Fallout Season 2 Proves That Hank MacLean Is More Dangerous Than He Seems
by Debopriyaa Dutta · /FilmSpoilers for the second episode of "Fallout" season 2 ahead.
"Fallout" season 1 gradually reveals that Hank MacLean (Kyle MacLachlan) is not who we're initially led to believe. The series begins with Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell) leaving Vault 33 to traverse the Wasteland in search of her abducted father. Since we initially share Lucy's warm perspective on Hank, we operate on the assumption that he's an innocent bystander and a victim of the mysterious Moldaver's (Sarita Choudhury) nefarious schemes. Unfortunately, the season 1 finale delivers a shocking twist, revealing that Hank was actually responsible for the destruction of Shady Sands, where his wife, Rose, resided at the time. This moment is the emotional turning point for both Lucy and "Fallout," as it proves the company Vault-Tec has been systemically subjugating surface settlements and will stoop to any level to maintain its stronghold.
But while season 1 cemented Hank as a major antagonist, the first two episodes of season 2 paint the character in a truly heinous light. Episode 2 opens with a flashback showing Maximus' (Aaron Moten) memory of the day his home, Shady Sands, was razed to the ground. This sequence brings Hank's atrocities into greater focus: We learn that Shady Sands was on the verge of removing radiation from its drinking water, with Maximus' dad successfully testing a device that could've bolstered community life. Rebuilding such a huge settlement in the post-apocalyptic U.S. would've been a huge feat unto itself, and Shady Sands could've become a shining beacon of hope for other surface dwellers.
But these plans — which included agricultural development that could have improved the economy and living conditions — were cruelly dashed. Instead, Hank dropped a bomb with a failsafe that destroyed the settlement, along with any hopes for a brighter future. And he didn't stop there.
Hank MacLean wants to fulfill Vault-Tec's horrific vision of the future in Fallout
The phrase "war never changes" encapsulates the thematic core of the "Fallout" video games. Now, the "Fallout" series is using the same mantra to underline the conflict between the Wasteland's warring factions, with Vault-Tec emerging as the worst aggressor so far. Sure, all the factions are out to control everything, but Vault-Tec is the reason the U.S. is irradiated in the first place. To act like war is a lucrative outcome for a company to sell a product is pure evil, especially when this corporate greed extends to the basic tenets of survival/human dignity. Hank is a loyal corporate lackey even after all these years, going above and beyond to ensure that Vault-Tec will keep profiting from senseless violence and widespread chaos.
Season 2 has also introduced Robert House (Justin Theroux), the RobCo CEO who's designed tiny, box-like brain control chips. Unfortunately, they don't quite work as intended, causing people's heads to explode. In episode 2, we see Hank suit up as he did as a corporate employee while trying to perfect this little device. He experiments on countless mice at first (who all meet grisly ends), and then moves on to another Vault-Tec employee (awoken from the cryo chamber) to see if it works. As expected, it does not, and the employee's head explodes right after. Hank's reaction to these tests is that of amusement, with nary a hint of remorse. It seems that all he really cares about is what Vault-Tec stands for.
Hank isn't just following orders, either. He's taking proactive steps to betray humanity (including his own children) to maintain Vault-Tec's authoritarian hegemony. What could be more dangerous than that?
New episodes of "Fallout" season 2 drop every Wednesday on Prime Video.