Now that Fallout season 1 is streaming on Amazon, people can see a different take on the games’ world and lore, and let’s recap the events of episode 1.
Editor’s Note: There will be spoilers for Fallout season 1 episode 1 below!
What happens with Cooper Howard in Fallout season 1, episode 1:
We’ll start with Cooper Howard, because he’s the first face we meet in Fallout. His segment takes place in 2077. He’s making an appearance at a kid’s birthday party in-character as a cowboy he played in westerns, with his daughter by his side as an assistant. People allude to the fact that he’s doing this because he needs to pay alimony after a divorce and hint at him possibly being a “Commie.”
While the party is going on, there are also hints about the Great War brewing. The birthday boy’s mother won’t let other parents watch the news, for example. After Cooper explains to his daughter that in Marines he was told to hold his thumb up to see if they should run from a bomb drop by gauging the size of mushroom clouds. While he goes inside to get her a piece of cake, we see her hold her thumb up. It is then that we see the bombs started dropping around California. Cooper takes off with her on his horse.
What happens with Lucy MacLean in Fallout season 1, episode 1:
Lucy’s portion of the episode begins with her introducing herself to the audience as she “interviews” to be the marriage candidate who weds a Vault 32 member to increase genetic diversity in Vault 33. These two are also connected to Vault 31, to help the trio survive. She introduces her younger brother Norm and overseer father Hank, and she also mentions her mother Rose is dead. She’s selected as the person for the marriage. This is an established practice, with her father Hank being from Vault 31 and friend Steph also hailing from there.
We then see that her cousin, Chet, has a thing for her. Her friend Steph is pregnant and expresses excitement about them raising their kids together. We watch as she wears a dress passed down by members of the Vault and everyone prepares for the ceremony.
When the doors between Vaults 32 and 33 open, we see them led by a new overseer named Lee Moldaver. Hank mentions the former overseer died, and a blight to the wheat caused trouble. Lucy meets her husband, who’s named Monty. They wed, everyone celebrates, and there’s a bit of unease as everyone from Vault 32 seems to behaving a bit coursely.
When Lucy and Monty slip away for their honeymoon night, the truth is revealed. The Vault 32 members are Raiders. They attack the residents of Vault 33. Lucy kills Monty, and when she returns to the group she hides her brother Norm. Many people die or are injured.
Moldaver holds a number of residents hostage and tells Hank either their lives or Lucy’s. At this point, we realize Hank and Moldaver know each other somehow. Hank stows Lucy away in a safe spot, the other survivors run as Raiders prepare to set off a bomb, and Moldaver takes Hank hostage. Moldaver says Lucy looks like her mother and that she should see the real world.
As the remaining residents of Vault 33 regroup and deal with the remaining captured Raiders, Lucy decides that she is going to go after Moldaver and rescue her father. Chet and Norm help her reach the entrance of the Vault and leave.
What happens with Maximus in Fallout season 1, episode 1:
Aspirant Maximus’ part begins with him being beat up by a number of Brotherhood of Steel members at his level, including Thaddeus. His friend Dane comes up once it’s over. When all of the members of this level are at a lecture, we see a ship with Knights in Power Armor coming in.
Dane encourages Maximus to come look at the Power Armor with them when Maximus is on latrine digging duty. He remembers back to when he saw someone in Power Armor when the city he was living in was bombed. It’s then that both of their superiors show up. Rather than being in trouble, they ask Dane to come with them.
It’s later we learn that Dane is being promoted to the rank of Squire for Knight Titus. Maximus is shown to be quite upset, though he rages about this privately. However, the next day we see Dane injured when putting their boot on in the barracks. Maximus is brought before the head and questioned. He claims he is innocent. When he meets with Dane again, we learn both of them said Maximus wasn’t behind the sabotage. However, it seems the others who bullied Maximus blamed him. Dane also suggests it could have been “any one of those assholes” who bullied both of them.
We then learn that Maximus is made Knight Titus’ Squire in Dane’s place. He goes through the branding ceremony. After that, all of the Knights and their Squires are dispatched on a manhunt to search for someone who escaped the Enclave.
What happens with The Ghoul in Fallout season 1, episode 1:
A number of Wasteland dwellers are coming to dig up The Ghoul, an individual someone named Don Pedro keeps taking chunks off, to get his help on a job. They have a chicken nearby, to determine if he has gone feral, since feral ghouls “can’t abide chickens.”
When The Ghoul rises, we realize it is Cooper Howard from the beginning. He picks off the individuals one by one and learns they’re after a bounty on the same Enclave member the Brotherhood of Steel is after. Honcho, one of the people, mentions the bounty is heading to Moldaver in California. The Ghoul then sets off alone.
Fallout season 1 is streaming on Amazon Prime. A second season also seems to be in the works.
