Cooper Howard (Walton Goggins) is performing at a birthday party for the wealthy. He is a noted actor famed for his Westerns who has clearly fallen on hard times. His daughter, Janey, is with him. When taking photos with the birthday boy, Cooper declined to do his noted 'thumbs up' pose. The significance of the pose will not be revealed until later episodes. The party is wrapping up when an unmistakable mushroom cloud appears over the city in the distance. The shock wave breaks all the windows. Cooper grabs his daughter, mounts his horse, and gallops away amid the panicked party guests.
Lucy (Ella Purnell) lives in Vault 33. The vaults were built to protect against radiation and allow humanity to survive underground until the surface was safe again. Lucy is eager to marry but there are no bachelors in Vault 33 that aren't cousins. As such, she wants to arrange a trade with Vault 32. The council, which includes her father, Overseer MacLean (Kyle MacLachlan), agree to her wishes. Preparations for a wedding are made and representatives from Vault 32 are welcomed through the extremely sturdy gate. After the wedding, the visitors commence to kill the residents of Vault 33! Lucy survives the clash, but her father is carried away by the raiders; she is determined to get him back.
Maximus (Aaron Moten) is a member of the Brotherhood of Steel, a religious band of warriors who scour the land for technology. It's kind of vague what they do. However, they field knights who wear powered armor suits that make them immune to most small arms fire. Maximus is selected to be the squire for Knight Titus. The knights are dispatched to capture Dr. Wilzig, a defector. Despite his nearly impervious armor, Titus proves to be a coward when faced with battle. Maximus takes Titus' armor and assumes his identity. He continues on the mission, convinced that he will be allowed to keep the armor for himself if he is successful in finding Wilzig.
The Ghoul (Walton Goggins) is dug out of a grave by a trio of bounty hunters who view him as the edge they need to capture Dr. Wilzig. Ghouls are undead, creatures with the ability to heal from most wounds though they require an elixir to prevent them from descending into homicidal madness. Like zombies, a bullet through the brain kills them. The Ghoul is, of course, none other than Cooper Howard. How he 'survived' the apocalypse to be an undead bounty hunter is not explained, but it must be a really interesting story.
The plot follows these three as they each seek the MacGuffin that will allow them to achieve their ends. Lucy is naive and friendly, attempting to get along with all the unfortunates who have suffered on the surface while she lived an idyllic life in the vault. Her sunny disposition is sorely tested with each new encounter. Maximus is a man unsure of himself but generally distrustful of others. However, he is almost immediately enamored of Lucy and eagerly plays knight in shining armor to her maiden in distress. He brings a healthy dose of realism to her idealism in those times when they are together. The Ghoul is a cynical misanthrope. He has been around far too long to have any illusions about people or even to care. He kills without compunction and uses others only if it furthers his ends. Lucy proves to be sufficiently outside the norm that he might moderate his behavior.
The show concludes by answering many of the big questions but posing entirely new ones as a hook for the inevitable next season. The setting reminds me a lot of the Resident: Evil franchise and the evil corporation was similar to Umbrella Corp.
As I have never played the game, I have no idea how well the series does in bringing it to life. Overall, I very much enjoyed it and eagerly await the next season.
Good popcorn fun. Recommended.
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