fallout

Fallout Season 2 (Episodes 1-4) Review

Published on January 9, 2026January 7, 2026 by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. I’m late to the action, mostly because I didn’t know if we would retain Amazon Prime Video long enough for me to watch the end of Fallout Season 2 (scheduled for the beginning of February 2026). But hey, turns out we will keep Prime Video just long enough to watch Fallout Season 2, so I have some catching up to do. Let’s begin with my reaction (or review) of the first episode, “The Innovator.”

Fallout Season 2, “The Innovator”

Thank you, Todd Howard, for making an announcement everyone knew before Fallout Season 2 dropped: the Fallout series is canon and will affect future games in the franchise. Did the sarcasm come across? I don’t much care for Todd Howard. Why does he still helm Bethesda? Anyway, I love it when the Fallout series builds on the video game’s lore, and episode one, “The Innovator,” does just that. It opens with a bang. A bar airs a news report with Mr. House, but there’s another Mr. House (who doesn’t quite look like the television Mr. House) in the bar. Could there be more than one?

Before I answer that, I need to address one amazing line, “Every dollar spent is a vote cast.” Chef’s kiss, fantastic. Canonically, there is more than one Mr. House. Robert House has a brother, Anthony, who ran H&H Tools Company, which gets a shout-out in this opening scene. There is a chance Anthony is somehow involved, and what we see in this opening scene, where “Mr. House” injects a construction worker with a mind-control device, could play into a missable storyline (via journal entries one can read) in Fallout: New Vegas. In the game New Vegas, Anthony appears to have schizophrenia or paranoia. He’s worried his brother intends to use mind control on him and constantly wears foil hats. The device used in this scene would make me paranoid, too.

The Novac scene with the Khans serves as a great callback to Fallout: New Vegas. It’s a testament to how much has changed since the video game. The Khans were nowhere near Novac. Yikes! And the Fallout series does a great job of reestablishing two of its main characters, Lucy and The Ghoul, during this scene. The Ghoul devised a plan to kill all the Khans, while Lucy breaks away from the plan and attempts to persuade the Khans to let them go. Perfect! I almost wouldn’t need to watch the recap to gain my bearings. And again, I love how Fallout incorporates the game’s lore into the show. The Ghoul makes a comment about a store that used to exist in Novac about 25 years back. Evidently, The Ghoul bought a soda pop from the Dino Bite gift shop. I wonder what Cliff Briscoe is doing. Wait. He’s probably dead.

The Ghoul also mentions a woman named Darla behind the counter. There is a Darla in Fallout 4. She’s a gun lover and gun moll of Triggerman boss Skinny Malone. It’s possible she could’ve been in New Vegas at the same time as The Ghoul. And I smiled when Marty Robbins’s “Big Iron” played. Oh, and how The Ghoul healed his rope burn (by hanging) with radiation. Nice nods.

I don’t want to go into too much detail with each scene. We have three other episodes to get through, so I’ll pick up the pace.

“The Innovator” continues to do a great job of weaving in threads from last season’s flashbacks and recontextualizing them. Seriously, I’m unsure if a recap was necessary. We get a lot of the same information sprinkled through the narrative of this first episode. I like the mind control device throughline and Lucy’s quest to find her father, which is a very Bethesda-flavored Fallout storyline to showcase. How many people are searching for a family member in Bethesda Fallout games? Lol.

Anyway, I am concerned with the number of storylines Fallout attempts to juggle at once. Brotherhood of Steel Knight Maximus doesn’t even make an appearance during the first episode. I can’t imagine Fallout sporting too many episodes where every character gets time to shine. It’s not a problem yet. Since most characters reside in vastly different locations (similar to Game of Thrones), it is easier to keep track of who’s doing what. But some characters could become lost in the shuffle. Ultimately, “The Innovator” is a solid opening episode for Fallout season two. I can’t wait to see what Hank MacLean does with Mr. House’s experiments.

Fallout Season 2, “The Golden Rule”

Aw! I’ve always loved Jo Stafford’s “You Belong to Me.” The Fallout series (television and video games) features amazing music. And I love the glimpse we get of Maximus’s life before the bombs fell.

Not going to lie. Maximus falls short of his parents’ example in “The Golden Rule’s” opening scene. I don’t have an issue with Maximus joining the Brotherhood and following Elder Cleric Quintus. This season’s Brotherhood doesn’t land the same in this episode. They’re less like a military operation and more like a gussied-up raider gang. The showrunners/screenwriters threw in too many jokes. I chuckled the first time or two I saw the Brotherhood make a goof, but there were so many included (especially when the Brotherhood discovers Area 51) that it undermined the organization’s stature. The pelvic thrusts were a step too far.

The scene from Maximus’s past is fantastic and heartbreaking. I don’t want to spoil it here, but it’s well worth the watch, and the way Hank MacLean’s backstory ties into Maximus’s past is amazing. Fallout Season Two’s first two episodes have some banger cold opens. As far as the Brotherhood of Steel is concerned, I have hope their interpretation improves deeper into the season. I like the idea of a potential Brotherhood of Steel civil war. That can drive Maximus’s story and should affect the Mojave Wasteland.

We get our first glimpse of radscorpions in the Fallout TV show. Yay! Note: I watched with subtitles on and found they called bark scorpions “baby radscorpions.” Ah. No. We see two different species of radscorpions. Bark scorpions and radscorpions seldom play nice together in Fallout: New Vegas. It was a fun nod when the radscorpion eats the bark scorpion. Nice!

Overall, “The Golden Rule” makes for another strong entry. Hank MacLean furthers his “scientific” research, we catch our first glimpse of Caesar’s Legion, and I like where Norm’s storyline is headed. And “The Golden Rule” does a great job of juggling its various plotlines. It balances heart-wrenching storylines with lighthearted ones. The pacing is on point. And while I may not care for the current portrayal of the Brotherhood of Steel, there’s time for improvement.

Fallout Season 2, “The Profligate”

Thaddeus (pictured above) is a nice guy, but he’s running a sweatshop. Sam Cooke’s “Chain Gang” fits for “The Profligate’s” opening. I love the one kid asking Thaddeus for water, and Thaddeus replying with just drink the soda. And I squeed when I saw Sunset Sarsaparilla.

I’ll briefly mention the number of POV characters. Again, this could become a problem. It’s not one yet. Some major characters won’t feature for an episode or two, but if a major character disappears for five or more episodes, that could become a problem. And at the risk of small spoilers, I did like how Thaddeus and Maximus’s stories merged.

I also like the use of “The Profligate” as a title. The word occurred in the previous episode, and Macauley Culkin’s Legate drops the episode’s title after we meet him. Profligate is a perfect antiquated term Caesar’s Legion would use. I love how New Vegas is a mess. The Legion has splintered. That makes sense, especially in the manner the Fallout series suggests. The New California Republic (NCR) is all but gone. Even Victor (Mr. House’s pet Mr. House’s pet Securitron) has gathered dust. Throw in some Brotherhood of Steel shenanigans, and you’ve got yourself a party.

Overall, I like how most factions are depicted. I still think the Brotherhood isn’t the same one we got from the previous season. Lucy and The Ghoul taking jabs at The Legion made me guffaw more than once: Lucy with her knowledge of history books (Caesar’s Legion doesn’t adhere to the Ancient Romans), and The Ghoul’s line that the Legion dislikes soft Cs. And I love The Ghoul’s backstory and how it interplays with what occurs in the present day. Fallout has done a great job fleshing out most of its characters.

Fallout Season 2: “The Demon in the Snow”

I don’t believe I mentioned this in the previous episode’s write-up, but Maximus has redeemed himself. I had few doubts. But the past two episodes are a return to form, and the Brotherhood of Steel thread within “The Demon in the Snow” drives this episode. Minor spoiler: I worried that the scene of the Brotherhood airship crashing into the Mojave Desert wouldn’t be earned; “The Demon in the Snow” assuaged my worries. While I’ll miss Scribe Dane (they really grounded Maximus), they get a great send-off, and I love the scene they share with Maximus.

I’m glad we lost Knights Bevis and Butthead. Seriously. The two unnamed Brotherhood Knights playing with grenades made little sense. Like I said above (for episode two), they were funny the first time or two, but it got old. Conversely, Lucy makes for better comedic relief. We’re going into spoiler territory again. You’ve been warned. Lucy gets addicted to Buffout, and she’s equal parts PSA and junkie. Hilarious. This works because Lucy has no experience with any wasteland drug. I wonder how The Kings (a gang of Elvis impersonators in Fallout: New Vegas) transformed into ghouls (pictured above). But the Fallout series does take place twenty years into the future. A lot can happen in twenty years. Watching Lucy headshot each of The Kings was fun.

The Ghoul does little to help her. I loved how he laughed at her handiwork and how that contrasts with the pair running across their first living Deathclaw by the episode’s end. Lucy doesn’t think much of whatever is making the growling from within a casino (Buffout brain), and The Ghoul (who experienced a Deathclaw before the bombs fell) knew to fear the beast. Lucy even sobered up a little after the Deathclaw emerged. What is it with Fallout sticking Deathclaws inside buildings? This issue persists within the video games. I didn’t buy the Salem museum still standing in Fallout 4, and I don’t buy this building remaining intact during “The Demon in the Snow.” Deathclaw don’t turn doorknobs.

Finally, we see some progression with the vaults. Norm will find out more about Vault-Tec’s pre-war plans. He won’t discover anything pleasant. Vaults 32 and 33 are about to go to war. Yes! Bring on the chaos. “The Demon in the Snow” has a knack for ending each story thread on a good to phenomenal cliffhanger.

That’s all I have for the first four episodes of Fallout Season Two. From this week forward, we should be keeping up with the series weekly, but these reviews/reactions should be released on Saturdays instead of Fridays. I need to get back to my writing and game design diaries on Fridays. Our next Fallout episode review should occur on January 17, 2026. See you there. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Whatcha Playing, Geekly? December 2025

Published on December 3, 2025December 2, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here! Today, our writers share the games (video games and board games) they’ve been playing over the past month. Feel free to share which games you’ve been playing this past month, because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll start off this post with what I’ve been playing this past month.

Kyra’s Video Games

I received Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles two weeks ago. Thank you, Season. And it didn’t take me long to finish the game and earn the platinum PlayStation trophy. Oh, yeah!

I’ve played most–if not every–rendition of Final Fantasy Tactics. It’s one of my favorite video games of all time, and Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles does a fantastic job of updating this classic. Let’s begin with some of Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles’ best new additions.

It’s easier than ever to see turn order during combat. Character portraits line the left-hand side. Numbers show whose turn is coming next. When you choose an action that requires any charge time, like a spell or jumping as a Dragoon or aiming as an Archer, you’ll see where your action would fall in turn order, should you choose to pick it. I love this update. In an instant, I can see if I want to commit to an action or not. While many of the charge times have been reduced (making some classes like Dragoon and its jump viable and borderline overpowered), the Archer’s aim ability still takes too long. Better luck next time, Archers.

I went into Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles knowing I would enjoy the game’s combat (and mix-matching job abilities, like dual-wielding monks), but I didn’t anticipate how this version would step up the game’s story. I always liked Final Fantasy Tactics’ story, but with The Ivalice Chronicles’ “State of the Realm” interactive map, I can better follow the story. If you’ve ever struggled to keep Final Fantasy Tactics’ political intrigue clear, The Ivalice Chronicles may be the perfect edition. Throw in some great voice acting–by whom my spouse dubs as out-of-work Shakespearean actors–and Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles elevates a story that may resonate more today than when the original was first released in 1997.

Even with all the great additions Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles brings to the table, I do have some gripes. I loved the War of the Lions’ cutscenes. The art is unique and has an ethereal quality. These cutscenes are available in Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, but gamers need to surf submenus to find them. I don’t think many gamers will do this. I would prefer an option to insert these cutscenes during my playthrough. This could be included in a simple update. Speaking of simple updates, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles brings back all original unlockable characters and jobs. I’d like the game to include all the unlockable characters and jobs from every version, making Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles a definitive version.

I could go on with other nitpicks. I love the fast-forward option, but I’d like it as a toggle button, not as something I need to press and hold down, and there are a handful more, but Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles does more things right than things wrong. If you’ve been holding off playing this classic, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is the closest to a definitive version of the game. And I’ve heard that Square Enix may release a sequel if Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles does well. Fingers crossed!

Auto Chess just had a major update (November 30, 2025, literally a few days ago). When this update posts, I’ll still be trying to understand all the balance changes. In short, I’m not enjoying this new update. Egersis is eliminated from the normal unit pool, but you can still gain Egersis units through a relic. That’s kind of good. Unfortunately, a couple of unit types have gained similar abilities to Egersis, so effectively, Auto Chess has quadrupled down on the game mechanism I hate. Great!

Certain units (like the Hill Clan Swordsman or the God of War) would dominate Auto Chess lobbies in the early to mid-game before this patch. After the patch, these units may have gained more power. Again, I haven’t had much time to play this new major patch, but there are far too many match-ups where I don’t know why I lost. That’s bad. I should at least know why I’m losing. Maybe I have inferior units or poor synergies or fewer units in general. But during the early stages of this latest patch, I’ve lost to opponents who had no synergies (poor or not), cheaper units, and fewer units. Evidently, my seven great units with six good synergies can’t defeat a team of four weenies with no synergies. I’m left scratching my head with Auto Chess.

Maybe I didn’t add the correct weenie.

Kyra’s Board Games

This past month, I’ve played board/card games I forgot I enjoyed. I rediscovered some favorites. The first of these favorites is Rüdiger Dorn’s Las Vegas. I remembered shockingly little about Las Vegas’s scoring rules. Lol! Players roll standard six-sided dice, take turns placing all the dice of one number on one of six casinos (numbered 1-6, corresponding to the numbers players can roll). Whoever has the most dice in a casino wins the pot. The player with the most money after four rounds wins.

And that’s how to play–for the most part. Las Vegas has simple to learn rules but offers plenty of strategy. After playing Las Vegas for the first time in years, I remembered why I love it so much. It’s a game I love bringing on road trips. In fact, I believe I brought Las Vegas to my Vegas trip almost ten years ago. Who needs to gamble when you can play Las Vegas?

Wolfgang Kramer’s 6 nimmt! is another classic I played this past month. I’m going to take this moment to thank one of our game night regulars (Kenneth) for remembering how to play Las Vegas and 6 nimmt!. 6 nimmt! was another game where I could remember how the game was played but forgot to explain specific rules or edge cases. In 6 nimmt!, points are bad. You want the fewest points. Small bullheads (shown in the middle of the top and bottom of each card) score players points at the end of each round. Every round, players are dealt 10 cards. You will be playing all cards. Players simultaneously pick one card to play and then, in number order, play those cards to rows. If a row gets filled (has five cards and you would then play a sixth card), you claim all five cards in that row and start a new row with the sixth card you played.

6 nimmt! is another easy to learn game with plenty of strategy. Who am I kidding? 6 nimmt! is pure chaos. You may attempt to play a card, squeezing it into a tight window of numbers, only to find someone else played a card that torpedoed your plans. And that’s the fun.

There are equal parts strategy and luck with 6 nimmt!. Are you the least bullheaded?

Those are the games I played this past month. Let’s see what Season has been playing.

Season’s Video Games

I’ve been getting into Fallout lore lately, so I decided to try the first Fallout game. I know Wasteland came before Fallout, but I’ve yet to check it out.

Fallout was a different experience from other games of the franchise after Bethesda took over. I like the isometric movement. It’s definitely reminiscent of earlier computer games. I get distracted easily in video games, so side questing and taking my time to explore the world is what I’m used to. I wasn’t anticipating being put on a timer to find the water chip. I think this adds to Fallout’s replayability. If I don’t get to everything, I’ll definitely play again.

What have you been playing, Skye?

Skye’s Video Games

Mass Effect is my newest video game obsession. “Obsession” is the right term. Mass Effect suddenly fell into my lap. I’m lucky enough to have a copy of the Legendary Edition, which contains the three games from the original Mass Effect trilogy. I’m fully submerged in the Mass Effect rabbit hole, and I don’t expect to be out until mid-2026. Especially since, if I really like a game, I’ll grind until I get all three Platinum Trophies. Wish me luck!

Skye’s Board Games

I played Castle Panic during this week’s game night, and it was a fun and engaging experience. I enjoyed the amount of planning and collaboration involved, which made each of our team members feel important. A lot of what happens in Castle Panic is discussion about which threats are the most pressing and how to deal with them. In a way, Castle Panic felt like we were all military commanders deliberating in the war room. Despite the good experience I had with Castle Panic, I can see how the game can turn sour. Castle Panic could suffer from Alpha Gamer Syndrome (one player making decisions for everyone). Remember to stay calm, work together, and get rid of those monsters. The kingdom is at stake!

And I’m hungry now. Pizza Roles is a party game that leans hard into its premise. The game is quick and entertaining. While I don’t see myself regularly playing Pizza Roles, I’d be happy to argue with a large group of friends about which toppings do and don’t belong on pizza. In a lighthearted way, of course. Since Pizza Roles can be played competitively or cooperatively, one can tailor the game to almost any friend group. Just make sure you order pizza.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again! Those are the games (video games and board games) our writers have played over the past month. Let us know what you’ve been playing in the comments, Geekly Gang. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

3) Pißwasser (Grand Theft Auto Series)

Grand Theft Auto is one of those video game series with plenty of beer brands. Even Sprunk Cola has its own alcohol variant, which may venture into Nuka-Cola Dark territory. So, we decided to go with Pißwasser. I know. I promised tasty fictional beers. Pißwasser may not fit that bill.

Pißwasser (or Pisswasser) made its first appearance in Grand Theft Auto IV and has been a staple in the series ever since. The German import lager is advertised everywhere. You’ll hear about it on the in-game radio and see it on television or billboards (many of which have suggestive themes; I didn’t include one billboard that may show a woman recycling what she drank–ew). The name suggests that Pisswasser doesn’t taste great, but everyone in the GTA universe loves it. You can even purchase stocks of the brand and try to get rich.

You may be in for a good time. Whoops! I butchered the tagline. You’re in for a good time with Pisswasser. Yuck. Just make sure you don’t drink too much, or else you’ll stumble and lose your bearings and maybe worse.

2) Gamma Gulp Beer (Fallout Series)

While Gwinnett has an entire line of beers in Fallout 4, they don’t capture the imagination as much as Gamma Gulp Beer from Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics. This beer hasn’t been seen much in the series since, but that could change. I would love to see an updated Gamma Gulp in Fallout 5 or even Fallout 76. Make it happen, Bethesda.

Just look at the happy ghoul in the picture above. How can you resist a sip of Gamma Gulp? Come to think of it, the Fallout universe must’ve started brewing Gamma Gulp after the bombs fell. That or they predicted ghouls. Interesting.

1) Poseidon Pilsner (BioShock Series)

Poseidon Pilsner had to take the top spot because it inspired a brewery in California of the same name. Poseidon Pilsner made its first appearance in BioShock. Most of Rapture’s bars sports the pils; there are even bars named after the beer.

I like how BioShock layered the above Poseidon poster over an advertisement for 123 Beer, which is another beer that could’ve made this list if we didn’t have our pesky one beer per franchise. Poseidon gets the nod because it’s the only beer on this list–so far–that has inspired a real-world brewery. I’m going to be honest. If a Pisswasser becomes a thing, I may have to try a sip.

That’s our list. Which video game fictional beers would you include on this list? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Tag: fallout