Fallout season 2 ending explained: Unpacking the spoilers and what’s next

With season 2 of Fallout now finished, we’re once again left with intriguing mysteries and a brand new location to anticipate exploring in the future, much like the end of the first season.

Similar to how the first season of Fallout concluded with the main characters heading towards New Vegas, the second season finishes with the Ghoul setting off on another solitary journey.

Lucy and Maximus are still in Las Vegas, and it’s unclear who else is involved or what they’re planning.

Okay, let’s dive right in! As a huge Fallout fan, I’ve been thinking a lot about the season 2 finale and what it sets up for the already greenlit season 3. Let me try to break down some of the biggest questions and what it all could mean.

Fallout season 2 ending explained: All the key questions

Where is the Ghoul going?

We would wager that the Ghoul, AKA Cooper Howard, is heading to Colorado.

Unfortunately, when Coop arrived at the vault holding important Vault-Tec personnel, he found that Barbara and Janey’s cryo-pods were empty.

I was fascinated by the details of Barbara’s room, and something really caught my eye – a postcard from Colorado. Scrawled on the back were just a few words, but they felt incredibly significant: “Colorado was a good idea.”

If Colorado rings a bell, it’s because Cooper previously mentioned it as a potential vacation spot for him and his family in a memory we saw earlier.

“After all this, I say we go out as far as Colorado.”

Cooper gave the President the Cold Fusion diode, and then, while celebrating with Barbara and champagne, he casually mentioned Colorado. What happened to them after that is still a mystery!

Now, it looks like Barbara is confirming to Cooper (who’s now the Ghoul) that he was right about something. This likely means he’s on his way to Colorado, hoping to find her.

You may have seen a message in the credits encouraging viewers to visit the Rocky Mountains. This strongly hints that season 3 will take place in Colorado, meaning the Ghoul will likely have to embark on another long journey.

In the game Fallout Tactics, Colorado is home to Vault Zero, which contains a powerful supercomputer named The Calculator. This computer was designed to help people return to the surface world after the nuclear war.

That might matter next season, but it’s also possible it won’t. Regardless, it will likely take the Ghoul a significant amount of time to reach that point!

What next for Hank and his R&D project?

Meanwhile, Lucy’s dad, Hank, has fallen into a classic trap: after attempting to control Lucy’s behavior with a shrinking mind-control device, the device ended up controlling him instead.

So, is Hank really gone? We don’t believe so. The show has established that this brainwashing can be undone, meaning he could definitely come back – and potentially cause Lucy more trouble.

But a better question is what Hank meant by saying his research and development work is already spreading throughout the wasteland.

What exactly is the Enclave?

Throughout the finale, the Enclave is presented as the enemy, and its members believe they are the true successors to the U.S. government.

Robert House appears to support this idea, explaining to the Ghoul in this episode that when he gave the Cold Fusion diode to the President in his past, he was effectively giving it to the Enclave.

Longtime viewers might recall that in the first season, scientist Siggi Wilzig escaped the Enclave, having had cold fusion technology implanted directly into his skull. Afterwards, his severed head became a key plot device, passed between characters throughout the season.

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The season 2 finale strongly suggested that Hank, Lucy’s father, and Stephanie, his wife from before the war, are both long-standing members of a secret, powerful organization that has been operating since before the bombs fell.

Robert House believes the Enclave are his hidden enemies, constantly anticipating his moves. He suspects they were even responsible for the deadly Deathclaw Cooper Howard encountered during his time in the military, before the Great War. House also theorizes that the Enclave funded Vault-Tec.

In season two’s flashbacks, we learn that scientist Siggi Wilzig intimidated Barbara (Cooper’s wife) and pressured her to imply to everyone in the season one boardroom meeting that Vault-Tec might be willing to launch the bombs.

The extent of the Enclave’s influence on major events in the Fallout universe is still unclear, but it’s highly likely they were responsible for both the initial nuclear attacks in 2077 and the more recent bombings of Shady Sands, which Hank MacArthur witnessed firsthand.

Hank’s words suggest the Enclave might be the masterminds behind everything that’s happened, not only conducting the experiments within the vaults but also shaping the entire state of the Wasteland.

“You think this is the real world? The surface is the experiment, not the vaults.”

Is Robert House still on the table?

At the beginning of the game’s ending, Robert House suggests he’s now just a consciousness existing within a computer. He explains his physical body became a draw for people looking to make a name for themselves. Importantly, this doesn’t confirm any specific ending from the New Vegas game.

He claims to have been poisoned, shot, and beaten – a truly incredible ordeal to live through. However, since we never actually see proof of his death, it’s possible he could return later in the story.

Later in the episode, the Ghoul ignores House’s rambling about the Enclave and takes his Pip-Boy. This leaves only a digital version of House to continue managing the vault.

When Lucy and Maximus arrive at House’s headquarters, they find the Ghoul has already left. The monitor where House was last visible now displays a ‘Signal Lost’ message.

Just as the main characters are discussing the approaching war and looking out the window, House unexpectedly appears on screen for a moment. It seems likely we haven’t seen the last of him.

What does Phase 2 entail?

Back at the Vault, Stephanie’s secret is revealed: she’s a 200-year-old woman from Canada. The Vault’s residents, furious about this discovery, begin to protest outside her door, shouting for her removal. In response, Stephanie uses a unique Pip-Boy to contact the Enclave.

She orders the Enclave to begin the next stage of their plan. We briefly see their snowy base, confirming they received and acknowledged the order.

Seeing that facility also brings up old recordings of conversations with Hank and Lucy’s brother, Norm. This proves House is right – the Enclave is constantly monitoring everything.

It’s still unclear what phase two will involve. It might have something to do with Hank’s research and development, or it could be dangerous for anyone still in the Vault. Whatever it is, it probably won’t be good news for Lucy. Only time will reveal the truth.

Who has Cold Fusion?

The Cold Fusion diode, which could provide an endless supply of clean energy, was last known to be hidden at House’s headquarters. But when Lucy and Maximus arrived, they found the secret hiding place behind the bookcase was sealed shut.

If House comes back to television in a digital format, how will he use this new technology? Will he attempt to get Lucy and Maximus to use it as well?

One idea is that he might be able to use this to revive his physical body. Or, will he reappear in a more gruesome form, like the politician who desperately wished for death in this episode? We’ll have to wait and find out.

What about the Forced Evolutionary Virus?

Out of everyone on this show who’s struggling, Norm has definitely had it the worst.

Since learning about the Forced Evolutionary Virus, he’s been preoccupied with aggressive supervisors and unusual insects. It appears any useful information he might have found on the computer is currently inaccessible.

Is it possible this virus is connected to the Super Mutants (remember the Ghoul encountered one) or the Deathclaws, which seem to have been around much longer than we thought? Hopefully, we’ll get some answers next year.

What next for New Vegas?

With the Ghoul traveling towards what’s likely Colorado, the fate of New Vegas remains uncertain. As Lucy pointed out, conflict seems unavoidable.

The New California Republic has made a strong comeback, and with a potentially key sniper among them, Caesar’s Legion will face a real challenge to maintain control of the city.

Will Lucy and Maximus stay and see what happens, or will they leave like Maximus did during the conflict with the Brotherhood of Steel? Also, will Robert House have any say in how resources are distributed?

Fallout season 2 leaves us with a lot more mysteries than solutions. We know the Ghoul is heading away from New Vegas, Lucy and Maximus are watching a war begin, Robert House is appearing on a screen, and the secretive Enclave is starting ‘phase two,’ though its purpose remains unknown!

Fallout is available to stream on Prime Video.

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Authors

Rob LeaneGaming Editor

Rob Leane leads gaming coverage at TopMob, managing news and features for PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, mobile, and VR games. He creates content for TopMob’s website, social media, and video platforms, and also produces their weekly gaming newsletter. Before joining TopMob, Rob worked at Den of Geek, Stealth Optional, and Dennis Publishing.

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2026-02-04 06:37