Eight episodes is a surprisingly short first season for a video game adaptation like Fallout. Halo and The Last of Us boasted nine for their first seasons. Fallout has so much to explore, but its impressive pacing seems to be providing a thrilling walking tour across several unique sights. Circumstances shift to favor each of the three protagonists in turn as the hunt for "The Head" heats up.

The third team member behind the first three Fallout episodes is co-writer Graham Wagner. Wagner is better known for comedy than drama. He wrote 50 episodes of the hit sketch comedy series Portlandia from 2014 to 2018. He also produced episodes of The Office and SiliconValley before coming to work on Fallout. His comedic sensibilities shine through in "The Head.

Fallout Episode 2 Review

Fallout's second outing sees its heroes meet under strange circumstances in a genuinely fun action scene.

"The Head" introduces viewers to a little more of Cooper Howard's life before the bombs fell. It accomplishes its goal of leaving audiences stunned by what the Ghoul has become. His career as a movie star saw him portray cowboy heroes. He even expresses reluctance to kill his fictional nemesis, citing his role as the good guy. Fallout inserts a touch of commentary as someone mentions a writer who was hauled off the production for his communist sympathies. Cooper's easy, charming relationship with his wife and daughter is heartwarming in the brief moment before he's depicted in his current state. The Ghoul lives on borrowed time, unrecognizable from his former self in appearance and moral character. He reconnects with Lucy, demonstrating the usual wasteland greeting by holding her at gunpoint. Their confrontation grows out of control with the help of a familiar monster, several bad decisions, and a hilarious gag from the Ghoul.

Lucy lost Wilzig's head to a gulper in a poisoned swamp. The Ghoul stumbles upon her predicament and offers torture as his solution. By dunking her in the water like a lure on a fishing pole, he summons the gulper to kill it and claim his prize. Unfortunately, it proves more resilient than he imagined, prompting Lucy to fend for herself. The iconic hunched-over lizard monster appears here as a car-sized axolotl with human fingers inside its gaping maw. It might not be faithful, but it is a far more visually compelling design. Lucy wields the Ghoul's pack as a weapon, slinging his precious supply of medicine into the irradiated water. The Ghoul keeps his consciousness through that mysterious injection, pushing him to treat Lucy even worse as he hunts the head. It's a fascinating exchange that pushes Lucy to her limits. Fallout wisely pairs a character who has adapted to survive the wasteland with one who is starting the same journey.

Meanwhile, Maximus recovers from his encounter with the Ghoul. His power armor broke down in the fight, forcing him to seek out a mechanic. Unfortunately, he impersonates the knight he left for dead in a botched call with the Brotherhood. He fakes his death, prompting the Brotherhood to send Thaddeus as his new squire. Johnny Pemberton remains the funniest member of the cast, portraying an obsequious cultist and a punished young soldier with aplomb. His new dynamic with Maximus works wonders for his character. Though he attempts to flee before his squire arrives, he tries to skip town. A group of scavengers leaves him waylaid and badly beaten as Thaddeus drops in. Thankfully, their shared experience lets them track the Ghoul's radioactive trail to find the gulper. The battle against this massive amphibian is brief but engaging. Their luck turns around as the head spills out of the gulper's defeated corpse. Theirs is likely the most wholesome relationship in the show, making time with them a nice change of pace.

The show continues its three-way split despite its protagonists sharing screen time. "The Head" depicts the chaos in Lucy's old vault without her dad and with several surviving raiders in lock-up. The functionaries spend most of their time bickering and reaching for vague consensus among the crowd. Lucy's brother, Moses Arias as Norm, starts to step into his own in the third episode. His lack of interest in any pursuit makes him a unique presence in the series. The loss of his father and fear for his sister force him through several stages of grief at once. He's the lone voice in the room advocating for the death penalty, but his concerns fall upon deaf ears. Norm is a fascinating aspect of the show. Fallout remains vague about Lucy's father's role in events, but it seems like both of them may take after the missing man.

Fallout has some sluggish moments, but it's a refreshingly straightforward series. Despite adapting decades of games, blending several genres, and telling such a broad story, it's a breezy ride through the wasteland. Fallout is everything fans hoped it would be. Its flaws barely shadow its successes. Video game adaptations rarely capture the spirit of their source material. Fallout had several challenges, but it's arguably one of the best of its kind. The show continues to impress as it delves deeper into the wasteland.