Today I'd like to share my thoughts after the S2 finale. A lot of letters and reasoning below (mostly for ghoulcy fans) ⬇️
At first, I was convinced the series had given us a clear answer: the Ghoul is devoted to his wife to the grave, even after all the disagreements and the past 200 years (though I think the writers have been meanly confusing us before), so ghoulcy is definitely not happening. Plus Max showed up next to Lucy, of course. But then I started seeing posts from ghoulcy fans who were still convinced it was endgame. And I was like 🤨🤨🤨 Are you delusional? I'm in your camp, but I'm a realist.
And that's where the turning point begins! I decided to think deeper and use ChatGPT to consider all this from a dramaturgy perspective.
Here's the conclusion I came to: the Ghoul is devoted to his wife to the grave, even after all the disagreements and the past 200 years, but that doesn't exclude the ghostly possibility of ghoulcy. The takes I saw in posts and comments suggested that Cooper would complete this quest connected to his past, close the gestalt, live through the pain, since the meeting is unlikely to have a fairytale happy ending, etc. I agree. But let's return from theories to facts and dramaturgy.
I want to show what I mean by comparing ghoulcy and vaultknight tandems. Their similarity is readiness to help each other in difficult times. But here's where the differences and my complaints begin.
• relationship development and gradual trust-building (S1 enemies to unstable allies, S2 allies to unstable friends)
• a clash of worldviews and betrayal
• mutual influence, together they change
• chemistry (glances, humor and peculiar care)
• clear goals, but they are different
• NO prioritization of each other (Cooper left for his wife, Lucy stayed in New Vegas).
• NO relationship development and gradual trust-building (liking each other from the very first seconds)
• NO clash of worldviews and betrayal (although Max could have irrationally resented Lucy for her father's deed)
• NO influence, together they DO NOT change (they are just two goodies with aligned values)
• questionable chemistry (glances, cringe-worthy humor and care)
• NO clear goals (Max only had a samurai path, while Lucy was left confused after the story with her father ended)
• NO prioritization of each other (Lucy left for her father at the end of S1, Max stayed in the Brotherhood to build his career, and only after escaping did he decide to remember and find Lucy; she, in fact, didn't remember Max either).
Conclusion: Vaultknight is bland, sterile, without a shred of conflict, and that's the playwriting basis. Lucy and Max add nothing to the plot as a romantic couple; they could just have been friends like ghoulcy. But for some reason it is ghoulcy which does, by all accounts, resemble slow burn 🤨
I can't even call Vaultknight a fast burn. I'll only agree with this ship if they develop an interesting conflict of renewed worldviews in S3. After all, Max and Lucy fell in love with previous versions of themselves, I would even say images (the noble knight and the naive kind Vaultie). Now they've retained those parts of themselves, but they've become fundamentally different. It's time to break the rose-colored glasses. Otherwise, they're just a safe healthy couple, but why?.. I understand that this might be interesting to someone, in the Wasteland it's too fairytale-like though. And from a dramatic point of view – it's stagnation and boredom.
The Vaultknights separate without consequences and reunite without conflict. They're willing to stand up for each other, but their connection involves no sacrifice, no danger — no value. It would be a shame if they simply become each other's new priorities due to circumstances. Because it's too convenient and easy, it neutralizes losses and turns trauma into reward (they lost father/Brotherhood, but found each other).
Compared to Vaultknight, GhoulBarb actually looks better 🤔 because:
• a developed, strong relationship and trust that's stood the test of time
• a clash of worldviews and betrayal
• mutual influence, together they change
• chemistry (glances, humor and care)
• clear goals that align (protecting Janey; partly they may diverge)
• prioritization of each other.
But the problem is, all of these get mixed up with the past. And it's impossible to restore the relationship to its former state after 200 years. The Ghoul and Barb could theoretically adapt and overcome changes, just like during their crisis, but I want to repeat: it's too convenient and easy, it neutralizes losses and turns trauma into reward. Although I'm more inclined to believe in this ship than in Vaultknight, sorry :"D It would be a shame if it remains safe and soft for the sake of the mainstream.
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