'Fallout' Season 2 delivers an unforgiving New Vegas moment with the death of a fan-favorite character
The desolate wastelands of 'Fallout' Season 2 aren't inviting at all, and apocalypse survivors in the form of Lucy and 'The Ghoul' must navigate carefully through the devastated landscape. For each step of the way, a new danger lurks in the shadows. The recently released fourth episode of 'Fallout' Season 2 on Amazon Prime Video introduces a live-action version of an otherwise fan-favourite location first depicted in the eponymous game series, the famed New Vegas Strip. Titled 'The Demon in the Snow', the fourth episode marked the narrative midpoint of the sophomore season and killed off a set of familiar characters.
For the unversed, Lucy and the Ghoul have been navigating their way through the barren wastelands that were ravaged by the nuclear bombing two centuries ago. Marking the end of their expedition, the duo finally reached the New Vegas Strip, the seat of former glory as depicted in the Obsidian game. However, the live-action show deviates from the source, with the crowds thronging the casinos on the Strip nowhere to be found. Instead, the Strip was a shadow of its former self, run by the scary Deathclaws, suggesting the Kings have lost their status as a governing faction. The location that previously housed the Ultra Deluxe and the Lucky 38 is now in ruins, and Robert House's Securitrons seem to have collapsed.
As reported by Beebom, the previews for 'Fallout' Season 2 had already foreshadowed the appearance of the Kings, but unlike in the game, where they are described as the all-powerful rulers of the Freeside, they have all turned into ghouls and meet a quick end. Described as Elvis Presley impersonators, they are instantly recognizable by their jackets and their similar hairstyles. Lucky and The Ghoul first encounter the Kings right by the entrance to the Strip. They have been worn down with time, but their immaculate hairdos still retain some of their past glory.
Lucy, under the influence of Buffout, engages in a violent shootout with them, ending in a cinematic headshot to kill 'The King'. While his identity wasn't explicitly spelled out on the show, his matching black shirt and trousers paired with a white coat, and the guitar strapped to his back, make his identity unmistakable. The King joins the likes of Edward Sallow, also known as the founder of Caesar's Legion, who was killed off in the third episode of the sophomore season.
However, despite veering away from the source, 'Fallout' Season 2 has been hitting the right notes when it comes to character development. Talking about her own experience in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ella Purnell said, "I think for me, her sense of wholeness and sense of innocence and optimism is the thing that makes Lucy who she is. It's her defining core pillar." 'Fallout' Season 2 airs new episodes every Wednesday at 3 am ET/12 am PT on Prime Video.