Summary

• The Fallout TV show could be hinting at a major transformation for Lucy MacLean in season 2.
• Lucy's character development in Fallout season 2 could be impacted by her journey towards New Vegas.
• A big part of Lucy's character is her optimism and positivity, and any changes that make her more cynical could ruin that part of her.

Ella Purnell's Lucy MacLean was a standout character in the the main characters of Fallout, and since the show was based on a video game franchise of the same name, Lucy also acted as a stand-in for the player. However, Fallout also followed two other main characters: Maximus and the Ghoul. All three of them were trying to find the head of Siggi Wilzig and the cold fusion chip inside of it, which set them on converging paths.

Since she's such a prominent figure in Fallout, Lucy was always going to be a popular character, but there were several other reasons she was a fan-favorite. Purnell gave a great performance in the role, and Lucy was one of the most inadvertently funny characters on the show. One of the main reasons that Lucy became so popular, and the reason I like her so much myself, could soon change. Some recent comments from the creators of the Fallout show have hinted that Fallout season 2 could bring Lucy some major character development.

Fallout Season 2 Is Teasing A Major Transformation For Ella Purnell's Lucy

Geneva Robertson-Dworet, one of Fallout's showrunners, recently teased Lucy's transformation in Fallout season 2.

Another thing we can say is location is a very central idea to our show. That we are made by the world we come from. Lucy doesn’t spend that much time on the surface in season 1, and she has been transformed by the little time she’s been up there. But she’s going to get further and further from home in this next season and I think that raises all sorts of interesting questions for her about if she can remain the person she was when she was home in that culture, or will she be transformed by the Wasteland.

After the ending of Fallout season 1, Lucy will be headed towards New Vegas, and much deeper into the Wasteland, in Fallout season 2. Robertson-Dworet's comments, that Lucy could be "transformed by the Wasteland," seem to be a massive hint of some of the challenges she'll face on that journey. As she gets further and further away from Vault 33, Lucy's views on the world, and likely major parts of herself, will continue to change. That transformation already began in Fallout season 1: at the start, she was just a naive vault dweller, but by the end, she was a much more competent survivor.

How The Ghoul Could Change Lucy In Fallout Season 2

One of the catalysts of Lucy's transformation in Fallout season 1 was the Ghoul. While he had Lucy in his captivity, he taught her some of the Wasteland's hardest lessons by force, like when he watched her drink irradiated water and cut off her finger. They've since repaired that relationship, but because Lucy is heading to New Vegas with the Ghoul, he'll have ample opportunity to change her even more. Just by virtue of being around her, the Ghoul's rough ways will likely rub off on Lucy. It's possible that the Ghoul will get a redemption arc, but his influence still makes me worried for Lucy.

The other catalyst for Lucy's changes was danger. Many of Lucy's changes in Fallout season 1 protected her from almost certain death, whether it was dehydration, Mr. Handy and the Super Duper Mart, or the Gulper. The road to New Vegas will surely be difficult, dangerous, and life-threatening. The show has already teased a deathclaw for Fallout season 2, and the Mojave Wasteland is filled with other threats. Any one of those dangers could push Lucy further down the path to becoming a Wastelander and further away from her former self, which is a concerning idea.

Why Lucy's Transformation In Fallout Is Worrying

Part of what makes Lucy such a compelling character, and a major reason I like her so much, is because she's simply a good person. She's endlessly optimistic, even in the face of the horrendous world of Fallout, she's kind, even to people who wronged her, like the Ghoul, and she values goodness, even when that meant she had to turn on her own father. Unfortunately, it seems Fallout is setting Lucy up to be yet another example of how the Wasteland can change a person. It's one of the franchise's oldest themes, and Robertson-Dworet's comments suggest Lucy will illustrate it next.

I hope Lucy doesn't get hardened by the Wasteland in Fallout season 2, but I'm worried that she will.

If the Ghoul and the Wasteland harden Lucy, she would lose a central part of what makes her unique. Fallout is a bleak franchise that often focuses on the worst parts of humanity, and Lucy was a very refreshing change of pace from that. She also didn't detract from the tone of Fallout, as there were still several morally reprehensible characters the show used to illustrate the horrors of the Wasteland. In fact, Lucy actually made the Wasteland seem worse by comparison: she was the shining example of what a person should be, and every wrong that was done to her emphasized how terrible Fallout's apocalypse truly was.

The reason I don't want Lucy to become a full-on Wastelander is because that change would hurt not only her character, but also something that makes the Fallout show special. Through Lucy, Fallout was able to inject a lot of humor by focusing on her naïveté and the problems her goodness caused. Her character obviously has to grow, but I don't think she needs to grow more mean. I hope Lucy doesn't get hardened by the Wasteland in Fallout season 2, but I'm worried that she will.