The second season's latest episode saw a huge cliffhanger ending
15:26, 31 Dec 2025
*Warning - this article contains major spoilers for Fallout Season 2, Episode 3*
Fallout fans have praised the 'perfect' episode ending of the latest instalment which included a huge and unexpected twist for one character. Some have even predicted what it could mean and lead to next.
Instalments of Prime Video's hit adaptation have been dropping on a weekly basis since the premiere landed on December 17. The latest and third so far released today (December 31) introduced more major players and factions based in the new setting of New Vegas.
It also involved a huge character death that no one saw coming. Season 2 has picked up where the last one left off and following Lucy and The Ghoul as they journey to New Vegas to find Lucy's father, Hank, uncovering more Vault-Tec secrets and facing the chaotic Mojave wasteland.
Meanwhile, Maximus reconnects with a more expansive Brotherhood of Steel, all set against the backdrop of pre-war Hollywood intrigue involving Cooper Howard and Mr. House.
A little over halfway through the episode Kumail Nanjiani's Paladin Harkness convinces Maximus to go out on an excursion with him. He also persuades him they don't need a pilot and allows him to use a spare power armour suit he has on his ship.
On their journey, he reveals that his own Brotherhood of Steel chapter based in The Commonwealth, which is in Boston, is facing its own trouble. He hints that they could
Their discussions are interrupted by their ship alerting them to a signal of 'unauthorised automated activity'. The Brotherhood essentially don't allow the use of any pre-war technology (by anyone but themselves) which includes still active robots.
After taking out the robots they explore further into a factory. It isn't long before they discover the group of children who have been working there. It is the same group who have been under the watch of Maximus' former ally turned ghoul Thaddeus.
Recognising that some of the children are also ghouls, or abominations as the Brotherhood refers to them, he instructs the children to line up in groups. Maximus has an immediate crisis, struggling with the fact his faction no mercy rule about exterminating ghouls, but still acknowledging them as children.
He takes the Super Sledge and hits Harkness on the head with it, killing him. The final image we see is that of the Paladin motionless on the floor, as Maximus admits to he estranged friend he may have just started a civil war.
It didn't take fans long to share their thoughts about the dramatic cliffhanger online. One person, who was contributing to a spoiler thread on Reddit said: "I thought it was perfect, he was an amazing character for one episode and he dropped some lore and gave us context. But him dying obviously moves the story forward expeditiously."
Another added: "Holy s*** that ending is definitely not what I expected and everything is making more sense now."
Someone else simply admitted: "Mind blown." While one fan replied: "Surprised, but glad it happened. He seemed pretty cool up until that point, but I stand with Max."
Others seemed more conflicted as one person said: "It’s hard to wrap my head around it…But for real I was looking forward to seeing more of him, I thought he was going to last longer. Oh well."
As for what happens next, some fans think it all means that Max will defect from the Brotherhood, and end up joining another of New Vegas' factions. One viewer predicted: " I think Max is joining the NCR. He'll definitely be a figure in restoring it especially since I think he takes the cold fusion from the Brotherhood."
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