'Fallout' Episode 8 Takeaway: Cooper Howard's startling truth about his wife sets off an endless pursuit
Contains heavy spoilers for 'Fallout'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Prime Video's 'Fallout' features The Ghoul (Walton Goggins) as a standout character who has intrigued fans with his mysterious yet charismatic persona since the series premiere.
Through glimpses of his pre-apocalyptic past, we discover that he was once Cooper Howard, a Hollywood actor with a loving wife and daughter.
The nuclear fallout transformed him into The Ghoul, but the fate of his family remained a mystery. The finale episode unveils shocking revelations in Cooper's life that profoundly impact his journey as The Ghoul.
Cooper Howard spied on his wife in 'Fallout'
Upon Moldaver (Sarita Choudhury) planting doubt in Cooper's mind, he begins to spy on his wife, Barb (Frances Turner) to uncover the truth about Vault-Tec, suggests a flashback in 'Fallout' Episode 8.
Cooper discreetly installed a recording device in her Pip-Boy, allowing him to eavesdrop on the crucial discussions during Vault-Tec's meeting with investors.
Cooper learned that the investors were pressurizing Vault-Tec to make money by growing the sales of vaults.
As the future of Vault-Tec looked bleak amid the peace negotiations, the investors asked how Vault-Tec would guarantee the return on their investment.
Barb mentioned that Vault-Tec will drop the bombs themselves to wipe out the population on Earth.
Cooper, who earlier believed that his wife wasn't a co-conspirator in Earth's destruction, was startled upon hearing her advocating nuclear attack.
Barb called the nuclear exchange an "opportunity" that would provide Vault-Tec a true monopoly in a capitalistic world for centuries to come.
What happened to Cooper Howard's family in 'Fallout'?
In 'Fallout' Episode 1, we saw Cooper and his daughter attending a birthday party when the nuclear attack occurred. He swiftly picked up his daughter and rode away on his horse.
While Cooper's post-apocalyptic journey gets enough spotlight in the series, his daughter's fate remains a mystery.
In the subsequent episodes, Barb repeatedly mentioned that she was working with Vault-Tec in order to secure her family a spot in "one of the good vaults". That didn't happen for sure, especially for Cooper, who faced the wrath of radiation.
The whereabouts of Cooper's wife are also unknown, leaving viewers pondering.
Even after 200 years, Cooper still searches for his family. In a conversation with Henry/Hank (Kyle MacLachlan), who previously worked as Barb's assistant, The Ghoul reveals his enduring quest, expressing his 200-year wait for answers about his family's whereabouts.
The Ghoul doesn't get his answers and nor does the audience as the series concludes with Episode 8, making us anticipate for another season.
'Fallout' is now available to stream on Prime Video