- Joined
- Dec 16, 2019
I finally have time to write my thoughts on the season 2 finale.
I enjoyed it for the conclusion of the narrative arcs set up over the seasons.
We first have Lucy and her father, Hank. We've discussed Lucy having to relearn how horrible the Wasteland is, but I think that is the point. Her character is always in denial of the reality of the Wasteland. She never wants to kill people, only doing so in emotional outbursts or suffering from the effects of drugs. I would argue that she is also terrified of being like her father, willing to kill tens of thousands of people to protect loved ones. Which is why she sees the mind control chips as a possible alternative to violence and why she chips her father. Yet she then sees the consequence of the chips when Hank activates it on himself. The soulless, vacant expression. The nearly absent parental affection. Hank McLean is dead. Lucy has killed her mother and indirectly, her father. And now she may have killed everyone in New Vegas as the Legion advances. on it.
Hank's arc has been how far he will go to protect his family and restore the Wasteland to the way it should be. He's been to the surface before the show and he fucking hates it. An extreme case of Old World Blues. He wants a perfect slice of the old American Dream so much that he will leave his wife to die in nuclear hellfire, let himself get captured by Moldaver, mind control his daughter, and even mind control himself. He may love his daughter, but it is hatred for the Wasteland that drives his actions.
Maximus has finally been able to be the good man his father told him he would be. A knight of ancient legend, fighting sword and shield against a dragon threating the village. He said that he wanted to give the diode to "a good person" when we have seen that he is the good person. He has always stood up to evil, whether it be raiders, the Brotherhood, or the cruelties of the Wasteland. He just believes that Wasteland Good is not the same as the Innocent Good he sees in Lucy.
I loved the scene of Norm protecting the Vault 31 people against the radroaches. Another instance of a "good person". The Vault 31ers refusing to let Norm into the office unwittingly leads to their deaths which I see as a critique on the Vaults and Pre-war America. Only the few get in the Vaults, those considered worthy Americans. We that also in the story of Vault 33. Wastefulness all because they are Americans. We also see Vault 32 repeating the same events as the prior occupants. I believe there was graffiti on the Vault walls which said "Death to Management". Unfortunate that they were all supposed to be 'super managers'. Let's see if they get what they wish for.
I think we will see a less cynical Cooper in season 3 now that he has conformation that his family is alive. Lucy has already rubbed off on him by the fact he didn't blast Hank's head off. I like that he just threw House to the side as soon as he found that postcard. House did not expect that because he doesn't "bet on hope".
Despite the short time we had with the Legion, I think there are a few things we can glean from them. These legionaries would be the second or third generation born into Legion culture. Caesar is treated as a divine being. The goal of Vegas is not to establish a new Pax Romana, but to be the centerpoint of a holy crusade. To build Caesar's Palace and continue on conquering as the Legion has always done. An interesting counterpoint to the mind control that Hank is doing, following programming laid out many years ago.
My grips with the show has been the lack of concrete worldbuilding. The show gives us easter eggs and references but I want to know the state of the world. Could the give us a line from the NCR battalion that they were told to return to New Vegas from a radio call back at the new NCR capital in the Hub? Can Quintus proclaim that Lost Hills refused to take part in his righteous call to arms? I know that these would confuse audiences that just started watching the show, but they can handle a callback to the games now.
I enjoyed it for the conclusion of the narrative arcs set up over the seasons.
We first have Lucy and her father, Hank. We've discussed Lucy having to relearn how horrible the Wasteland is, but I think that is the point. Her character is always in denial of the reality of the Wasteland. She never wants to kill people, only doing so in emotional outbursts or suffering from the effects of drugs. I would argue that she is also terrified of being like her father, willing to kill tens of thousands of people to protect loved ones. Which is why she sees the mind control chips as a possible alternative to violence and why she chips her father. Yet she then sees the consequence of the chips when Hank activates it on himself. The soulless, vacant expression. The nearly absent parental affection. Hank McLean is dead. Lucy has killed her mother and indirectly, her father. And now she may have killed everyone in New Vegas as the Legion advances. on it.
Hank's arc has been how far he will go to protect his family and restore the Wasteland to the way it should be. He's been to the surface before the show and he fucking hates it. An extreme case of Old World Blues. He wants a perfect slice of the old American Dream so much that he will leave his wife to die in nuclear hellfire, let himself get captured by Moldaver, mind control his daughter, and even mind control himself. He may love his daughter, but it is hatred for the Wasteland that drives his actions.
Maximus has finally been able to be the good man his father told him he would be. A knight of ancient legend, fighting sword and shield against a dragon threating the village. He said that he wanted to give the diode to "a good person" when we have seen that he is the good person. He has always stood up to evil, whether it be raiders, the Brotherhood, or the cruelties of the Wasteland. He just believes that Wasteland Good is not the same as the Innocent Good he sees in Lucy.
I loved the scene of Norm protecting the Vault 31 people against the radroaches. Another instance of a "good person". The Vault 31ers refusing to let Norm into the office unwittingly leads to their deaths which I see as a critique on the Vaults and Pre-war America. Only the few get in the Vaults, those considered worthy Americans. We that also in the story of Vault 33. Wastefulness all because they are Americans. We also see Vault 32 repeating the same events as the prior occupants. I believe there was graffiti on the Vault walls which said "Death to Management". Unfortunate that they were all supposed to be 'super managers'. Let's see if they get what they wish for.
I think we will see a less cynical Cooper in season 3 now that he has conformation that his family is alive. Lucy has already rubbed off on him by the fact he didn't blast Hank's head off. I like that he just threw House to the side as soon as he found that postcard. House did not expect that because he doesn't "bet on hope".
Despite the short time we had with the Legion, I think there are a few things we can glean from them. These legionaries would be the second or third generation born into Legion culture. Caesar is treated as a divine being. The goal of Vegas is not to establish a new Pax Romana, but to be the centerpoint of a holy crusade. To build Caesar's Palace and continue on conquering as the Legion has always done. An interesting counterpoint to the mind control that Hank is doing, following programming laid out many years ago.
My grips with the show has been the lack of concrete worldbuilding. The show gives us easter eggs and references but I want to know the state of the world. Could the give us a line from the NCR battalion that they were told to return to New Vegas from a radio call back at the new NCR capital in the Hub? Can Quintus proclaim that Lost Hills refused to take part in his righteous call to arms? I know that these would confuse audiences that just started watching the show, but they can handle a callback to the games now.
