The more I rewatch Fallout, the more I appreciate Norm as a character. Regarding what I consider to be the four main characters of Fallout and their narrative arcs, I feel like I've got a good idea of where most of them are going to end up based on the foundation they've laid:
The Ghoul is going to be dragged kicking and screaming into a redemption arc by his relationship to morally better characters. He will waffle between good and bad throughout the seasons as fits with his archetype and the writers' desire to keep him in that "dark, edgy" box as long as possible, but he started at such an extreme that there's only one way for his character to ultimately grow, back towards his humanity.
Lucy is going to be the hope she was raised to be. She will waffle between good and bad throughout the seasons as a result of the absolute torture she's going to be put through just for being a good person. But her place in the story is ultimately to be a heroic figure, the type of person who changes the world around her more than it can change her.
Maximus has two paths forward. He can reject the Brotherhood or accept it. He wants to be a good man but he needs safety, and those two are in conflict. He can be safe in a bad system or brave and break (or break free of) that system. He may waffle between good and bad throughout the seasons and that's going to make it even harder to figure out where he's ultimately going to end up. His arc is going to be that tug-of-war that ends when one side triumphs or he's pulled apart.
But then there's Norm.
I legitimately have no idea what's going to happen with Norm. I could see a version where he's a hero. I could see a version where he's a villain. I could see a version where he ends up somewhere in-between. He's a coward. He's reckless. He's part of the system. He sees beyond the system. He's loved. He's angry. He's surrounded by family. He's surrounded by liars. He doesn't care. He cares too much. He's very smart. He's too smart. Is he going to escape 31? Is he going to end up killing everyone in 31? Is he going to make a deal with the devil? Or is it his destiny to be the ultimate result of the "breeding program to create the perfect manager"? What does Norm want? What does Norm need? And what is he willing to give up? And what does he have left to lose?
