The Ghoul's Backstory Gets More Complicated in the 'Fallout' Season Finale (SPOILERS)
It seems that Hank MacLean still has a lot of explaining to do — to his daughter Lucy and to the Ghoul.
Published April 12 2024, 6:32 p.m. ET
Spoiler warning: This article contains spoilers for the Season 1 finale of Fallout.
The Prime Video adaptation of the Fallout video games is finally here, bringing to life an entirely original tale of what life is like after a nuclear fallout. The first season features a lot of Easter eggs from the original games, but even seasoned fans of the Bethesda franchise won't be able to answer some of the questions the season finale left viewers with — especially about the Ghoul.
The first thing the Ghoul says to Hank MacLean when he makes it to Moldaver's headquarters is "Where's my f--king family?" Given that the Ghoul is more than 200 years old, it's clear the answer to that question isn't meant to be a straightforward one, but what did happen to his family — and what does Hank, still trapped in a cage at the time of this questioning, have to do with it?
What happened to the Ghoul's family? The season finale cliffhanger.
Though the Ghoul is initially slated to be a violent anti-hero of sorts, by the finale of the season, we learn exactly why he decided to get mixed up in the fight over the secret in Dr. Wilzig's head — and it's not for the bounty out on the doctor.
If you've made it to the end of the season, then you've probably already pieced together that the Ghoul is actually Cooper Howard, the once-famous Hollywood actor who starred in Westerns before the nuclear fallout.
His wife, Barb, was a key employee at Vault-Tec, and was even the person to suggest the company drop the initial nuclear bomb, essentially destroying civilization. Before Cooper learned of this, he and Barb disagreed on how they would handle a nuclear fallout, suggesting to hide out on a ranch alone instead of living in the vaults.
Hank MacLean, Lucy's father, was also one of the managers being trained at Vault-Tec at the time — he was cryogenically frozen as part of an experiment the company planned to execute in its small collection of vaults. Despite Lucy's initial naivety, it becomes clear Hank has gotten his hands dirty in the name of Vault-Tec, destroying Shady Sands as Moldaver was starting it up.
What actually happened to the Ghoul's family isn't actually revealed by the end of Season 1, though. Considering Barb's personal investment in Vault-Tec, and her intention to secure spots for her and her family in the vaults, it's likely Barb and their daughter joined the initial group of civilians seeking shelter in the vaults. The pilot episode also showed the moment the bomb dropped, when Cooper was at a birthday party with his daughter.
What happened next to the family (or what Hank could've had to do with it) isn't unveiled in Fallout's first season. It's possible the storyline will be explored if Fallout returns for Season 2, but at this time the show's creators have left a lot of open-ended questions for the audience to ponder.
Before the final credits roll, Lucy teams up with the Ghoul instead of leaving with her father, suggesting we'll get some more of his backstory should the show return.
Season 1 of Fallout is now streaming exclusively on Prime Video.
