9 Unanswered Questions from the ‘Fallout’ TV Show That Season 2 Will Need to Address

The post-apocalyptic series Fallout premiered to great success on Prime Video in April 2024. The video game adaptation’s epic worldbuilding came with two-headed cattle, tons of danger, and a twisty ending. Less than a week after the premiere, the show scored a second season renewal to resolve some of the lingering questions that fans have after the season finale.

Produced by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, the first season consists of eight episodes and follows a group of survivors roughly 200 years after a nuclear apocalyptic disaster. 

Ella Purnell plays optimistic Vault-dweller Lucy, Walton Goggins plays ruthless bounty hunter The Ghoul, and Aaron Moten plays the Brotherhood of Steel member Maximus.

The three characters embark on their own journeys which eventually cross paths: Lucy is on the search for her father Hank (Kyle MacLachlan) who was kidnapped, The Ghoul is seeking answers about his missing family, and Maximus is sent on a mission to find Siggi Wilzig.

At the end of the season, Lucy locates her father and a few of his shady secrets are revealed. When Hank escapes, Lucy pairs up with The Ghoul to follow him. Maximus and Lucy start a romantic relationship in the latter episodes, but go separate ways after the battle at Griffith Observatory.

Fallout Season 1 left viewers with a few pressing questions. Did Vault-Tec start the nuclear war? Will Thaddeus return? Why is Hank going to New Vegas? Here are nine questions that we need answered in Season 2.

1. Did Vault-Tec Start The Nuclear War?

   In the Season 1 finale, Lee Moldaver (Sarita Choudhury) reveals that Hank, a former Vault-Tech executive, may have been involved with the nuclear war that destroyed civilization nearly 200 years ago. While telling Lucy an unfortunate story, the rebellious leader says, “That’s how Vault-tec deals with competition, just like they did 200 years ago.” Does that mean Vault-Tech started the nuclear war? How much of what they did was on purpose?

2. How Did Moldaver Survive The War?

   It has been revealed that select Vault-Tech employees were put in cryonic pods, which allowed them to sleep through the Great War. That’s how Hank survived. But how is Moldaver still alive given that she was a scientist before the war happened? Did she have access to the cryonic pods as well? We’d like to know.

3. …What’s The Deal With Vault 4?

   Remember Vault 4? The cult that worships Moldaver as their Mother Flame? Did we ever find out what was going on over there? I’d at least like some information about the nudity and blood used during the ritual? The group clearly has an adoration for Moldaver, which makes sense given her knowledge of what went down at Shady Sands and her advocacy for the victims, so how will they react when they find out she’s seemingly dead? I sense there will be more of Vault 4 in Season 2.

4. What Happened To The Ghoul’s Family?

   The Season 2 will hopefully bring some answers about The Ghoul’s family. He’s been on the hunt for information about his loved ones, which has lead him to Hank. But does Hank know where The Ghoul’s family is? Also, they were last seen alive pre-war… Is his family still alive? What does The Ghoul know that we don’t know?

5. Were Rose and Moldaver Lovers?

   Tale as old as time! Season 1 left fans wondering if Moldaver was in a romantic relationship with Lucy’s mother Rose, who was presumed to be dead. We asked Choudhury about the fan speculation, and she teased that viewers might learn more about their relationship in future episodes: “There is such a closeness and who knows… if there’s a Season 2, you’ll find out.”

6. Why Is Hank Going To New Vegas?

   The final moments of Season 1 show Hank approaching New Vegas, which is a popular location in the video game series. What’s he doing there? There’s no way he’s just taking a detour to gamble. Especially not when The Ghoul is on his trail.

7. Will Thaddeus Return?

   Maximus’s fellow Brotherhood of Steel member Thaddeus (Johnny Pemberton) is turned into a ghoul in the first season after Maximus injures him and the two go their separate ways. What happens next? Will Thaddeus return with his sights still set on Maximus’s downfall?

8. What Did Hank Do To Shady Sands?

   Moldaver reveals that Hank nuked Shady Sands — where Maximus once lived — after his wife ran off to live there with their two children. Why and how did Hank do that? He must’ve felt threatened by the city’s immense growth, but there wasn’t another way to restrict their access to resources? Seems a bit dramatic, no?

9. Will Maximus Rebel Against the Brotherhood of Steel?

   Before Moldaver dies, she activates the cold fusion energy, which is a limitless energy source. She and Maximus watch the city before them light up, and as the leader dies, she warns Maximus of the dangers of the Brotherhood and total control. Maximus has already proven himself to be an independent thinker and was growing skeptical of the Brotherhood, but with Lucy on her quest with The Ghoul and the Brotherhood having knighted him, will Maximus be attracted to his newfound status? Or will he rebel against the Brotherhood?