From One Vault to Another

What do you mean there's another vault on your mind, Norm?

Fallout episode 5, “The Past,” is the definition of good storytelling. First and foremost, we see the return of Maximus after being absent from episode 4. Second, the story inches forward as a few layers get peeled back, identifying a few more puzzling revelations. Lastly, not even the “golden rule” can prevent Lucy from loving life above ground away from Vault 33.

Maximus Stuck Between a Rock & Large Mutated Cockroaches

So, maybe telling squire Thaddeus about himself “roleplaying” as Knight Titus wasn’t the best decision. Especially right after literally branding him as the squire for Titus. Maybe let that heal, or I don’t know, tell him before burning and permanently scarring the back of his neck. Also, Maximus didn’t have a good plan on how this conversation might go.

He could’ve said, “Hey, Titus died after battling an irradiated bear and I was afraid to tell the Brotherhood what happened.” No, he says they need to get their story straight – without telling him any part of what actually happened. Thaddeus doesn’t actually say it, but he probably thought, “You killed Knight Titus.” So, yeah, not necessarily the best look.

Especially when Thaddeus balks at seeing Maximus, as he should since Maximus portrayed himself as Titus, and he told Thaddeus how he (Maximus) died. Since Thaddeus was flabbergasted by seeing him, Maximus takes it as a sign of distrust. It’s probably not a good look when you take after your mentor (aka Knight Titus), who threatened your life as he was asking for help at the same time; and Maximus does just that and tries to kill Thaddeus.

Unfortunately, Thaddeus has a magic key that shuts down the armored suit locking Maximus inside. Again, Maximus yells for him to help while simultaneously threatening to kill him. Tsk, tsk. Now, he’s left alone with nothing but despair, loneliness, and oh my god watch out for those giant man-eating cockroaches that are climbing onto your suit!

…to the Rescue

It’s safe to say Lucy has seen a lot of things since exiting Vault 33. She also doesn’t know as much as she thought. She’s also seen the giant cockroaches and quickly dispatches them off of Maximus. After pleading with her to help him, and telling her she’ll pass out soon from radiation, she unlocks him. And she does just that – passes out. It’s an interesting element to see that their bond is intertwined in a way where they keep rescuing each other.

Maximus rescued her from the Ghoul earlier in Fallout. She then unlocks him from his suit, which he then returns the favor again by giving her medicine to save her from radiation poisoning. If only saving someone’s life were enough to fully trust them. He tells her his name is Knight Titus and doesn’t fill her in on his deception to the Brotherhood. Although it would be great to see them trust each other immediately, Maximus has the instincts and experience to know that sometimes trusting others can be detrimental.

Case in point: He kills two people on a bridge after being attacked, despite Lucy attempting to walk by assuming there aren’t any bad intentions. There are always bad intentions in Fallout – and cannibalism too. If Maximus hadn’t disposed of the two attackers, he and Lucy would’ve become their next meal. Unfortunately, he’s shot in the process, so Lucy rushes into a building looking for medical supplies. They quickly fall into a trap and are knocked out by gas.

They wake up on gurneys and discover they’re inside of a vault. Despite Lucy’s delight of being inside of a vault, it’s uncertain if this is truly a safe landing spot for them both.

Fallout of Vault 31 to 33

Norm and Chet continue to investigate the mysterious deaths of Vault 32 and they uncover a similar, and possibly startling detail about those who fall into leadership roles in Vault 33. All of the leaders previously resided in Vault 31. After Norm and Lucy’s father was captured, they needed a new leader. And wouldn’t you know that the newly elected Overseer, Betty Pearson, also comes from Vault 31.

It’s also interesting to learn that she (current leader) and Hank (former leader) buried Rose MacLean with her “Pip-Boy.” This means the either wrist attachment was dug up by someone in Vault 33 to let outsiders in or Betty or Hank kept the device to use. Or, quite possibly, Rose did not die and opened it herself.

The underlying danger that seems attached to this knowledge, as well as Vault 31 seemingly controlling what happens in Vault 33, is unmistakably high. Did Vault 32 also have leaders from 31? Does this explain why they seemingly killed each other, because they uncovered a greater conspiracy? Does the vault Lucy and Maximus find themselves in have any connection to the other vaults?

Fallout episode 5 showcases the connective tissue in a great mystery and why each episode doesn’t require a lot of action sequences to excel.