Fallout’s The Ghoul made the biggest mistake of his 200-year existence in “The Wrangler.” After spending two seasons warning Lucy about being too trusting in the Wasteland, the Ghoul makes the same dumb decisions he’s been mocking her for.
Hank MacLean sends the mind-controlled Snake Oil Salesman with an offer. Escort Lucy back to Vault 33 and Hank won’t terminate Barb and Janey’s cryostasis. The Ghoul agrees and shoots Lucy with her own tranquilizer gun.
He tries to convince himself that he’s protecting his family. There’s just one problem. He has no proof any of this is true.
No Evidence, Just Desperation
The Snake Oil Salesman offers no proof of life, no confirmation that Barb and Janey are even alive. Earlier in the episode, the camera shows their cryo chambers but never reveals their bodies. The scene cuts away before viewers get the chance to examine anything. The show is sowing seeds of doubt over Hank’s sincerity.
Even the messenger should have raised a red flag. The Snake Oil Salesman is named after con artists who use deceptive, exploitative tactics to sell fake cures. The fact that Hank uses him to deliver this ultimatum instead of confronting the Ghoul himself is extremely suspicious.
Hell, even Lucy warns the Ghoul not to trust her father. She knows Hank better than anyone yet the Ghoul ignores her.
Giving Up the Only Leverage He Had
Lucy is the Ghoul’s bargaining chip. She’s Hank’s daughter and the one person who can force him to curb his mass murdering tendencies. By handing her over, the Ghoul gives up any power he had in this negotiation.
It would’ve been smarter if the Ghoul had told Lucy about his plan to use her as a bargaining chip. She could have willingly went back to Hank, found the Ghoul’s family and rescued them. Instead, the Ghoul chose to believe a promise from a man who nuked an entire settlement without hesitation.
The Hypocrite is Exposed
For two seasons, the Ghoul has criticized Lucy clinging to the Golden Rule, all while pushing her to see the Wasteland for the cruel nightmare it is. A place where optimism gets you killed.
Yet here he is, acting just like her. Trusting a known liar because he wants to believe his family is still out there.
The Ghoul survived for 200 years by being ruthless and suspicious of everything. One conversation with a mind-controlled salesman and all that goes out the window. His desperation to find Barb and Janey overrides the survival instinct he’s developed over the centuries.
Lucy’s Revenge Shows How Far She’s Fallen
Lucy does get some revenge though. She fights off the tranquilizer long enough to grab her Power Fist and punch the Ghoul straight through a window. He ends up impaled on a lamp post, gasping in pain while she stares down at him. Her final words to him are devastating. “I thought we were friends.”
This is the most violent we’ve seen Lucy since the series started. Earlier in the episode, she killed a thief without hesitation while under the influence of drugs. Now she’s attacking someone she considered a friend with zero restraint.
The Wasteland has changed her in ways the Ghoul predicted. He just expected to be on the receiving end of that transformation.
Lucy’s actor Ella Purnell explained in an interview that Lucy was beginning to empathize with the Ghoul’s situation. She wanted to believe some innate goodness was still hidden inside of him.
The Ghoul’s betrayal destroys the one genuine connection he’s had in two centuries. Lucy trusted him despite everything they’ve been through, and he used her like bait. Again.
Back to Square One With Nothing to Show
The episode ends with the Ghoul impaled and alone while Lucy wakes up to find Hank standing over her.
Now Hank has everything. He manipulated the Ghoul’s desperation and got exactly what he wanted. He has Lucy and he still has control of the cryo chambers. The Ghoul has no way to verify if Barb and Janey are safe. Or alive. Or even in those chambers to begin with. The bargain only works if Hank operates in good faith, which is laughable considering everything we know about him.
The only thing that might save the Ghoul is his regenerative abilities, but even that won’t fix the mess he created.
His betrayal is supposed to bring his dynamic with Lucy full circle. The Ghoul used Lucy as bait in Season 1 when he dangled her into the water to lure a Gulper. Now he’s doing it again in Season 2, proving he hasn’t changed as much as Lucy (or the viewers) might have hoped.
A Character Defining Mistake
The Ghoul’s betrayal raises the stakes by separating the two leads. It sets up conflict for the remaining three episodes of season 2. The Ghoul has always been driven by finding his family, but the execution makes him act out of character. He’s supposed to be the cynical realist who sees through people’s lies. Instead, he falls for an obvious setup hook, line and sinker. It’s a reminder that we all have our weaknesses that make us vulnerable. The Ghoul’s weakness is his family. No matter how hardened he’s become, Barb and Janey are the only things that can make him act irrationally.
