Fallout delivers several interesting mysteries across its relatively short first season. Almost every new element raises questions, and the writing remains tight enough to keep viewers waiting for the answer. Sinister new elements emerge in this episode. Shifting motivations and mounting deceit threaten to upend every positive relationship. "The Past" opens with a nightmarish scenario and moves through several new ones, landing the remaining characters in unfamiliar surroundings.

Claire Kilner directed "The Past." She's an English director with credits on several excellent TV shows. She directed three episodes of House of the Dragon's first season, and she'll return to direct two next season. Kilner also recently helmed an episode of Gen V. Carson Mell wrote the episode. He's best known for scripting 15 entries in HBO's beloved Silicon Valley series. Both creators have long and interesting histories in the TV industry.

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"The Past" rejoins Maximus and Thaddeus after their triumphant retrieval of the missing head. Swapping stories around a fire, they find some semblance of the camaraderie they knew living on base. Maximus clearly relishes his relationship with his squire, but the truth eats away at him. Thaddeus drunkenly insists that Max brand him, a customary method of officiating a knight-squire relationship. Despite his misgivings, Max places a massive "T" on the back of Thaddeus's neck forever. Shortly thereafter, he admits the truth to his friend. Thaddeus realizes he must have killed Titus to take his armor, prompting him to run. Max crushes his leg under the armor's mighty boot, but Thaddeus still outmaneuvers the bulky suit and steals its power source. Running off with the head, Thaddeus leaves Maximus to suffocate in the abandoned power armor, ignoring his cries for help. It's a gripping exchange that's only slightly unraveled by the fact that a well-chosen lie might have softened the news.

Max is trapped in a nightmare, unable to move and rapidly losing oxygen in a seemingly indestructible suit. When a pack of radroaches attack, he's convinced that his time has come. Luckily, Lucy appears to shoot the bugs off of him. Their exchange is tense. Lucy has become slow to trust through her time in the wasteland. Every person she's met has tried to betray her or left her for dead, prompting her to express suspicions. Max reveals his best bargaining chip, a stash of Radaway in his armor that will save her life. Reasoning that the only other alternative is a shared demise, Lucy lets "Knight Titus" out of his armored coffin. Their dynamic is somewhat less interesting than that of Lucy and the Ghoul. They're friendlier and nicer to be around, but they spend most of their conversations filling each other in on things they missed. The episode's standout moment is a standoff with two travelers, forcing everyone involved to evaluate their intentions. After their sightseeing tour, Max and Lucy wind up in a shocking new environment.

The mystery in Vault 33 rages on, but a new election period could change everything. This prolonged comedic bit about the modern democratic process and its unique foibles lands much better than some previous examples. While Norm and Chet struggle with what they've learned, the vault dwellers select their preferred candidate in a landslide. Leslie Uggams' Betty spent most of the first three episodes in the background, but her speech in Episode 4 made her a fascinating figure in Vault 33's internal politics. Betty's astonishing win, prompted by her previous experience in the role, comes with her new plan. She opens Vaults 31 and 32, allowing residents to fan out across new territory. When Norm tries to ferret out a bit about Vault 31, he finds nothing. Unfortunately, no one wants to answer his questions and the evidence recently disappeared. Betty's sinister intentions are exciting, even as characters like Chet and Stephanie mostly spin their wheels.

Fallout is past its halfway point and speeding toward a conclusion. The series has covered a ton of material, but it still feels like there's so much to say. A second season feels like an inevitability as the show's critical reception remains immaculate. This episode discovered one of the show's weaknesses, of which there aren't too many. Walton Goggins doesn't appear in "The Past." Every scene he isn't in feels weaker. He's the point of contact, the one character who knows the wasteland inside and out. After his emotional revelation in Episode 4, his next development will be the most exciting element. The next collision between all three protagonists can't come fast enough.

Fallout feels shockingly sure of itself as it enters its back half. Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy knew what they had with this project, guaranteeing an impressive showcase for a rare successful video game adaptation. In its final three episodes, Fallout will likely establish itself as a standout in multiple genres. Fans of the Fallout franchise already know not to miss this. Fans of sci-fi, westerns, post-apocalyptic dramas, action, and comedy should follow their example.