Fallout Season 2 Episode 3 Has A Big Cameo Straight From The Games

Spoilers ... spoilers never change. Warning: This article discusses major plot points from episode 3 of "Fallout" season 2.

Ghouls and Paladins and Roman Legions, oh my! "Fallout" has somehow doubled down on the abject weirdness of the property throughout season 2, easily maintaining its quality as one of the best video game adaptations we have in an increasingly crowded field. That has predominantly come in the form of further developing original characters and concepts that are exclusive to the Prime Video show, channeling the madcap spirit of the source material in an otherwise original story altogether. But, at various points along the way, showrunners Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner have harkened back to the games that started it all — most commonly 2010's "New Vegas" title, which has taken centerstage throughout the sophomore season.

That trend continues in episode 3, which incorporates several touchstones from "New Vegas" and various other "Fallout" games, as well. There's the faction of Legion warriors, a particularly grizzled group of survivors cosplaying as members of the Roman Legion and led by Macaulay Culkin's Lacerta Legate (and not, as has been previously surmised, Caesar himself). There's the entire presence of Robert House himself, portrayed by Justin Theroux and positioned as our new big bad of the season. Even Kumail Nanjiani gets in on the action as Xander Harkness, a side character taken straight out of "Fallout Shelter."

But the writers saved the best for last. Arguably, the most beloved fan-favorite of them all would have to be the ramshackle robot Victor, a Securitron in the employ of Mr. House. Voiced by William Sadler in "New Vegas," it makes sense that he would be present and active during the events of season 2. His ultimate fate here, however, may raise a few eyebrows.

As far as "Fallout" Easter eggs go, the return of Victor has to rank among the very top of the list. (He's voiced by "Fallout" veteran Jesse Burch.) First depicted as an advance scout for Robert House while stationed in the wastelands of the Mojave Desert, the RobCo Industries robot boasts a slightly more robust personality than any other Securitron — a key factor explaining his high regard among fans. When players first meet him in the town of Goodsprings in "Fallout: New Vegas," the robot with the cowboy persona is depicted as something of a wildcard. Of course, gamers' choices also influence where he winds up by the end of the story: either deactivated, a pawn of Mr. House stationed at a New Vegas casino, or sent back to Goodsprings.

When Victor reappears in "Fallout" season 2, it's in a dusty old house that once served as the headquarters for the New California Republic — one of many armed factions that once controlled vast swaths of the post-apocalyptic United States. His easy familiarity with Walton Goggins' The Ghoul implies all sorts of past adventures that (sadly) unfolded off-screen, though not before he provides some intriguing hints about his creator, Mr. House: "He's gone. He had all the money in the world, but all he really wanted was to live forever." Most importantly for The Ghoul, however, the old Securitron points the way to where the remaining survivors of the NCR are currently holed up. The Ghoul quickly goes on his merry way and leaves the dusty robot behind, preoccupied with the impending civil war between the two Legion camps and rescuing Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell).

But that's not the last we see of Victor, for better or worse.

Victor Securitron Will Return In "Avengers: Doomsday." Okay, he won't, but maybe he should — especially considering how he goes out by the end of the episode. Just when it seems like "Fallout" might actually allow Victor to sail off into the sunset (or, in this case, go on living in total obscurity in the middle of nowhere), the Prime Video series' penchant for the most dismal outcome imaginable rears its head once more. In a separate storyline, Maximus (Aaron Moten) and Commonwealth liaison Xander Harkness embark on a little bonding trip across the desert ... and eventually come face-to-screen with Victor himself, though now in full self-defense mode. After some initial resistance, the two team up to take the robot down and destroy him in a hail of bullets. RIP Victor, you were too pure for this world anyway.

The unceremonious end to everyone's favorite Securitron might end up rankling more than a few "Fallout" purists, but that's just the way things tend to go in the Wasteland, isn't it? The series has made no bones about depicting the surface world as almost a cosmic joke, almost always defaulting to the bleakest and most hopeless course of events. This is merely the adaptation's latest instance of taking bits of lore from the games and repurposing them for the benefit of the show. If this is truly the last we ever see of Victor, at least he helped play a pivotal (if inadvertent) role in moving the plot forward and getting our spread-out characters that much closer to crossing paths once again. Victor: You may be gone, but you'll never be forgotten.

New episodes of "Fallout" season 2 stream on Prime Video every Wednesday.