‘Fallout’ Season 1 Ending Explained: Does Lucy Find Her Father? Who Started the War?

The new Prime Video post-apocalyptic drama Fallout introduces three storylines that seamlessly come together in the finale. While Episode 8 offers a few big reveals, it also sets up for more to come. 

Produced by Westworld duo Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, the series is an adaptation of a popular video game franchise that debuted in 1997. 

Set in the same fictional world, the television show follows a group of survivors nearly 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 Brotherhood of Steel member Maximus.

Lucy leaves her safe haven – Vault 33 – in search of her dad Hank (Kyle MacLachlan) after he’s kidnapped by invaders, one of whom disguised as her husband to get access to the Vault. 

Throughout Season 1, the characters come in and out of contact with each other, and their backstories are revealed. The Ghoul was an actor and family man, known as Cooper Howard, prior to the nuclear disaster, and his wife was involved with suspicious happenings at Vault-tec. He’s seeking information on his family.

Lucy and Maximus develop a close relationship when their paths cross on their respective missions. They are led to rebellion Lee Moldaver (Sarita Choudhury), who oversees the New California Republic.

But what happens in the finale? And what is the show teeing up for Season 2? Here’s everything we know. 

Fallout Season 1 Ending Explained

Lucy discovers that Moldaver has kidnapped her father. She locates them and Moldaver reveals Hank’s shady behavior.  The rebellious leader tells Lucy that her mother had suspected that there was life outside of the Vault, and brought the information to her husband. In response, Hank said her idea was “ridiculous” and she shouldn’t tell anyone about it.

“That’s when she realized that her husband, the overseer, was hiding things so she ran away, like you did, and took her children,” Moldaver says. “She found this wonderful city that was everything the Vaults said it would be, but her husband came after her and when she decided not to return home, he took the children and he burned that city to the ground…”

The leader says, “That’s how Vault-tec deals with competition, just like they did 200 years ago,” alluding to the company having started the nuclear war. 

During the conversation, Maximus arrives with the Brotherhood of Steel to invade the Observatory to attack Moldaver’s rebellion group, and Moldaver dies – but not before warning Maximus of the dangers of the Brotherhood’s ultimate power. Maximus reunites with Lucy and frees Hank from the cage while Lucy is in shock. Afterward, she tells Maximus that her father who destroyed Shady Sands.

Amid the destruction, Maximus is praised by the Brotherhood and knighted, despite his growing skepticism of the militant group. Lucy teams with The Ghoul to track down her father, who escapes in the Brotherhood’s amour. In the final moments, Hank seemingly approaches New Vegas – a setting known to fans of the Fallout video game.

What’s next? Will The Ghoul and Lucy track down Hank? Does Hank know what’s happened to The Ghoul’s family? Will Maximus stay with the Brotherhood of Steel? Season 1 perfectly executed wrapping up the season and teasing the series’ future.

Fallout Season 1 is streaming on Prime Video.