Fallout Season 2 Immortalises “Big Iron” in the Best Example of Fan Service Done Right

Amazon Prime’s Fallout has returned for another merry go-round in the post-apocalyptic wasteland, kicking things off with an engaging first episode that picks up exactly where Season 1 left off.

It has us reconvene with the Vegas-bound duo of Lucy and the Ghoul, both of whom are in search of their families. Maximus, on the other hand, appears to be doing the Brotherhood’s bidding as a newly minted knight of the Mojave chapter, while Norm is still coming to grips with the shocking secrets of Vault 31.

While the narrative threads and character dynamics that the season will be built around are instantly compelling, what caught my attention is the incredible attention to detail. Just like its predecessor, Season 2 looks unmistakably Fallout, with the locations from the game (Fallout: New Vegas) appearing exactly how you remember them.

A primary example of this comes early into the episode as we get a look at the small settlement of Novac. In the game, it serves as a safe stop on the journey to New Vegas and houses a beloved character named Boone. But in the show, which is set 15 years after the game’s events, Novac is anything but safe. In fact, the location has Lucy and the Ghoul in a tricky predicament. And the creators use this set-up to deliver an easter egg that fans are sure to treasure.

Fallout Season 2 Does “Big Iron” Justice With a Bada** Action Scene

In the Novac scene, we find the travelling duo trying to deal with a pack of ne’er-do-well raiders. Events transpire, diplomacy fails, and the Ghoul does what he knows best: kill everyone in sight. The action sequence is well-shot and constructed, but the best part about it isn’t what’s happening on screen; it’s what’s playing in the background.

This is because the TV show drops the needle on Marty Robbins’ iconic gunfighter ballad “Big Iron” – easily the most iconic song from the Fallout: New Vegas jukebox. The song has become inseparable from players’ memories of wandering the Mojave, instantly evoking the game’s tone of lonely danger and dusty Americana. It tells the tale of a stoic ranger with “big iron on his hip” as he faces down an outlaw in a classic Western showdown.

In Fallout Season 2, our ranger is an irradiated cowboy, but he remains just as effective. Walton Goggins’ character perfectly feeds off the track’s charm, lassoing hostiles and blowing up faces. The sequence culminates with a stylish tip of the hat, ensuring that the Ghoul is also linked to Big Iron’s legacy.

At the risk of sounding awfully nitpicky, the character doesn’t actually use the titular “Big Iron”: the .357 Magnum Revolver. But everything else is an absolute home run. Having seen the first six episodes of Fallout Season 2, I can gleefully say that this doesn’t even scratch the surface of the easter eggs to come. But it’s certainly an excellent way to kick things off.

What did you make of the Season 2 premiere? Let us know in the comments.