All 8 Episodes of 'Fallout' Season 2, Ranked

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Annabel O'Hagan as Steph in a wedding dress with a pip-boy on her wrist in Fallout Season 2 finale

Published Feb 7, 2026, 3:08 PM EST

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Spoiler Alert: This list contains spoilers for Fallout Season 2.Based on the legendary RPG franchise, Fallout returned for an explosive Season 2. The hit Prime Video series continued the story set in the wasteland of post-nuclear America. The biggest addition to the sophomore season was the introduction of New Vegas, a major location originating from the video game Fallout: New Vegas. With a massive ensemble split up between the vaults below and across the vast wasteland, Season 2 was chock-full of plotlines and subplots.

With only eight episodes, Fallout stuffed so many moments into the season, leaving fans an array of burning questions that will continue to linger until the series returns for Season 3. In each episode, Fallout brought brilliant cameos, exceptional shocks, and major revelations that are destined to change the series forever. So, which was the best episode of Season 2? It's time to find out!

8 "The Golden Rule"

Episode 2

Aaron Moten as Maximus aims a weapon off camera in Fallout Season 2

It's always a tad difficult to be an early episode in a season simply because much of the content tends to be a lead-up to something extraordinary. With the excitement of the premiere, Episode 2, "The Golden Rule," unfortunately, falls to the bottom of the list. Perhaps one of the most heartbreaking backstories we've learned thus far involves Maximus (Aaron Moten) and his family. In the flashback to 2283, when a caravan trader arrives in Shady Sands, Maximums' father, Joseph (Bashir Salahuddin) discovers an implanted chip in the back of the man's neck. It's only then that he finds a nuclear bomb hidden in the caravan. Rushing to disarm it, Joseph's inability to do so results in himself and his wife, Julia (Shinelle Azoroh), sacrificing themselves in order to save Maximus, whom they stow away in a refrigerator before Shady Sands is destroyed. Back in the present, the Mojave chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel takes Area 51 as its new base. With Elder Quintus (Michael Cristofer) leading the charge of a potential civil war against the stronger Commonwealth chapter, Maximus is still having to prove himself. Through a battle in which he kills a much larger knight without power armor, Quintus finally approves of him. It's all short-lived when Paladin Xander Harkness (Kumail Nanjiani) arrives unannounced to discuss the proposed civil war, which he's more than fond of.

Meanwhile, our favorite buddy comedy finds Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell) and the Ghoul (Walton Goggins) investigating an abandoned hospital where they hear a woman screaming. It leads to a Radscorpion attack, Lucy saving the Ghoul with her last stimpak, and the woman double-crossing her to be captured by Caesar's Legion. It slows down her mission to find her father, who is experimenting on mice and a reawakened Vault-Tec customer with the implanted chips. As expected, it results in the subjects exploding. Finally, in Vault 31, Norm MacLean (Moisés Arias) must calm the reawakened Vault-Tec execs who are panicking about being trapped. His quick thinking leads him to falsely lead an escape under the pretense that it was a test ordered by Bud Askins (Michael Esper), leading them to the surface. A lot went down in Episode 2, but again, each plotline simply set up the next steps in the story. Fallout is inherently camp, yet the genuine moment of heartbreak through Maximus' story made this episode special.

7 "The Innovator"

Episode 1

Viva Las Vegas! To kick off the new season, "The Innovator" picks up where the previous season left off. The Ghoul and Lucy travel the wasteland as they trek to New Vegas. With the Ghoul on a mission to find his family, Lucy slowly adjusts to the surrounding violence. Upon discovering a former Vault-Tec mind control experiment site in Vault 24, they not only pick up clues that Hank is in a large sub-surface research facility, but they also learn of the brainwashing that once occurred. While on Hank MacLean's (Kyle MacLachlan) trail, as he reaches his secure location, he contacts Mr. House (Justin Theroux) in hopes of further developing brain-computer interface technology to ensure Vault-Tec controls the post-apocalyptic future. Speaking of Mr. House, in the pre-war flashback, Cooper witnesses Robert House's ruthless ambition and discovers his wife, Barb Howard (Frances Turner), is intimately involved in Vault-Tec's destructive plans to initiate the nuclear apocalypse. Meanwhile, back in the post-war Vaults, Norm, left without food or water, refuses to enter the cryopod and instead breaks into the main terminal in Vault 31. There, he thaws out all the cryo-frozen management prospects, throwing the entire vault into pure chaos.

With the season set in motion by the revelation of mind control through the installation of chips in people's necks, Fallout takes on a new trajectory and objective for the individual characters: either continue the experiment or attempt to destroy it. Of course, this is Fallout, so seeing the effects of how breaking free from mind control results in your head exploding was a great way to kick off the season with a boom. Though there were some really exciting action moments, the season premiere was quite exposition-heavy and will lead to stronger episodes to come.

6 "The Other Player"

Episode 6

After Episode 5's brilliant cliffhanger involving the Ghoul on a stake, he becomes feral as he struggles to set himself free. In the dark of night, he is eventually saved by a Super Mutant (Ron Perlman) who tries to recruit him into a war against the Enclave, the real instigators of the nuclear war. Upon refusing the invitation, he's dumped off where he is met by Maximus and Thaddeus (Johnny Pemberton), who found him thanks to Dogmeat. Though the Ghoul struggles in the present, it's his wife who struggles in the past.

Only seeing her in flashbacks, the sixth episode of Season 2 put a larger spotlight on Barb's pre-war life. The biggest revelation is that much of her actions were not made by choice but by coercion from the Enclave, specifically Dr. Wilzig (Michael Emerson). Fearing for her family's life, Barb is fully aware of the nuclear launch proposal and Mr. House's early plans for mind control. As much as he defends the decisions in front of Cooper, her inner turmoil is eating her alive. She does, however, extract the cold fusion device from Hank after Cooper drugs him. Barb is an integral character in our story. We've come to appreciate her, but this appearance was the first to truly bring empathy towards her character.

Speaking of mind control, Lucy wakes up in the secret Vault-Tec facility where she discovers her father has been kidnapping wastelanders and brainwashing them to build more control chips. After she's reunited with her father, he attempts to downplay his actions, framing them as means for the greater good. She's disgusted, scolding him, with the intention of bringing him back to Vault 33 to face justice. But this is her father; he does not go down easily. Meanwhile, back in Vault 32, Chet (Dave Register) learns he will be marrying Stephanie Harper (Annabel O'Hagan), though he's apprehensive when he learns Woody Thomas (Zach Cherry) has gone missing. It's only a precursor to the extraordinary surprises that are about to engulf Vault 32.

5 "The Demon in the Snow"

Episode 4

With the Brotherhood in chaos, Maximus and Thaddeus must flee after killing Paladin Xander Harkness. In order to do so, this time it's Thaddeus who must impersonate the Paladin to prevent a civil war. Though back at Area 51, Dane (Xelia Mendes-Jones) deduces that Xander is dead, only for Maximus to seize on the opportunity to kill Elder Cleric Quintus (Michael Cristofer). Only, with the opening, he fails to do so, instead confessing his murder to save the ghoul children. The civil war officially begins when Dane steals the cold fusion relic, and Maximus and Thaddeus gain control before fleeing into the desert. In the desert, in order to treat her injuries, Lucy becomes high on Buffout, continuing to be provided by the Ghoul for his own amusement. Unfortunately, that leads to a new side of our favorite heroine. Alongside the Ghoul, a volatile Lucy emerges. By showcasing the darker, more violent side hidden deep inside, it becomes a reflection that she might be more like her father than she ever prepared herself for.

In the vaults, a massive water shortage caused by a water chip has led to strict rationing. But with Overseer Betty Pearson (Leslie Uggams) and Overseer Steph forming an unusually suspicious alliance, with the latter requesting that Hank's keepsake box be stored in Vault 33, it's Woody who uncovers the collusion. But when it comes to Steph, this newfound power isn't the problem. It's the fact that she's not who she claims to be. With a pre-war Canadian ID discovered by Chet, Steph's hidden past opens the door to some shocking motives. Now, jumping to the past, a power-armored Cooper is ambushed and immobilized by Chinese soldiers in Alaska during the Sino-American War. But his death is prevented by a Deathclaw that kills them all. Cooper is spared by gunfire luring the creature away. Halfway through the season, the most promising element of the episode is the future of what's to come. And by that, it hints at the presence of Deathclaws in the deserted New Vegas strip. And let's just say, the payoff was more than worth it.

4 "The Profilgate"

Episode 3

Paladin Harkness (Kumail Nanjiani) in 'Fallout'

It only took until Episode 3 for Fallout to pick up some steam. And it's all about starting civil wars. As the characters are split up, each storyline brings forth some fascinating moments, and one cool cameo that ends just as it began. Pulling straight from the events following Fallout: New Vegas, Caesar's Legion is at war with the New California Republic over control of the Mojave. Following "Caesar's" death, the legion was splintered into two where two "Kai-sars" are battling to determine the one true Caesar. On the side, Lucy is being held by an unnamed Caesar (Kaleti Williams). The other is being led by the "true" Caesar, Lacerta Legate (Macaulay Culkin). Despite trying to find a solution as a peacemaker, Lucy is crucified by the faction that loves slaves and kills women. As much as they bicker, the Ghoul tracks Lucy just in time to save her, before both sides engage in battle with one another. For the Ghoul's arc, we flash back to his life as Cooper Howard, as he's tasked with assassinating Robert House. Unaware that they are in conversation, their banter leads House to mock Cooper, alluding to their meeting again. This interaction is a key cog in the Ghoul's crusade and desire to hunt down House.

With the arrival of Xander Harkness, Maximus is willing to kill him as he believes "that's what we do here, isn't it?", but Quintus chastises him in front of the entire Brotherhood. With Maximus dismissed, he embarks on a joyride with Xander through the wastelands as they shoot up the baddies they encounter. But this bromance is short-lived upon reaching a Nuka-Cola bottling factory run by former squire-turned ghoul, Thaddeus. While Xander is nearly trigger-happy to take out every mutated child ghoul working inside, Maximus, in his rage, prevents him from doing so, thanks to a Super Sledge to the head. So long, brilliant guest star! The unfortunate thing about picking Ghouls over Brotherhood is Maximus may have ignited a Brotherhood civil war. Episode 3 is a strong example of relationship building and how past bonds, even if messy, are stronger than new companionship.

3 "The Handoff"

Episode 7

Annabel O'Hagan as Steph escaping Canada in Fallout Season 2

Episode 7 is a crucial build-up episode. It brings immense hype and excitement before the grand finale. Occasionally, this bridge episode in a series can be a tad bland. Not here. The penultimate episode is juicy! It all begins with a brand-new flashback: Steph. Before the war, Steph and her mother, Joan (Natasha Henstridge), escape an internment camp in American-occupied Canada. Wounded, Joan sends Steph away, instructing her not to see Americans as humans. It's a mindset she uses for the rest of her life. By 2077, Steph has infiltrated Vault-Tec. At the same time, Cooper, who has the cold fusion relic, is advised by Congresswoman Diane Welch (Martha Kelly) to present it to the president. Even though we have more to learn, these flashback sequences for both Steph and Cooper set off the events that ultimately lead to our present.

In the vaults, before the wedding, Betty gives Steph the box of Hank's she desperately desired. Simultaneously, Chet discovers Woody's glasses in the garbage disposal and shatters them. Instead of saving the evidence, he uses the wedding to refuse the nuptials, exposing Steph as Woody's murderer and revealing her true identity as Canadian. She flees the wedding, locking herself in her office as she schemes about her next move. Meanwhile, Hank explains to his daughter the method to his madness. Though he thinks allowing her to drive a golf cart will soften the ultimate blow. Instead, Lucy handcuffs Hank in order to shut down the control chips' mainframe. It's only then that she discovers the entire mainframe is connected to the severed head of a still-breathing Diane Welch. Believing she's in grave danger, Maximus, Thaddeus, and the Ghoul agree to rescue Lucy in exchange for the relic. As they make their way down to the New Vegas Strip, Thaddeus' mutation takes a turn for the worse as his arm falls off. But that's not the worst part: there are Deathclaws in their path. As soon as the Ghoul reaches his final destination, Lucky 38, he uses the relic to activate a monitor, rebooting House, who greets him. And that's all the setup we need for an explosive finale!

2 "The Wrangler"

Episode 5

Ah, the ruins of New Vegas. While the terrain may be infested with Deathclaws, passing through is of the utmost importance. Especially for the Ghoul, who is deadset on finding his family. As they enter the ramshackle town of Freeside, Lucy steals a power fist and another drug to remedy her addiction. There, the Ghoul tells Lucy he may know the specific Vault-Tec management vault in Vegas where his family is being held. This fact leads to flashbacks depicting Cooper meeting with House at Lucky 38, whom he's meant to assassinate at the orders of Kate Williams (Sarita Choudhury). House reveals he is tracking Cooper and warns him that his actions may be fueling the impending apocalypse. To make matters worse, the day the war is calculated to occur was the date of his daughter's, Janey (Teagan Meredith), birth. It's a heavy revelation, which causes Cooper to drink heavily. One subtle theme in this episode is the effect addiction has on individuals. Lucy is dead set on remedying her situation to regain power. Cooper seeks alcohol to remedy the destruction he may have caused. Through the lore of Vault-Tec revealed in the episode, the remainder of the season is officially established.

Back with Norm and the Vault-Tec execs, they reach the ruins of the company's headquarters and uncover Barbara's notes. Norm discovers information about the Forced Evolutionary Virus. This leads him to open up to Claudia (Rachel Marsh), an executive critical of the company, only for them to be overheard by Ronnie McCurtry (Adam Faison). Ronnie is not keen on the conversation, overpowering Norm, strangling him in the process. His father, on the other hand, has the upperhand as he kidnaps a California snake oil salesman (Jon Daly) to be his latest test subject. With a control chip implanted, the experiment finally works, allowing Hank to further his obsession with control. The now mind-controlled salesman approaches Lucy and the Ghoul, who offers safety for the Ghoul's family in exchange for Lucy's return to Vault 33. Unaware it's a ploy, he accepts the deal, only for Lucy, who had been drugged, to awake and use the power first to punch the Ghoul out of the window, impaling him on a pole. It's a graphic image, but what a brilliant moment. The violent side of Lucy finally pays off in dividends.

1 "The Strip"

Episode 8

For a season with many building blocks, the final execution revealed that a few more were needed to complete the project. Let's begin with the warring factions of Caesar's Legion, where Lacerta discovers a note from the corpse of the original Caesar that reads, "I am Caesar, I am the Legion. It ends with me." That won't do, so he eats the note, kills an innocent witness, and takes the crown for himself, vowing to take back New Vegas and turn it into Caesar's Vegas. Meanwhile, in New Vegas, the streets are overrun with Deathclaws. Thaddeus escorts the townspeople inside as Maximus takes on the beasts. Let's just say one shot is all it takes to blow the Deathclaws apart. Only, when it seems he's about to be overpowered, a rogue shot from behind him saves him. Who does it come from? The NCR who take the town back for themselves.

Inside Lucky 38, the Ghoul finally has House in a position to barter: shoot the Cold Fusion and annihilate everyone or give over the location of his family. He takes the latter, but that requires the Ghoul to wear a Pip-Boy, again, having the upper hand over the man once known as Cooper. He reaches his family's crypod, the thing he's been longing to find, only to discover it's empty, save a postcard from Colorado reading, "Colorado was a good idea." For the first time in 200 years, he has hope that Barb and Janey are alive. His story ends as he looks toward the East, intending to head to Colorado. Before we discuss the other action within the executive vault, Norm's story wraps up with a Radroaches bloodbath. For Steph, Hank's box has a Pip-Boy inside that allows her to initiate Phase 2. Oh, and spoiler: she's Hank's wife! We did not see that coming!

Now, to father and daughter. Before he could implant a chip in his daughter, the Ghoul saved the day, allowing Lucy to flip the script. Believing she's about to return him to the Vaults, Hank drops the evil villain bomb. Hank reveals that the vaults were not the experiment — it was the wastelands. Oh, and the mind control chips have only been sent out, revealing they're under his control. Preventing the secret from being exposed, he pressed the button, brainwashing him in the process. Hank loses his memory, and Lucy loses her father. We can't allow Lucy to have an unhappy ending, so she just so happens to reunite with Maximus, who holds hands and walks off into the sunset. And that's the season! That is, until the crucial post-credits scene. Dane rushes to Quintus with schematics for a new weapon: Liberty Prime Alpha. Season 3 is going to be good! As we are likely to depart from New Vegas for good, it appears we have new objectives, new antagonists, and new weapons. The Season 2 finale was the bold and brazen Fallout required to lead into the next chapter of the story.