Fallout's sense of humor walks a fine line. The good jokes mostly surround human awkwardness clashing against the harsh, unforgiving wasteland. Half of John Pemberton's lines are hysterical, especially in this episode. Conversely, the gags that fall flat tend to be edgy South Park humor that feels pulled from an eleven-year-old's TikTok account. "The Radio" delivers plenty of both, with occasional breaks for more serious matters.

The penultimate episode of Fallout comes from two returning directors. Frederick E.O. Toye and Clare Kilner are back from episodes six and five, respectively. There is a newcomer in the episode, however. Writer Chaz Hawkins is seemingly a complete neophyte in his role. Aside from a short film and a show called Quaranteens, IMDb has nothing on him in the writing department. He has, however, worked on several projects as a gaffer and key grip.

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Huge Fallout 4 Update Coming on April 25

Bethesda confirms to fans of the post-apocalyptic open world franchise that Fallout 4 is getting a significant update on April 25.

After Lucy discovered the nightmares on Vault 4's Level 12 last episode, Overseer Ben and his cadre put their newest resident into an interrogation room. She struggles with the terrible things she saw, some of which will stand among the strangest visuals in the series. Her captors explain the truth behind Vault 4, which coincides with the ad Cooper recorded before the war. Vault 4 was an experimentation chamber for scientists to combine human DNA with radiation-resistant animals. They created gulpers, among other things. When their work went awry, the base's inhabitants rebelled and took over. It now houses the descendants of previous experiments. While Lucy is heartened to know the truth, she's also on the hook for a capital offense. Ben prepares her for execution, intending to send her into the wasteland as a misguided death sentence. Unfortunately, Max misinterprets the ceremony, steals the vault's power source, and dons his armor. In his attack, he loses his spot and winds up back on the road with Lucy. It's a funny way to get out of an otherwise nightmarish scenario, followed by a fun moral discussion about its implications.

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Thaddeus enjoys a B-plot for himself for once. Limping across the nation, Max's misguided squire makes every sacrifice he can to reach the Brotherhood. After leaving Dogmeat and his bags behind, he stumbles upon the snake oil salesman from earlier episodes. Jon Daly's character is a delight, and putting him up against Pemberton makes for a very charming scene. The snake oil salesman makes a deal, promising the cure for what ails Thaddeus. The audience has no reason to trust him, and Thaddeus's only justification is desperation. Sure enough, after trading the core he stole from Titus' power armor, he receives a tonic that swiftly mends his destroyed foot. It comes with some additional side effects, but he's back on the road in moments. Thad's quest to reach a radio tower puts him in contact with Fred Armisen, a beloved sketch comedian. It's a great episode for the show's unique brand of apocalyptic awkwardness.

The Ghoul's quest takes on new dimensions after he loses Lucy. The gradual shift from naive vault dweller to wasteland survivalist perfectly mirrored the Ghoul's long-completed fall from grace. She seemed to drag him toward the point of decency he might have once occupied between the good-hearted sheriff and the amoral killer. Now, he's off the leash. He opens this episode ambushing a humble family connected to Moldaver. He holds Erik Estrada at gunpoint and shoots a teenager for information. He's a classic Western anti-hero. His connection to Moldaver remains shrouded in mystery, but it's clear that she became his target shortly after Lucy left him behind. He retrieves Dogmeat, prompting a fun memory of his dog, Roosevelt. Dogs represent a sort of primal freedom absent from vault living, maintaining a fascinating connection through Cooper's lifetimes.

At long last, the idea of the vaults as human experiments rises to Fallout's surface. It's the most fascinating concept in the franchise, immediately shifting the narrative into a wildly new realm of moral failure. Every new entry in Fallout adds something engaging to the conversation. The finale approaches rapidly, but comedic beats from beloved performers keep every step of the way breezy. It's shocking how much ground they've covered. New mysteries, characters, factions, and ideas fly by without ever feeling insubstantial. The worst moments in Fallout feel silly. They're the kind of thing someone might throw out as a gag. This show had to struggle against the potential of becoming comically self-sabotaging. When it tries too hard, it embarrasses itself. The other 90% of the time flies by and has fun doing it.

The biggest reveals remain hidden in the series finale. Everything rests on one final episode, but this show will still be great fun if its payoff doesn't quite land. Fallout delivers on its premise in every way that matters, sometimes to its own detriment. It's a show worth seeking out and an instant classic of its genre. Future video game adaptations should look at this as an example.