Fallout Season 2 Premiere Recap: Lucy And The Ghoul's Bloody Quest Continues — Plus, Norm Makes A Bold Move

Life's about to get even messier in the wastes. 

When we last left our "Fallout" leads, Cooper Howard had learned all about his wife Barb's role in creating the series' dystopian present, while Moldaver filled Lucy in on Hank's role in bombing Shady Sands, the city where Rose had retreated to after fleeing their vault. So let's consider those stakes raised, mmmkay? 

In the Season 2 premiere, when we first get eyes on The Ghoul, he's hanging by a barbed-wire noose thanks to a gang of ruffians who are dead-set on getting justice. Luckily for him, his "traveling companion" Lucy is waiting in the wings with a rifle and her pooch. Once the baddies declare violent, bloody war on Lucy, she's all "okey-dokey!" and starts firing away. Her first shot connects with The Ghoul's rope. Newly freed, he begins to dispose of his adversaries as Marty Robbins croons "Big Iron." (Gotta love the music on this show.) It's a bloody, fun start to the season, and with that, this unlikely duo begins its trek across the dry desert overlooking New Vegas. "It still looks like all the old photos," Lucy says. If only she knew the danger that lies ahead — including that flea soup. Yuck! 

In a flashback, we see Cooper picking up his daughter and hitting the road to Bakersfield, only things in the neighborhood get a little dicey when a distress signal fills the air. Fearing the worst, everyone begins to panic, as Cooper looks up to see his own face on a Vault-Tec billboard that reads, "Keep your families safe." Little bit of regret there, Coop?

In Vault 33, resources have become an issue, as Betty tells Reg (who clocks Norm's absence, mind you) that working on the water chip is of the utmost importance. Meanwhile, Steph is riding high as Vault 32's overseer, leaving Chet on baby duty (which he isn't too keen on since "Chet Jr." isn't even his). As for Norm, he's still trapped inside Vault 31. He continues resisting Bud (aka, the brain on a roomba), who's starving him out in an attempt to get him to climb inside a Cryo pod. Rather than bow down to Bud's will, Norm makes an "irrational" choice: He thaws all of the people resting in the vault's Cryo pods! As for how that's going to shake out? We'll have to keep watching.

In another flashback, we witness a conversation between Cooper and Moldaver. He tells her exactly what he overheard using her device. She asks if Cooper has ever heard of Robert House, the man who owns half of Las Vegas, the man we saw causing all sorts of chaos in the premiere's cold open. He has enough firepower to enact Barb's proposals, and when the bombs drop, Moldaver says it'll be House who presses the button. Moldaver wants Cooper to accompany Barb on her upcoming Vegas trip, where she's set to sell Cold Fusion to House. It's strongly implied that Cooper should do something drastic to stop the sale.

Back in the present and hot on Hank's trail, The Ghoul and Lucy enter one of the test vaults, believing that Hank may have left clues. Inside they find a "guinea pig" he left behind, a dead body strapped to some tech that's instructed to speak to his daughter. The robotic-humanlike thing tells Lucy to go home before exploding into a bloody mess as a result of one of House's scary devices. "You gon' take his advice?" asks The Ghoul. "He won't stop hurting people," Lucy says. "We better get going."

In the premiere's final sequence, we catch up with Hank, who has arrived at what looks to be Vault-Tec HQ. He changes out of his metal armor and into a fancy new suit. He then sends a message to a mystery someone (House, likely) confirming that he's alive and that Vault-Tec doesn't know he's there. He says he's going to "complete the work you started," and when this is all over, "you'll be begging me to help you." That... can't be good. 

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