I wanted to talk about this specific sequence in the new fallout episode that came out today. This is really the only place I can comfortably write about my thoughts on things like this so I'm going to do so. Just a disclaimer, this is probably going to end up being pretty long but I need to get my thoughts out! For a quick refresher, this scene takes place while they are both, mostly Lucy though, fighting the Kings to try and get into The Strip. I've included snap shots of the sequence above. Let's jump right into my rant!
For the first screen shot I've included, Lucy remarks that she's "good for head's" after having shot the ghoulified king in the head. In response, The Ghoul responds positively with an uplifting hand gesture which I interpreted as translating to something along the lines of "that's awesome, I'm happy." This moment of enjoyment and approval from The Ghoul is short lived once she continues on and says that "They're just ghouls, right?" I've included a video of his reaction and it's pretty apparent, at least to me, that this comment took him off guard and may have genuinely offended him to an extent.
I think this sequence is really interesting to me because not only does it sort of 'snap' Cooper, The Ghoul, out of his moment of enjoyment watching Lucy go crazy on The Kings it also exists as a moment of vulnerability for Lucy where the context of her being under the influence emphasizes her more bigoted aspects and make them more apparent in this moment. When I say 'bigoted aspects' I refer to individual characteristics influenced by her upbringing in the vault and the individuals who were around her during her upbringing; this can include her father and her fellow vault dwellers.
I want to spend just a little more time contextualizing this claim because 'bigoted' is not a word that should just be thrown around. Lucy grew up in a community where it was emphasized that they are, for lack of a better term, the 'hero's of the day' and the only ones who can restore America to its former glory. Additionally, it's heavily implied that they, as vault dwellers, are the only ones who can save the wasteland and save the remaining surface dwellers and 'civilize them.' Lucy was raised to view this message as the singular undeniably right way to save and build a greater future for humanity.
So this is the context I am referring to when I say 'bigoted aspects.' It should be mentioned, as implied through the show, that Lucy is actively working to undo these beliefs and this is a considerable facet of the plot concerning her character development within the show. So that is why I think a moment like this is so important, it's a reminder to the audience that even though Lucy has changed as a person and is not the same person she was when she first left the vault, she still hasn't fully transitioned out of her 'vault dweller' mindset.
I feel this moment was also a reminder for The Ghoul, not only the audience, through the way he reacts to Lucy's ghoul comment. The brief subtext in the shot of his reaction is actually quite solemn; Lucy's comment implies that because they're "just ghouls" killing them would not be as significant as killing an 'actual person.' This once again hints at those bigoted aspects of her character I mentioned earlier.
I'm going to try my best to communicate the connection between the topics of Lucy's ghoul comment and her bigoted aspects. Circling back to the idea that the survivors on the surface "will need to be shown a better way” that Lucy was raised to believe in by her father, the overseer, and her cohorts. This savior belief implies that the way of life the surface dwellers have adopted is inherently wrong and that the vault dwellers will need to show them the better or the 'right' way.
This further connects to Lucy and the implication throughout the show that she views her perspective and beliefs as inherently 'correct.' This characteristic can be seen through several of her interactions present in season one and season two of the show. Here's where I've reached a road block with this rant, I've gone into pretty deep detail when it comes to unwrapping this seemingly comedic ghoul comment Lucy makes, however, I'm not sure what it can specifically be connected to regarding her character traits or any specific instances within the show.
I feel this comment connects to something much deeper regarding Lucy's character. it's not really apparent because it's not something you can really undeniably connect to another part of the show and say 'oh ya this is reminiscent of this moment or plot point.' It's just a result of the part of Lucy's character where she somewhat views herself and her beliefs as proper and just; this results in her partially viewing herself as maybe not greater than but 'more sensible and enlightened' than the other survivors she encounters in the wasteland which also connects back to her having been raised to believe that she and the other vault dwellers would have to show the surface dwellers the 'better way.'
I believe this belief has resulted in a cascade of impacts that has influenced and formed her as a character. I can't really name every specific impact as I feel something of that nature is not so easily pinned down, sorry if that doesn't make much sense. However, I do feel that belief has involvement in the ghoul comment Lucy makes to an extent.
That was a really long rant and it went on much longer and much deeper than I had originally anticipated. I'm sorry if the end of this rant was not so clean and conclusive; as I continued writing I realized that this topic is much more nuanced and intricate than I had originally anticipated. I do hope, however, that I was able to somewhat communicate the intended message to you even if it did become convoluted. If you made it to the end of this rant thank you and that means so much to me that someone would show interest in what I have written. If anyone has anything to add or has any criticisms regarding this analysis please let me know, I would love to hear them! Have a great day everybody!
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