Fallout Season Two, Episode 5 “The Wrangler” review

Season Two has been building to a lot, and it really went kaboom in Episode 4. What sometimes happens in the next episode is more exposition, but Fallout wastes no time in following a bang with a louder explosion. This happens from front to back, with no time wasted in between. Although there is plenty of dialogue between characters, the meat of what’s delivered is tasty; a true smorgasbord of lore and revelation to whet your appetite for what’s to come. Read more of our Season 2 reviews here.

Focus is the key, with this episode dwelling on our main duo of The Ghoul and Lucy for most of it. We get a bit of Norm and the Vault 31 crew, along with a heavy flashback of Cooper Howard and Mr. House (and a short Hank sighting), but it all is curated in a way that keeps you on your toes with ears locked to the TV speakers. Honestly, this is the best paced episode so far this season, lacking the ADHD-type cuts that have bothered previous ones. While I do want to see what Maximus and company are up to, there’s a cohesion here that helps the story pop, and I appreciate it.

This is apparent from the first moment of the episode, picking right back up with Lucy and The Ghoul and their encounter with the Deathclaws. While intense, it doesn’t amount to much, with The Ghoul throwing something for a distraction so they can get away safely. The more interesting side of this segment is how they end up in a bustling Freeside afterwards, with the understanding that these Deathclaws have come up from Quarry Junction and taken over the strip around the casinos.

Surprisingly, it’s here that The Ghoul tells Lucy his wife and daughter are in a management vault somewhere, and he has yet to find them. This “humanizing” arc the character is on really works, with Goggins’ unbelievable performances hammering his intentions home. Lucy, of course, wants to help, but needs to get clean of the Buffout from the last episode. The Ghoul gives Lucy a few caps to get some Addictol at a nearby shop, then moves on to a nearby hotel bar to drink his worries away.

It’s here that begins our flashbacks to Cooper Howard, and boy, do these hit hard. Moldaver wants Cooper to kill Mr. House during the trip he and his wife are making to Las Vegas to meet with him. Cooper isn’t keen on it, preferring instead to steal the cold fusion from Hank in order to stop House’s plans. I’m curious if the cold fusion device is essentially the platinum chip, or if the chip is a plan B for Mr. House, but that’s not something summed up in a mid-season episode; here’s hoping that explanation comes at the finale.

After arriving in a stunning version of a before-the-Great-War Las Vegas and the Lucky 38, Cooper starts trying to figure out how to get the briefcase that’s shackled to Hank’s arm. Before he can make a move, he’s interrupted by Rafi Silver (the public decoy for the ever-reclusive Mr. House), who chillingly tells him, “Mr. House would like to speak with you”. Turns out all of our theories of a double have been correct, but the delivery of this line and Goggins’ reaction steal the spotlight in a turning moment.

In the fantastic reveal of Mr. House’s Lucky 38 penthouse, we get a view of Victor, alongside the magnificent computer terminal. This space has been meticulously created, making me smile as I took it all in. Mr. House’s knowledge of everything going on is impressive, down to knowing Cooper has been sent to kill him. Theroux’s performance as this eccentric and rich character is inspired, because in the midst of his conniving and calculated actions lies a man scared of what will happen if he chooses wrong. There’s vulnerability here, and he’s trying to grasp at control, especially in his deliberate dialogue with Cooper – i.e. mentioning knowing his daughter’s birthday.

Lost in the midst of this might be when Mr. House divulges that he isn’t really the main villain we’ve been searching for. Sure, he’s not good, but the choice to paint him as simply another player so quickly makes me intrigued as to what role he will play by the finale. His admission that while he knows when the bombs will fall but Cooper’s presence on this trip changed things is fascinating, as is his descent into a somewhat panicked speech regarding the impending doom about to beset the world.

Lucy’s story is as poignant to her character arc as The Ghoul’s. After arriving at the local shop, she sees the price of Addictol has skyrocketed according to the sign outside. I wondered if she might go to find some Buffout, but instead she notices a side door for the building and decides thievery is the option - a player after my own heart. She goes inside, grabs that – and a Power Fist for good measure – but before she exits, catches a glimpse of a dead body in the trash.

A dead body in the trash isn't all that uncommon in the world of Fallout, but it turns out the proprietor has been murdered, and the guy at the front of the shop is wearing his clothes in a hilariously-subtle fashion. Lucy deliberates with him for a moment before warning him not to grab a gun as she’ll “maim” him. There’s a lot of comedic banter, and it almost comes across as a speech check from the games.

Sadly for this criminal, Lucy’s Buffout-addled aim might be a little off, leaving her to take in the sight of what she’s become. In a well-scripted moment, a woman enters the shop and asks who she is, to which she replies, “I don’t know”. I know the wasteland eventually warps people, so the progression of Lucy’s character will be one to watch. Necessary evil is staring her down: will she stare back?

Norm’s part in all of this might be smaller, but still impactful. He and the Vault 31 crew make their way to the local Vault-Tec offices. Turns out it’s a tad more dusty and destroyed than when they were last there, which for them was last week. The receptionist’s skeleton is still there, and they make jokes as to her presence – these management appointees are certainly rather heartless.

That said, they aren’t ready for the wild wasteland, as blood splatters and roaring keeps them from the elevators. A few returning characters enter: the women from the Filly general store, who inform them it’s their squat and a roach farm at that. After Norm discusses Lucy with them, he finds his sister did make it that way, although the store owner assumes she’s dead after the events at the NCR headquarters.

Hank’s appearance is tied with our doctor friend from the first season. Several farcical moments play out, like a radroach attacking him and a dinner with… is that FISTO?! After this hysterical journey to New Vegas framed with Luck Be a Lady by Frank Sinatra ends with his abduction by Hank, he’s unfortunately left strapped to the chair we saw a previous well-off vault-cicle explode in. Hank offers him a new life, with the device in the base of his neck being able to erase his memories. Given the harsh realities of the wasteland, he readily accepts, and Hank begins turning up the dial. I won't unveil the outcome, but I will applaud some outstanding editing of the sequence. Bravo.

A few other things occur at this juncture, but I don’t want to go too much further due to spoilers. Let’s just say the twists that are revealed are worthy of how things finish up in this episode – especially in how a certain Power Fist is utilized. The payoff is ramping up, and I cannot wait to see how the writers tie off the threads they’ve woven so far while giving us new ones to grasp for an already-approved third season.