Minority Mindset

During an interview shared on X, a reporter asked Ralph Fiennes who he thought should play James Bond next. Fiennes appeared surprised by the question, and mentioned he believed Cillian Murphy would be a strong fit for the role, stating, “I think Cillian Murphy’s very good, a very good choice.”

Malcolm, like many characters in Noah Baumbach’s films, is a bit delusional and thinks highly of himself, but he’s not entirely off base. Think of Bono – many people wonder what makes him an authority. This pattern appears in other Baumbach creations: Walt Berkman, a teenager who justified plagiarism by claiming he could have written the song himself; Roger Greenberg, a man who turned down a promising record deal because he felt it wasn’t artistically worthy and then wallowed in the consequences; Josh Srebnick, a filmmaker stuck on a years-long, uninspired documentary; and Harold Meyerowitz, an elderly sculptor who blames his lack of recognition on the superficiality of the art world. They all share a tendency to rationalize their failures by pointing fingers elsewhere.

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.

First Reaction – The Stranger in My Home struggles to deliver the bigger impact the story suggests.