
The biggest surprise of this episode isn’t just that things have changed, but how much. When Lucy and the Ghoul arrive at the Strip, it’s a ghost town – completely abandoned and overrun by deathclaws, the most dangerous creatures in the Fallout universe. It’s genuinely shocking to see the Ghoul so frightened. (Look up “Quarry Junction” to get a sense of the backstory.) Even as a long-time Fallout fan, I’m impressed with how the writers – Graham Wagner, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, and their team, including Jane Espenson who wrote this episode – are balancing fan expectations with bold changes that could upset some viewers. Showing the Strip in such a state of decay is a risky move. Previously, it was a rare haven of civilization in the Mojave Wasteland, a place known for its vices. Now, the robots are broken, a deathclaw is the Gomorrah’s only resident, and Robert House is missing. It’s a truly unexpected turn of events.