolen suit of armor in order to evade capture for his war crimes. It's also the place where the Ghoul believes his wife and daughter might be, as there is another vault made just for Vault-Tec executives within New Vegas.
What plot points does Fallout season 2 adapt from Fallout: New Vegas?
It's important to note that Fallout season 1 and season 2 don't follow the actual narrative of each respective video game. In Fallout: New Vegas, the player controls a courier who is tasked with delivering a top-secret package. This doesn't happen in Fallout season 2, but we'll tell you what does pop up in episode 1:
Mr. House (played by Justin Theroux) is indeed a central character, and he appears in both present-day and the flashbacks to 200 years prior that give us insight into both the events leading up to the start of the Great War and the Ghoul's former life as a beloved Hollywood actor. We see the impact that House's RobCo has on the world at large, and the sheer amount of power he holds when it comes to, uh, the impending nuclear disaster.
There are also four possible endings to Fallout: New Vegas, which we expand on below.
Does Fallout season 2 take place after Fallout: New Vegas?
According to showrunner Geneva Robertson-Dworet, yes. Fallout season 2 takes place around 15 years after the events of New Vegas... meaning none of the game's four possible endings are canon to the franchise.
If season 2 were to pick from one of the four possible outcomes from the game… that ending could very well then become canon. The possibilites: Robert House turns New Vegas into the dominant power of the Wasteland, which basically makes him a seemingly benevolent dictator that rules over what's left of post-nuclear America; The Legion defeats what's left of the New California Republic and effectively rules over the Wasteland (Though we don't know if this specific conflict will exist in Fallout season 2); The NCR takes over and annexes the Wasteland; or the Courier, controlled by the player, somehow becomes the sole ruler of New Vegas.
When Fallout season 2 begins, it doesn't seem like anyone is in control of New Vegas... and we don't quite know where Robert House is. Essentially, Lucy and the Ghoul walk straight into chaos – and, without giving anything away, it doesn't seem like the season is too concerned with who ends up controlling the ruins of the luckiest city in America.
If the season functions like a true sequel, this means that virtually anything could happen in the final episodes, despite the aforementioned possibilities.
Fallout season 2 is streaming now on Prime Video. Never miss an episode with our Fallout season 2 release schedule, and if you're still confused, check out our Fallout season 2 timeline.
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