Fallout Season 1 ending explained: Why did Moldaver take Hank MacLean?

Lucy got answers she never expected in the Fallout Season 1 finale. Meanwhile, Norm learned that there is something big going on in Vault 31.

The eight episodes of Fallout did not disappoint. The series stayed well away from any of the game storylines, bringing us a tale of Lucy, a Vault Dweller who heads to the outside world in search for her father—not supplies as happens in the games. Along the way, she meets some interesting people and creatures, and she gets answers she never thought possible.

Of course, we also head back to Vault 33 now and then. Norm wants some answers about what happened to Vault 32. As he searches, he learns that there is a much bigger conspiracy going on. Just how did the apocalypse start, and what did Hank have to do with it?

Norm gets some surprising answers in the Fallout Season 1 finale

Let’s start with Norm, who manages to con his way into Vault 31. There, he learns that Vault 31 isn’t manned by anyone but a robot with a brain. That brain is Bud’s, who is one of those who worked at Vault-Tec at the time of the bombs dropping.

We actually learn that Bud and Coop’s wife arranged the apocalypse and wanted other tech companies in the United States onboard. The people in the 1950s-looking 2077 were put in cryosleep in Vault 31. Now and then, different people would be woken and sent to Vault 33, where they would end up being Overseer.

With Norm learning the truth, he was locked into Vault 31. Either he dies of dehydration or he puts himself in cryosleep in his dad’s former pod. What will he do?

Coop’s backstory is told throughout the season

We get to see Coop’s backstory, learning that he was the face of Vault-Tec. The “thumbs up” symbol was his idea as he did a photoshoot for the vaults.

His wife is far more than just someone who works as Vault-Tec. She is overseeing everything, and she wants to bring about the nuclear war to restart the world in America’s image. Coop is appalled at finding this out.

We learn in the present day that he had met Hank in the past. Hank was someone else who worked at Vault-Tec. This is when we get information as to what Coop has been after the whole time that he’s been around. He wants to find his family.

We know when the first bombs dropped in 2077 that he was with his daughter. Many likely assumed his daughter and wife perished, but what actually happened to them? We still don’t know.

Oh, and we learned that Coop had met Moldaver in the past. Will the two now team up?

Lucy learns the truth from Moldaver

Lucy manages to get the head of Siggi to Moldaver. That’s when she finds out the truth about her dad and how he was the one to drop the bombs on Shady Sands, which killed Maximus’s family. She doesn’t want to believe this at first, but that’s when Moldaver shares the full story.

It turns out that Lucy’s mom was from Vault 33 and born in the Vaults just like Lucy and Norm. However, Lucy’s mom, Rose, learned about the truth of who Hank was. She decided to get her family to safety and headed outside to Moldaver.

Of course, Hank couldn’t have that. He went after Rose and dropped the bombs on Shady Sands. He got his children back, and Rose was presumably left for dead. Lucy realized that the animated corpse—that I guess was what Ghouls end up turning into—had the necklace on that Rose once worse. That corpse was her mother.

Sadly, Lucy won’t be able to get any more information from Moldaver. Maximus and the Brotherhood of Steel ended up attacking Moldaver’s compound in order to get Siggi’s head. Moldaver is killed in the attack. With one of the machines now in the area, Hank was able to take that, knock Maximus out, and get away.

Lucy and Cooper end up leaving together for answers. They can’t wait for Maximus to wake up. It’s not like he’s alone with all the other Brotherhood of Steel there. With Maximus presumed to be the one to take down the enemy, he is proclaimed a Knight of the Brotherhood of Steel.

Where does Hank end up?

At the very end of the Fallout Season 1 finale, Hank touches down in a location that the game fans will recognize. He lands in New Vegas, making it clear that we will at least get similar locations to the games if not the actual game storyline.

Now we’re just waiting for official news that Fallout Season 2 is happening.

Fallout is available to stream on Prime Video.