Fallout Recap: O Canada

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This episode felt like a typical second-to-last installment of a TV show: it spent a lot of time setting things up for the finale, introduced some new surprises, and included a smaller, self-contained story to keep viewers engaged. The most interesting reveal was about Steph’s past before the war, when she was part of the Canadian resistance. The show’s backstory explains that America took over Canada before the bombs fell. We see Steph escape an internment camp with what’s likely her mother, and a fellow resistance fighter sacrifices themself to create a distraction. Sadly, Steph’s mother is wounded and, before she dies, tells Steph to see their enemies not as people, but as Americans. The episode also shed light on the strange behavior of the overseer of Vault 32, revealing a disturbing lack of empathy. It now makes sense why she was chosen for the job – if she doesn’t view the vault dwellers as human, it’s easier for her to carry out Vault-Tec’s unethical experiments.

A recurring storyline with Steph perfectly captures a central idea throughout the two seasons of Fallout: you can never really know what someone is truly like, no matter how well you think you do. This applies to everyone – from a beloved father to a devoted spouse, or even a mysterious wanderer. The show consistently demonstrates that no one sees themselves as the bad guy. Even characters who do awful things, like The Ghoul with his questionable snack choices, or Hank with his devastating actions at Shady Sands, believe they’re justified in their methods – whether it’s to find family or bring order to the wasteland. Similarly, Steph appears unstable and potentially dangerous to the people underground, but her desire for retribution against the U.S. feels understandable given the hardships she’s faced.

Lucy struggles with her father’s plan to control the wasteland using mind-control technology, wondering if it might actually be a good thing despite being morally wrong. This continues the debate from the previous episode, questioning whether peace is worth sacrificing individual freedom – a theme reminiscent of the show’s core ideas. While it’s a solution, the show has highlighted that groups like the New California Republic offer their own imperfect approaches to rebuilding the world. Her father argues that “perfect is the enemy of good,” pointing to the chaos of the wasteland as justification. He believes the NCR’s civilization isn’t much better, citing issues like taxes, expansionism, and unpopular policies. Lucy quickly counters this attempt to draw comparisons, sharply pointing out that one side is actively committing horrific acts of violence and enslavement, while the other is simply flawed.

The Ghoul has teamed up with Max and Thaddeus as they travel back to New Vegas. He needs their help with the dangerous deathclaws around The Strip, but his real reason is that he knows Max is carrying the valuable cold fusion chip. It’s amusing to watch Thaddeus try to connect with the Ghoul about being ghouls, especially when the Ghoul is clearly repulsed by Thaddeus’s new, unsettling physical changes. They form a shaky alliance and resupply at an old, abandoned NCR camp. Crucially, Max finds a fantastic set of NCR power armor. He remarks that he always seems to return to his roots, explaining that he’s always felt more aligned with the NCR’s ideals of morality and justice—where he was born—than with the rigid, technology-focused beliefs of the Brotherhood. It’s clear the NCR still represents hope for the wasteland, despite the issues that led to its decline after Shady Sands. When they arrive in Freeside, the townspeople greet Max as a hero because of the NCR flag on his armor. The Ghoul jokes that people shouldn’t underestimate the power of a recognizable symbol.

Chet is increasingly worried that Steph murdered Woody, and his suspicions grow when he finds Woody’s glasses in their garbage disposal. It’s becoming clear Steph is planning something significant that will affect everyone in the vault. She makes a deal with Betty to share water with Vault 33, but refuses to guarantee the vault dwellers will be left alone to live peacefully without experiments. She insists the agreement only covers the water supply, stating that the future is uncertain and beyond their control. Surprisingly, Chet finds the courage to speak up at their wedding, revealing his suspicions about Steph to everyone. Initially, people assume it’s just pre-wedding nerves, but he then presents undeniable proof of her deception: an ID card showing she was born two hundred years ago and is actually from Canada. Amusingly, the vault dwellers are more shocked by her Canadian origin than by the possibility she committed murder.

Things take a turn for the worse on The Strip when Thaddeus is severely injured, leaving the Ghoul and Max to face a pair of deadly deathclaws alone. Max quickly defeats the first one using the blades on his armor, but the second one is a tougher fight, and throws him through the gate separating The Strip from Freeside, unintentionally letting the deathclaws into a much larger area with plenty of people to attack. This problem will be dealt with later. Meanwhile, the Ghoul manages to enter the Lucky 38 casino and goes up to the top floor, the penthouse formerly occupied by Mr. House, which now appears empty. Throughout the episode, we also see flashbacks to before the war, showing Cooper deciding who should receive the cold fusion chip. He ultimately chooses Representative Welch, who offers him an even better deal: a meeting with the President. Later, in a secret meeting, Cooper hands the cold fusion technology over to the President, hoping to end decades of conflict over resources.

Inside the Lucky 38 casino, the Ghoul connects a chip to Mr. House’s massive computer, reactivating him in his robotic body – as fans of Fallout: New Vegas will recognize. At the same time, in the executive vault, Lucy handcuffs Hank and begins shutting down the system controlling his robotic workers. What she discovers is truly disturbing: the Congresswoman’s head is being used to power the technology that keeps everyone calm. That explains why everyone has been acting so strangely pleasant.

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2026-01-28 15:55