The eyes of a soldier have been opened in Fallout Season 2 Episode 3 “The Profligate” to the point where it acts as a haunting echo of the past. Front and center are Maximus and The Ghoul, two men divided by centuries. But somehow their journeys mirror each other. Two soldiers who followed orders, believed in a cause, and felt their world transform when they realized they were on the wrong side and actually did something about it. That’s what “The Profligate” is about.
But there’s also Lucy. She’s caught herself in a bit of a pickle after the events of “The Golden Rule.” Lucy abandoned The Ghoul as if he were nothing to her on this mission. And she continued on acting like consequences can’t catch up to her with The Legion to the point where she ended up helpless and on a cross. Who ends up rescuing her though? Oh the very person she abandoned. Hopefully that will lead to some reflection. Because I’m tired of her seemingly reverting to her Season 1 self.
MORE: Need a reminder of last week’s episode? Read our review for Fallout Season 2 Episode 2 here!
The Dimness of the Sword Starts a War
Like all men with delusions of grandeur, Quintus underestimates Maximus. And by calling him a “sword” and “dim” he declares to the room and the soldier himself that Maximus is of use only for what he can do for Quintus and not what he thinks. It strips Maximus of his identity, the lessons his parents taught him, the lessons he learned on the road, and his time with The Brotherhood. And that right there is going to be downfall of Quintus.
We saw that downfall in real-time with the Commonwealth representative Paladin Xander Harkness. He painted himself as someone different than Quintus. But he’s just like the stuffy cleric. He just makes you think you’re not a sword with a smile and a laugh. And when it really came down to it, when Maximus had to make a choice, he didn’t choose The Brotherhood or Commonwealth. He chose his own path, sparking a war that will change their world all over again. And if Maximus had to choose again, you best believe he’d do it all over again.
Maximus is a good man in the same way that Cooper Howard was back in the day. And both had someone pulling at their strings, expecting them to pose and act for the benefit of others. But both woke up. Both chose to go down a different road grounded in helping people. And Cooper paid for it dearly, eventually transforming into The Ghoul. Maximus still has a chance to become a beacon of hope and light. But the fact that their journeys echo each other scares me for Maximus.
Is Lucy Starting to Stagnate?
Like we predicted in our review for “The Golden Rule,” Lucy’s audacity has come to bite her in the ass in Episode 3. And again, don’t get us wrong. We love Lucy. She’s faced monsters, horrors, and hard truths without losing herself. But… has she absorbed any of that? She witnessed the horrors of what her father had done in the Season 1 finale, killed her mother, and set out to capture her father alongside The Ghoul. But the more we dip into Season 2, the more I see Season 1 Episode 1 Lucy instead of the woman she’s become because of the events of Season 1.
As Lucy is rightfully calling out The Legion for their dated and gross traditions, I couldn’t help but wonder if anything that she learned in Season 1 is changing the way she carries herself or the decisions she makes in Season 2. Because we thought there was a glimmer of The Ghoul changing her in Season 2 Episode 1. But now in Episode 3 I don’t see development. In fact, Season 1 Episode 1 Lucy would’ve called The Legion out, not taken the threat they were as seriously because consequences aren’t something she really perceives, and ended up on that cross. Same reaction, two different Seasons. That right there feels like a disservice to Lucy.
I’m giving Fallout the benefit of the doubt because this is Episode 3. And maybe Lucy is trying with all her might to not let this world strip her of who she is. But Lucy ignoring the weight of the world outside of the Vaults doesn’t make for a good story. I want her to be slightly shaken by this apocalyptic world. I want her to start questioning her decisions and the way that she grew up. And I want her to dig into her own darkness and figure out what she’s willing to do to survive this dangerous world while still remaining who she is. I don’t want her to stay stagnant. And that’s what’s happening to Lucy right now.
The Return of Thaddeus
In a surprising turn of events, Thaddeus is back. Last we left him he had kind of made amends with Maximus before escaping. He was clearly in the early stages of turning into a ghoul too. Fallout Season 2 Episode 3 confirms that he did in fact turn into a ghoul. And he’s not spending his immortal life causing trouble or even following the ghoul stereotype of maiming and killing. He’s just… kind of working.
We don’t know how he got this job, how this job is even possible, and who funds it, but it’s surprising. Thaddeus has been mean, rude, and messy. But here he is running what feels like a mini orphanage at the end of the world with a side of child labor. And even more so, he’s being kind to the kids and trying to deconstruct what ghouls are and what they’re capable of after one of the kids got called a ghoul.
Nevertheless, at this point of the episode, I thought this job was self-serving for Thaddeus. A way to pass time because The Brotherhood obviously wasn’t going to take him back. Then he stood up for the kids. It didn’t matter that there were two guys in power armor. And as much as I hate to admit it, because I hated his character in Season 1, it feels like the world has changed him. Additionally, his presence shook Maximus for a second. It reminded him of who Thaddeus and Maximus were to each other but also who Maximus has always been.
Whatever comes next, I want to see where these frenemies (?) go next.
Fallout premieres new episodes every Wednesday at 12am PT/3am ET on Prime Video.
