>> Sarah : Greetings, nerds. This is Scene N nerd. I'm your host, Sarah Belmont. And with me, as always, is our mister producer, will polk. How are you doing tonight, will?

>> Will: Doing very well, Sarah How are you doing this evening?

>> Sarah : I'm doing good. I mean, I thought I had a weird week, but you were filling me on everything that's happened to you within the last 48 hours. And I'm like, yeah, it's never comparable.

>> Will: Air travel is always, like, crazy. So don't want to bore our listeners with that one. We've got quite a bit of topics to get to tonight with, fallout and x men 97 and all the news that, that's dropped today and yesterday.

>> Sarah : So. Because you told me that other stuff has happened, I'm not sure what. What we're talking about during the news section, so why don't you just go with what you want to talk about? Because I think our. Most of our listeners understand by this point that our news session is just will telling me what's happened.

>> Will: Yeah, well, I mean, quite a few things have happened. I mean, I know for. I don't have this on the rundown, but I know a, lot of folks were very excited about Michelle Yeoh being cast as the lead in the, Blade Runner for 2049 sequel. Blade Runner 2099. it's going to be, on Amazon. It's, as a series that she was. That was just dropped. I want to say that happened Tuesday or Wednesday of this week, but, definitely a lot of buzz there.

The week started out with the reveal of the Superman suit

But of course, I think the week started out with the, reveal of the Superman suit. I don't know if you've had a chance to see the David Korn sweat in the new.

>> Sarah : So I have the weirdest sense of deja vu because I feel like we talked about this last week, but you're telling me it happened this week.

>> Will: Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. It happened. Yeah. It was Monday. Maybe, that's why you feel like it was deja vu.

>> Sarah : Yeah, yeah, I saw it. It looks like Superman. I don't know. It was just an image, and I'm just like, cool.

>> Will: Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know, you're. I guess you have a very. I won't put words in your mouth. It just, sort of muted response. I know a lot of folks were. Yeah, it was one of those things I wanted to put it on just because one I did. I actually like the suit. And I like. And I like the vibe, more. More than a suit. I just like the vibe that James Gunn was attempting to give off there more so than the suit itself. I mean, the suit itself was like, okay, yeah, you know, it's kind of new 52. It's got the armor. You know, the trunks have returned. So, you know, the red trunks are back. But, more was just a vibe that I was. That I was getting with, you know, with tone of what, what we've understood about guns take on this character. And that was really what stuck out to me more was just sort of like, okay, another day at the office. Every m man, Superman, he's lived in this world. The suit's not all nice and, you know, nice and clean. I mean, it looks, you know, it's got some dirt on it and stuff. So, you know, he's been doing this for a while. And then also, I thought, I couldn't help but think about, Krypton, the tv show that we really enjoyed, with the image in the background there. Maybe that might be brainiac or something. But, you know, that's what I. Those are more things I got from that image, more so than the suit itself.

Bob Iger intimated that Disney would reduce output this year

>> Sarah : So what else. What else happened this week?

>> Will: Yeah, so also this week, Bob Iger fleshed, out what he meant earlier, which maybe that's where you're getting the deja vu from. with the Marvel schedule he had played, he had intimated before his murnie's calls that they were going to start reducing output. And this week, he put, some numbers to it, where he was basically saying that we'll do three movies per year and two, tv shows per year. And what's notable about it is, I guess this must be like projecting down the line, because pretty much in 25 and 26 things, they've already slated out a bunch of movies. And I think next year, I think four movies are coming out. So at least as it's currently scheduled. So, that was something that came out of the earnings call earlier this week, with the Disney investors. So we'll see what happens there.

>> Sarah : Yeah, yeah.

Ralph Enson as Galactus and John Malkovich in undisclosed role

two fantastic forecastings happened today. Ralph Enson as Galactus and John Malkovich as an undisclosed role.

>> Will: That was some hot, ah, that was some things that broke late this afternoon. Ralph innocent, Galactus. I think many folks I know, even I know John Roca and Jeff Snyder have been talking about this class thing for a while. I know Jeff had mentioned possibly Javier Bardem as a, possible candidate for Galactus. But, yeah, they went with, with, Ralph Edison, who has actually been in the MCU before. As I was looking at his IMDb this evening before, recording the show. he was a guardians of the galaxy as a background character. so he's. But, yeah, he is confirmed as Galactus. And of course, fantastic four supposed to come out next year. So we'll see if that, that does indeed happen. And then John McLevit, yeah. Was also cast today. And also Paul Walter Hauser has been cast in that, and Fantastic Four as well. and so with Will Polk Walter Houser, I think he's been cast in everything, it seems like these days, but people suspect he's probably going to be mole man. And Malkovich seems that he could be a villain, but also sees some speculation that he could be Herbie the robot. So we'll see what happens there.

>> Sarah : Andy Serkis is set to direct and star in a new Lord of the Rings movie, the hunt for Gollum. And this just leads me to question, so is Amazon still doing a season two of Lord of the Rings?

>> Will: This, this they are planning. They're still doing the Rings of Power season two. This one is not related to that, though. This was actually.

>> Sarah : Yeah, I mean, the original franchise wasn't really related to it either. To this. They couldn't say certain names and everything.

>> Will: Right. Yeah, yeah. It gets into all the complicated rights issues that we discussed some time back. Yeah, but no, but this is, This is from Peter Jackson.

>> Sarah : Well, that's why you got Andy Serkis.

>> Will: Exactly. Exactly. So, yeah, so, yeah, this was a part of the Warner Brothers discovery, I guess their investor call, or maybe it was leading up to their upfronts. But any event, that was. This was announced this morning. And, Yeah, Andy is going to be in that role. Peter Jackson and the team is all the gangs getting all back together. He's. Jackson's going to produce this film slated, to come, ah, out in 2026. And, yeah, it's a part of, I think, a new series of, Lord of the Ring proper films that, Warner Brothers Discovery is looking at and really consistent with what David Zaslav, the CEO, has said. They've got all this ip and they really want to. They want to make them make. Make a buck off of it. So this is, this is the start of that for sure.

>> Sarah : Well, they can certainly try. and also during that call, it came out that Disney and Warner Brothers are teaming up to create a streaming bundle package with Hulu, Disney plus and Max.

>> Will: Yep.

>> Sarah : And we all scream with joy, even though we don't know pricing.

>> Will: Yeah, we'll get pricing. So this this. This is going to drop this summer, so we should be getting some pricing info. It'll have a. Both an ad tier and a non, ad tier bundle. I couldn't help when I saw this news. I couldn't help but think about, our conversation, I think last week or week before, whenever we started, x Men, like, fussing about the, trying to get your service log back on. But yeah, this is pretty a game changer in some regards. I know Verizon has had a Netflix and I think Max bundle, but. But Disney has always been kind of the holdout as far as wanting to do this. But given that, I think all the streaming services have really, other than Netflix, have not turned a profit, I think are losing money. you know, as ease with these quarterly calls with investors, I think they're like, okay, we gotta. We gotta rethink it, but we gotta rethink this.

>> Sarah : So this is coming, Matt Reeves series, Batman Cape Crusader, is coming to Amazon on August 1.

>> Will: Yeah. So I think we had talked about this some time back, but we, we did get the release date for all ten episodes that will be dropping on Amazon on August 1. This is a joint effort with Matt Reeves, and also JJ Abrams is also a part of this. And, Bruce Timmy Trim, who, did the Batman, the original, the, animated series back in the day, I think, is also a part of this project. So, we did get some images I think the Amazon dropped today, I think, as they are getting close to the. To the up fronts, which, it is may. So we're probably going to be getting a lot of these, a lot of news over the next few weeks, as the, streaming services and networks, have all their, upfronts where they roll out their upcoming items and, especially try to say, set ad rates and that kind of stuff. So this, was one of the ones that came out today.

>> Sarah : Nice. Nice. and last but not least, season three of the bear will premiere on June 27.

>> Will: Yep, that was Jeremy Allen White. Dropped, on his Instagram, his little teaser trailer. did get the date for the show. And also all the episodes are going to drop on release day. So they won't be doing a week to week. It'll. It'll be another.

>> Sarah : Have they ever done week to week?

>> Will: They have not. All three seasons have been, same day.

>> Sarah : Yeah, that's what I thought. I always come late to it, but, yeah, they. I've. I didn't. I. I never thought that they did, a week to week, so. Yep. Awesome. All right, well, that brings us to X Men 97, season one, episode two, mutant liberation begins, where basically, Magneto is trying to play good guy.

>> Will: Yep.

>> Sarah : Trying to play. Well, he's not even trying. He. This episode is just basically viewers like the X Men themselves, are just questioning, Magneto's real intentions. And of course, the writers try to make it seem like he's gonna go. He's gonna pull a magneto trick along the way. but in the end, he. He basically just says, I take the responsibility that Charles gave me very seriously because this is his life work. Now, how long will that last? We'll see. We got. We got eight episodes to go after this one, so we'll see. will, what were some of your takeaways over this episode?

>> Will: Yeah, my initial thoughts is that, we definitely build on the prior episode, really, as we get deeper into what Charles had intended, which was Magneto to take over. And you're right. I mean, it did do a good job of like, okay, when is that? When is that? When is the other heel turn going to happen? I mean, he supposed he's playing this good guy now, but, you know, but like, Scott and the rest of the team, I was just like, yeah. Ah, come on. What's going on? Nah, something's going. Something's gonna happen. And. But, But I really did enjoy it. And another thing, too, that I really picked up even more this episode than the last is just, we are set in the nineties. You know, they. They make. They still kept it very period with, you know, even like, having tv sets, you know, and just the things around it. But, you know, beyond just the anime animation aesthetic, but also just within the show itself. But, the cool thing. But I liked it. But they didn't, like, make it all like, self reference referential as far as, like, yeah, we're back in the nineties or anything like that. It was just like, you know, things are happening and, you know, and you're just watching, you know, watching a period piece. but, yeah, those are some of my initial thoughts about the episode.

>> Sarah : In the episode, during the third act, big fight, storm gets hit by, the executioner's gun, and ends up losing her powers, which they suspect will be permanently. We'll see.

>> Will: Yeah.

>> Sarah : So what was your thought about that, little plot line?

>> Will: Yeah, that was a very shocking moment for sure when she, you know, she stepped in front of the. In front of the laser blast, attended for. For Magneto. And, you know, and again, just, you know, it's the heroic thing, but the kind, you know, but the thing that was. So. I won't say it was telegraphed, but now that, you know, but it was. It was set up to. For something like this to happen because earlier in the episode, storm and gene have a. Have a discussion, about, you know, the team motherhood, you know, finding a place in this world, bringing in a childhood, you know. And what other thing I didn't say in my opening faults is I really like how they're, you know, really just putting it out there, like, all the issues in a grown up way, in this show, as far as the prejudice and some of the philosophical questions about our mutants place in a world that many people hate them. And, of course, part of Magneto's trial is taking responsibility for what they perceive as for his crimes, in addition to all the things that are playing around in that, with some of the, you know, groups that are forming. So when that happened and then after she lost her powers and lost the thing that made her feel special, it really, you know, you know, it really got into the questions of identity and who we are and who, you know, what makes you you? And I was, you know, whenever she left the team, and even though they were like, gene, you have a place here. But she's like, I don't feel like I have a belong anymore. I mean, it was. It was a lot. It was a lot tied up into that. Into that. The arc there that. With her losing her powers.

>> Sarah : Yeah. Yeah, it definitely was. And you're right, it was a bit telegraphed. But I think overall, that's my. My one gripe about the show. And. And maybe it's because I'm older now and I've seen a lot more, but I feel like a lot of what they're doing. I mean, you brought up, like, philosophical feels telegraphed, and there's. There's not enough subtlety happening for me. and I mean, like I said, it could be because this genre has evolved so much since the nineties, and people are more familiar, especially with these characters, and we know we got a movie in our future. And it just. I wish that there was more subtleness, in those higher thinking parts. I mean, I, Honestly, to your earlier part, I didn't even think about it, about how this is a period piece. It is clearly set in the nineties, but that didn't resonate with me at all until you mentioned. And I'm like, oh, yeah. So I guess there is some subtleness that I'm not picking up on, but the overall story beats and plots that have been occurring. I'm like, okay. I mean, the one subtle thing is, okay, what's going on with Eric and Rogue? Eric, aka magneto, but I do vaguely remember from the original series she spent a lot of time with him and, blanking on her name. I'm blanking on blue lady's name. Yeah. Mystique. So I know that there was something, but I'm not really sure if that's a consistent thread to what they're pulling out now or not. do you have any idea?

>> Will: I don't. I had actually forgotten that, Rogue and Eric had a, had a little prior, prior playing back in the day and so, but it is to your point about storytelling and putting things on the nose. So, you know, we're very familiar with the wolverine, Gene Scott triangle. So now it looks like they're now we're going to have another story here of another triangle in this show. As far as gambit potentially, magneto and rogue potentially. So, you know. So to your point about sometimes being a little bit too direct, yeah, it could have, like, I don't know.

>> Sarah : I mean, well, the hard thing. The hard thing about love triangles.

>> Will: Yeah.

>> Sarah : and I'm actually glad that they're not going all in on the whole cyclops, Jean Grey, wolverine of it all. I mean, it's there, but it's also not present, like, like shoved down your throat. is that you have to at least watch their relationships. And because of the way they've approached this series, we, we haven't seen Jean, like, rogue and gambit flirt that much. We haven't even seen, like, why he is infatuated with her. And now we're also being shown, oh, there's a, competitor that for her affection, that goes back to a secret. And we don't know about the secret. So we're left here just being like, okay, so we see the triangle, but it doesn't really mean anything to us as a viewer because we haven't watched the romance. We haven't watched the understand, why there's connections that are creating this triangle.

>> Will: Yeah, yeah, yeah, maybe. And maybe that was it. I mean, I think, maybe it's just as we're getting back into this universe and things getting familiar with these characters that for many of us haven't watched him in a very long time, at least in this, at least in this story. I mean, I know a lot of folks have read the comics, but, yeah, I mean, I think you're right. I mean, they are sort of said in the groundwork for something, but, you know, but there's nothing to really, I guess at this point, there's nothing to really get invested in because we're just getting hints that, yes, you. That there is a history here. And, you know, and they do, you know, and we know rogue's power is one that if she touches someone, you know, she absorbs their abilities and whatnot. And Eric is actually, you know, so, so they do have that moment there where she takes off the glove and he does hold her hand. And so, you know, those are the, direct but also a little subtle nods to, like, to their history.

>> Sarah : Right, right. Yeah, definitely. and then to go to the other love triangle, we got Nathan Charles Summers born.

>> Will: Yeah. Cable.

>> Sarah : Cable. and so how. How quickly will he grow? Yeah, that's, that's what. Of a joke. But also kind of seriously, like, how, how fast do you think we're gonna be stuck with x Men taking care of a little baby?

>> Will: I just figured some Tommy wimey stuff was gonna happen. And the grown up cable show. Cause, I mean, he did show up in the, in the anime, the original animated series. So, but I can't remember, like I said, it's been so long, I can't remember, like, all the ins and outs of it. Yeah.

>> Sarah : I mean, something, something did happen timey wimey. Because by the end of the episode that we got a Jean, gray knocking at the door and a Jean grey standing on the other side. And so something really did happen. And that's something that I do appreciate. and I know we're only two episodes in, but both episodes ended with a question, ended with a point of suspense that I feel as though in other shows that we've watched and we've watched animated shows, I mean, we haven't returned to invincible, but we got it on the back burner. It's bruin. We'll get there eventually. And I feel like story structure these days. They want to wrap up everything. and then when they don't, I mean, we saw this, especially in the late, great arrowverse sagas that have done their time and come to rest. Superman. Lois, we'll get to you eventually too, later this year. but they, they ask a question, but it's never, it's not hitting the same way these last episodes of X Men 97 have.

>> Will: Yeah, I agree.

>> Sarah : Yeah. I don't know what it is, but I hope they keep that up. So I hope they keep that up and maybe just raise up some of the subtleness. Like, you know, the writer has to know how nostalgic this show is. So majority of their audience is gonna be like the millennials.

>> Will: Yeah, millennials and 40 and 50 year olds.

>> Sarah : Yeah. So. So why dumb it down? Why? Who are you fooling? Who are you fooling?

>> Will: See, I don't know if there's so much a dumbing down, but I think, and maybe it's like you said, it's just because we are adults and we're just more discerning viewers than the ones out there saying, woke, woke, woke. But I mean, X Men have always been woke. You know, we talked about this show. These types of shows before were allegories of, like, real things, you know, real, real life things. And so a lot of the. Some of the things that they're, touching on are things that when the show aired in the nineties, like, for example, gay rights and stuff, when the show was aired, you know, people, same sex couples couldn't even get married. I mean, it was after the show went off the air that became ball. And so some of you know, but so I think some of those things do. To your point, we are more sophisticated now as far as viewers. And some things. Some of these things that we used to take for granted do sometimes feel a little heavy handed, in this, in this show. but, you know, but, but at the same time, they do also, even though they may be. May feel heavy handed sometimes. But, but I think the cool thing about it, too, is it's still making me think as a viewer, like, oh, you know, yeah, we resolved this just one issue, but there's still a lot of this other issue that is still. Still a problem. And I think that's what's the genius about the X Men is and why it has such longevity. Because whatever generation you're in and whatever social, socioeconomic, or, civil rights or whatever issue is of that time period, these characters in allegorical storytelling that is used to explore these issues resonates. And I think that's why whenever the whole thing with, we don't do mutant babies here, that goes back to, you know, clearly back to the water, you know, civil rights as far as black folks can't go into certain places. So I think, you know, so. And, you know, and you can. And you can fast forward it now to, like, with bathrooms. I mean, so that's why it's just like, you know, why I think the show really works on so many levels and why it speaks to so many people.

>> Sarah : Yeah, definitely. anything else before we head into fallout?

>> Will: No, I, know, I'm really. I'm glad, that we are. We're finally here, like I said last week, and, looking forward to continuing on, the journey with, with these characters.

>> Sarah : All right, well, that brings us to fallout season one, episode five. The past. Everyone wants to save the world. I don't know what it is about this show, but I. Where, like, these, these episodes we're going to talk about tonight were really good. Really good.

>> Will: Yeah.

>> Sarah : And yet still, I do not think about this show a single moment after I'm done watching the weirdest thing. And so I'm always stuck here. Like, what happened in this episode? Oh, yeah. Okay, this is episode where basically, we start off with. With Thaddeus and, Maximus, and, well, Thaddeus learns the truth and then immediately is like, fuck you, goodbye, I'm still in the head. And, and Maximus, who still doesn't understand the way his suit works, get trapped, gets trapped in the suits, only for, very conveniently, Lucy to show up. Now we're getting started. But it's just so funny to me. Like, these are good episodes, and yet I still. There's. It doesn't linger with me. Nothing has lingered with me.

>> Will: Yeah, that's, that's a fair thing to say. And honestly, I. When I would. The only time, you know, watch the episode and I enjoy it and, and you're right. I mean, this series has, with each episode, gets progressively better and. But I don't think about them again until it's time for us to talk about him. And the thing that the through line for this episode, for me, was trust issues. And, and that, that was, that was sort of, that was my overall fault. With, with what? Like, as you noted from Thaddeus and Maximus there, Lucy and carry Maximus, and then, of course, the end, the storyline going on in the vault itself with the election and whatnot.

>> Sarah : Yeah, I mean, okay, so if you're gonna sum it up and trust issues, my, my thing would be. Well, yeah, everyone should have a trust issue because Maximus is a liar. Okay, Maximus has been lying. And see, now we're getting to the root of my issue with Maximus. I need to understand why he's lying so much, and I need it to be a reason that I can sympathize with so that I can, I can accept his lies as a viewer who's seen all sides of it, because I'm just like, because for a moment, when, when Lucy first shows up and helps him out, and then she immediately sees through his act, which I'm like, thank you, writers, for not making Lucy look stupid. And then within the moment, I said that within that span of time, she suddenly accepted another lie from him. I'm like, jesus, stop it.

>> Will: Yeah, well, you know, she can't. Well, but you know, that, to that point, though, I'm glad that she still, like, still has that naivety from the vault, you know? Because even after all, I don't know.

>> Sarah : If it was naivety, because she saw, she clearly understood that he was what he was going after, too. Exactly the same thing. But it was more that she thought, in that instance, there was nothing else that, like, she thought she had won that. That little discourse, and that, he wouldn't. He doesn't have anything else to withhold from her. So I don't know if it was naive naivety so much as just like, no, I called you on your bullshit, and she was, like, basking in that and. And didn't go, go further or continue to have some guard. So maybe it's a mixture of both.

>> Will: Maybe it's a mixture of both. Yeah, I was gonna say it's still that lack of street smarts.

>> Sarah : Mm Right, right.

>> Will: Yeah.

>> Sarah : Well, but then again, I don't know how much street smarts Maximus has, because the kid got locked in his suit.

>> Will: Yeah, well, that's. That's another issue, too, but locked in his suit? Yeah, yeah. yeah. I mean, he's not. He's clearly not the sharpest knife in the drawer there, for sure. and he's not very street smart, because, I mean, I don't know. Like, so here's where I was is, like, whenever he opened up to Thaddeus, I mean, I was just like. I mean, I get where the writers were going with that, but at the same time, I'm just like, why? I mean, did again. And maybe it gets back to my point, it just. The lack of street smarts, like, this guy's brotherhood now through and through. And you really think he's going to like this as soon as you reveal who you are? And given that they have these rules about, you know, as far as succession and knighthood and all that kind of stuff, he's just going to be like, oh, cool, bro. Especially after you branded them.

>> Sarah : Right, right. Well, it's also Thaddeus is looking at him, like, as a squire. He's like, now I'm an accomplice. Yeah, and. And you clearly haven't thought this through, because I can appreciate how Thaddeus pointed out, oh, what do you think is going to happen when they figure it out? And then Maximus clearly hasn't really thought that completely through.

>> Will: Exactly.

>> Sarah : Suddenly, you're like, okay, so, Thaddeus, get out. Get out while you can and claim innocence, because Thaddeus motivations totally make sense. And I guess the more you're. We're talking about this, I don't even know if it's a lack of street smarts. However, what they're doing with Maximus is making you view him as naive as you do Lucy.

>> Will: Yeah.

>> Sarah : The difference, though, is Maximus is from the surface world, and we're supposed to believe all Smurf surface world people are smart or are better, more understandable and have better survival instincts.

>> Will: That's it.

>> Sarah : Those who come from the vault.

>> Will: Exactly. That's it. Yeah, yeah.

>> Sarah : but. But they do make for a good pairing. Even though. Even though Lucy tries to show that she knows how to, how to, like, de stress a situation only leads to Maximus getting shot, which I am so glad I watched that scene. And I was just like, oh, wow. And then five minutes later, they're just walking away, and I'm thinking to myself, wait a second. Maximus clearly got shot, right?

>> Will: Yeah. Oh, yeah, we saw, yeah, we saw the impact of blood flying out of his arm. Yeah, he.

>> Sarah : Yeah. But for. For a moment there, there was this gap of a period of time where I'm like, wait a second. Maximus got shot. But I'm glad that they, they brought that back. And then that's what led them to going into the building, which they inadvertently end up in the happiest place on the earth, which is another vault.

>> Will: Yep. Yeah, yeah. But they'll also to your .1 of the things you thought when, as you were talking about surface folks and, you know, there's been hinting around the whole, the whole shady sands issue.

>> Sarah : Shady sands? Yeah, yeah.

>> Will: And, you know, and, you know, of course, into your, you know, and really juxtaposing Lucy, you know, and the vault 33 dwellers as far as their whole reclamation day. And then, you know, and shady sands being that, at least prior to the bomb getting dropped on it, you know, being that ideal world on the surface and Maximus coming, you know, coming from that world. So as a little boy. So because we, you know, we. They keep flashing back to the scene of the brotherhood, rescue him out of. Out of the, refrigerator or whatever he was in that, you know, shielded him from the, from the blast. So you're right. I mean, I, like you said how, both of them were sheltered in their own way, and now we're seeing how it manifested in itself, as they are on this quest to find the head.

>> Sarah : Yep. And while they are doing that on the surface world, meanwhile, vault 33. Norm continues to investigate what happened in vault 32, and figure out that they were trying to go get into vault 31. There's an election day happening, which then he, finds out has been rigged for centuries. Same results, just a different winner every time.

>> Will: Yeah. If you want to rig an election, this is how you do it.

>> Sarah : Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And. And it just. And it leads to more. A lot of vault trust issues, as will pointed out. and Norm really not understanding what. Well, I feel like he always figures out things just a little too late. now is. Oh, this is the, We do. I think towards the end of the episode, after the rigged election, it gets announced by the new overseer, Betty, that she's, initiating a resettling campaign. So some will be moved into vault 32 to start anew, while others will stay in their current vault. and am I remembering correctly? Both Norm and check got moved into the old vault. Right.

>> Will: I can't recall if they know.

>> Sarah : Because Norm went in there and he saw the paint job.

>> Will: Right, right. They both went. Yeah, I think that's. I can't remember if they got permanently resettled, but they did see vault 32, because into your point about figuring out things too late. yes. Between the time that they went and, ah, you know, there was the whole cleanup of the place, and so. Yeah, so that was.

>> Sarah : So that this even asked down with. It was. There was free print that said down with management, which is a hint at, ah, something that happens in the next episode.

>> Will: Yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah, definitely for sure. Yeah, yeah.

>> Sarah : And I have to just say it like, I think I mentioned this last week, anybody who's watching fallout doing in. In groups of two, because these episodes just continue.

>> Will: Yes. They really do. They really do. Don't. Yeah.

>> Sarah : I mean, if you do one, two, three, I don't think you're gonna have the full effect.

>> Will: Yeah, no, yeah, they complement. Yeah. These even numbered episodes like this, they definitely complement each other very, very well. And of course, and then, you know, that last little bit that, regarding the trust issues and two, and given the rigged elections, and we still have the outstanding question, what happened to, you know, to not Norma's mom, but also her pip boy, which is her little computer unit on her wrist. what happened to. It seems like it was, you know, because it could lead to probably, it's connected to down with management and some of these other, these other issues. As far as, you know, the vault dwellers,

>> Sarah : Being surfaced of it all. Yeah, the conspiracy of it all. Because, he has been informed that overseer Betty and his father buried his mom. And she, when they buried her, she still had her pip boy with her on her wrist. Now, we know that that pip boy was used to access, the vault gate, the vault entrance from the surface world that led to vault 30 two's downfall.

>> Will: Yeah.

>> Sarah : and now for any listeners who are, following along, I'm going to quickly, as a quick discrepancy, or a quick statement, I'm so sorry if I get the vaults confused. I'm pretty sure I have them. Right. But you know, there's three of them.

>> Will: Yeah, you're spot on. You have not slipped yet. Yeah. You're good. You're good.

>> Sarah : Sure. What's the word I was looking for? but all right, that brings us into episode six, the trap, which we didn't get any of the ghoul in the previous episode. And we start immediately with a flashback. the tagline of this episode is what happens when the ranchers have more power than the sheriff. and honestly, m I want to say 75% of the ghouls storyline of this episode is all told through flashback.

>> Will: Yeah.

>> Sarah : Yep. with good reason. And I can appreciate that because I didn't want to watch 20 minutes of him just being dragged through the desert. Okay. Did not want to watch it. we start with a galaxy news update that is hosted by Cooper Howard in vault four, which, ironically is the vault in present day that Lucy and Maximus ends up in. Coincidence? I think not. and basically he's just pitching. He's pitching, quote unquote, safety for the future in the vault with vault tec. Purchase your residence today. and then that leads us to some encounters with Bud Askins. Abud Askins, which is a name that I, will forever remember. And this is that tie into the previous episode. But he tells Cooper time is the ultimate weapon management. Time management or something. but what do you think about Bud and some of these early scenes of the ghouls flashbacks that were seen?

>> Will: It really expanded the lore, I think, as far as just seeing how things were before the bomb dropped and the war started. And, so I thought it was a good episode in that regard, just to really flesh out, the ghouls backstory. And really we were all wondering, you know, we see, saw he was western actor. And he had a wife, daughter, and really see America as it was prior to the war and the McCarthyism that was their version of the McCarthy Red scares, you know, in there in Hollywood and how that was all unfolding. And the You know, the vault Tec and Bud Askinsville, like you said, I'll never forget him. But also how the economy and the sort of military complex, industrial complex is unfolding in that alternate world. and getting to some of these deeper questions like who's really profiting from the idea of possibly bringing us to the brink of war. And Cooper talking with his wife about some of the selections as far as dogs being in the vaults and how they were work. She was doing these jobs to sort of work their way into a better vault. And also as we get later in the episode too, and learning more about the vault, four, settlers, You know, when Maximus and Lucy fall into it. we see a lot of the folks there who are mutated from the radiation and stuff from the war. So there's definitely tie in to that and then to Cooper's discussion about when he was fighting the wars in Alaska and some of the faulty equipment that they had, you know, and brings into question and some defaults. So it was a lot going on in this episode that I really, really liked.

>> Sarah : Right, right. I, from the get go, was just always curious about him and his wife. because they had teased it early on. I'm pretty sure in the first episode, right before the bomb drops, there was even a line that is said that I get. I got the impression him and his wife weren't together at that moment. And so we're basically watching their relationship dissolve over this issue. and him starting to question, the true nature of vaulteq. and then he gets told by a friend of his, or informed that Vaultek has a fiduciary responsibility to make sure it doesn't work out. and he gets given a card to go to a meeting which has all McCarthyism all over it. It's very good metaphor and allegory to that era and that time. They're doing a really good job of the flashbacks being very period based. But still something's a little off at the same time. much like how present day, it feels like present day, yet at the same time something's just a little bit off.

>> Will: Yeah. Yeah.

>> Sarah : Or like more is off and. But there's still this nostalgic apart that that's what I was trying to say. More is often present day, while there's a small bit of nostalgic, like, oh, my God, these are actual people.

>> Will: Yeah.

>> Sarah : so. So, yeah, I agree with you. Like, overall, there's a lot to unfold about this, and I can appreciate the little breadcrumbs. and. And I think all of the. The escalation that has unfolded over the last six episodes between Barb and, Barb and Cooper has just been great, because we. We clearly see, have seen their shared love for one another and their daughter, which there's a reference, and he is definitely still searching for Janie. I was also wrong about Minerva, but Moldova Moldavir. but we do get some connection. I was also not completely wrong to an extent.

>> Will: You're right. You're right in the sense that someone from his time period made it, but it was just. Yeah, right. Which was somebody else, but it was a connection. It was who he met at the meeting.

>> Sarah : So, yeah, I. And, you know, to. Going back to bud, there's. There's more people from the past than we even realize. There are more people, because time is ultimate weapon, as long as you can manage it. And so it just took me right back. What. What show do you think? As soon as they brought up time, I, was like, oh, I know what they're doing here. It's a very recent show.

>> Will: Will see time. Time.

>> Sarah : Three body problem.

>> Will: Oh, yes, yes.

>> Sarah : He was the.

>> Will: Ah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

>> Sarah : I know. Yeah. He. He was also trying to figure out a way that he could freeze himself for 400 years so he could meet the aliens.

>> Will: Yeah.

>> Sarah : Oh, yeah, yeah. Spoiler for a three body problem. But, you know, time. so. So that, honestly, first thought that popped in my head, I'm like, seems familiar.

>> Will: Totally. Yeah.

>> Sarah : all right, so. So to go back to ghoul and Moldevor, basically, in present day, we end his. His drug out journey to where we meet surreal, who has appointed himself a sheriff of sorts.

>> Will: Yep.

>> Sarah : many has.

>> Will: No, yeah, he's. Yeah, he was.

>> Sarah : Yeah, he's.

>> Will: He was. Yeah, yeah. He and the ghoul definitely have a history there, for sure.

>> Sarah : Yeah, yeah. And he's the sheriff, and he. He heard about some of the stuff that the ghoul was getting into, wanted to lay down law, or at least, like, strut his stuff in front of his dear old ghoulish friend. and that's where we get the reference to Janie or Barb. There is a chance he was talking about barb, too, because Barb could have certainly gotten herself into one of the quote unquote good vaults.

>> Will: So, yeah, yeah.

>> Sarah : So I don't know. Maybe, maybe we'll see in a very sad flashback that Janie's the lost cause, but he's still on the hunt for Barb.

>> Will: Yeah.

>> Sarah : So, so, and then he turns and sees a picture and it's Moldav. Mold. Moldavor. And, and he, he says, wow, she, she looks a bit, or she's not as quite as I remember her, or. Yeah, he said something along the lines of she, she's a little bit different than when I first met her. And, and it turns out he first meets her in, in the flashback because she's what appears to be leading the meeting against vault tec.

>> Will: Yep.

>> Sarah : so, so very good parallel. And so we're going to start at the end of the Lucy maximum because, okay, I just want to say this. My one gripe is, as much as I appreciate this whole reveal sequence of both past surface level Moldavir and Coop and then present day Lucy in a weird cult, people are naked, people are drinking blood or stuff is happening ritual, and then they're basically praying to a portrait of Moldavir the flame lady or a lady of flame or whatever. It just went on too long. They should have cut like a good two, three minutes. Like, I was like, I, because, you know, it's too long when it doesn't take you till the end of the sequence to figure out what the reveal is.

>> Will: Yeah.

>> Sarah : Like, yeah, it just, I, halfway through, I was like, oh, it's Moldavor. And, oh, freaky. But I'm like, why are we still doing this?

>> Will: Yeah, yeah. The tension was, definitely, I think they're trying to, it went too long because the tension they had built up kind of dissipated whenever the reveals, like, yeah, exactly.

>> Sarah : Where it wasn't as shocking because you'd already figured it out and kind of moved on in your mind. Yeah, yeah, what's the big deal?

>> Will: Yeah, yeah, okay. It's like, oh, okay, makes sense now. You know, I was already start, I was already starting to, like, for me, I was like, okay, let's. I was moving on to the next episode. As far as, like, yeah, yeah. Instead of, like, being wowed by the reveal, it was like, oh, yeah.

>> Sarah : I was, I was sitting there, like, so after they move, like, reveal, it's Moldavier. They're going to explain the nudity that's happening, right? We're going to get some kind of explanation because that was also unnecessary.

>> Will: I was very gratuitous. I felt it was gratuitous. Yeah, I did feel it.

>> Sarah : Yeah. It just didn't feel like they had to go that far. and it was sad because the first half of this episode or the first half of the Lucy and Maximus in vault four, I loved because it felt like Guardians of the Galaxy.

>> Will: It did.

>> Sarah : And I know I feel like way back when we saw the first trailer, I think I immediately said that comparison. I have not made that reference up until this episode. But that first half of these two in the vault and them starting on opposites end of their perspective of what's really happening, to cross paths and move on the exact opposite ends by the end of the episode.

>> Will: Yeah.

>> Sarah : Was really good.

>> Will: It was.

>> Sarah : And you know what? I, for the first time, Maximus made me a little bit proud because I would have stayed if they had given me a robe too. You know, like, come on. They gave him robe and slippers.

>> Will: Yeah.

>> Sarah : So he stayed.

>> Will: Caviar got. He's got. Yeah, he's getting nice meals. Yeah. It's like living, living like living life on the hog here.

>> Sarah : Yeah. It was really the cafeteria scene that did it for me where I'm like, this is so guardians. There's just something about it. I'm like this and it's not even guardians. It's just the first movie of guardians. Because I swear, in that prison, there was a similar cafeteria scene.

>> Will: There was. Yeah, that vibe. For sure. For sure.

>> Sarah : Yeah, yeah, yeah. so, so we're when, so we're shown pretty early on that they're held in a cell called test subjects. And then that leads to Lucy realizing that everyone is deformed to an extent. So what you, so do you think it was just that, the radiation, like, their vault was broken and that.

>> Will: Led the default, the faulty vaults? It goes to what Cooper, you know, with the whole vault tech and bud ask ins and, you know, whenever he was talking about his mot, with his military gear, with the, I guess the prior battle suits that they had back in the day, you know, to me, it was like, and also the bar mentioning to Cooper how we want to get in the good vault, the management vault. And so, basically, you know, these are all military contractors. And, you know, and sometimes, you know, government contracting, sometimes, you know, you go with the lowest bidder. So some of the product is really, really good. Some of us can be kind of, you know, kind of defective. Yeah. So I think that was tying all those, that was tying all those things in together into a cohesive, like through line with this, with this particular episode as far. And to me, that, that, ah, really made this episode go next level to me because they're pulling all these connections together.

>> Sarah : Yeah. See, I feel like there was also something said about scientists and how a lot of them are scientists. And so I think to an extent because when, when Lucy inevitably goes to level twelve. Yeah, we, we, we see a lot of mad science like experiments.

>> Will: Yep. We saw it. We saw. Yeah, the golfer. Several things.

>> Sarah : Yeah, I think to an extent you're right. But I also think they were playing at both sides of this where it's also like when scientists are in charge and their need to question and continue poking at things like they're gonna do that. I mean, one of the first scientists that we saw and met was will zig.

>> Will: Yeah.

>> Sarah : And there was something not right about him.

>> Will: Yeah. Well, that lab, that was the Brotherhood lab. And, you know, one of the things we didn't mention the prior episode was, you know, with Lucy basically talking to the, Boy, did you talk to Maximus. Like, you know, the brotherhood's goal is to like get pre war tech, you know, finding pre war tech. And what was it? Keep pre war tech. I'm trying to remember what it was, but it was just basically, you know, I guess to your point, it's just like everybody has, you know, there's some mixed agendas here and I think even the vaults too, you know, going back to the very, you know, whatever we learned at the, you know, but the triad with the vaults, I mean, 31, 32 and 33 there, there seems to be some social. Social engineering and, you know, and the whole breeding, you know, we with Lucy in the very first episode getting married off, you know, so they could be breeding stock. So.

>> Sarah : Right.

>> Will: Yeah. So there's. You're spot on there that there is some experimentation going on here.

>> Sarah : Yeah. Like, And, and so what we also learn is that involved four, there are a lot of surface more people because they, there's this whole history which I'm sure if I actually took the time, I'm sure I could find the full timeline of fallout.

>> Will: Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

>> Sarah : Confused?

>> Will: Yeah.

>> Sarah : What is current year, what has happened? When did the bomb draw and just how long things have happened. So it sounds like reclamation day did happen. And something you said to me, it happened far back enough that Maximus as probably a four, what a seven year old was found in the rubbish which indicates that he actually could have been born in vault.

>> Will: So he could have been born of all. Yeah. Yeah. And it was the whole new California Republic. I'll say, you know, they did. You know, at least he did see.

>> Sarah : Yep.

>> Will: That the flag, you know, which we've been. We've seen the flag in like credits and other things throughout the series and now we really get the full history of the new California Republic. And, you know, it's like 2077.

>> Sarah : Yeah.

>> Will: And then that's when it fell. And then, you know, they have the date of where they are now. So, you know, on the chalkboard as far as when the event occurred. So there was, like I said, there was a lot. There was a lot of lot packed in the show and, you know, love it. Of listeners who played the game, you know, like fill in the gaps as far as some of the stuff because I never played it. you know, where it just falls into, I guess, four previous games, five, previous games or whatever. Yeah.

>> Sarah : I don't know. There. There's a lot of games. There's a lot of games. And my bro, all my brother who has played some of the game has that is that there's a lot of good Easter eggs.

>> Will: Yeah.

>> Sarah : Sprinkled out. But he hasn't. He hasn't told me like, oh, they're following this trajectory or anything. It. I get the impression that they're pulling from. Because there are so many versions. there are so many installments of this game and it's never been at its more freeform that. That they're pulling bits and pieces from each of them.

>> Will: Yeah, yeah.

>> Sarah : And this is only the beginning. Like, even though these two episodes did a lot, I still feel like we just get an exposition.

>> Will: Yeah.

>> Sarah : It's just a lot of history, a lot of like, people taking shape, the past taking shape, us like, getting oriented. And it. And it just continues very consistently. Might I add you, to just feel much more, much like a prologue. And I think the real story unfolds in season two.

>> Will: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And yeah, you're right. I mean, I think that that's the case. And. And really, you know, unlike the last of us where it was a one to one adaptation of. Well, not one to one, but, you know, so adaptation of the game itself, bringing it live action. This is just, you know, this is the way the fallout games have unfolded, which is their next chapters in the larger and a larger story.

>> Sarah : Yeah, yeah. anything else you want to add in? I think I got hit all of the beats that I wanted to with Fallout.

>> Will: No, I know. I think we re, I think we touched on everything in this episode. like I said they were, they were really, really good. And as you said earlier, do it. Do them in bunches, folks. Listeners, if you want to binge it, binge two at a time.

>> Sarah : And on that note, Will, why don't you tell our listeners where they can find you?

>> Will: Yes, you can find me on Twitter, also known as X w i l l p o l k Willmpolk.

>> Sarah : And you can find me there, too. Sjbelmont s j b e lm m o n t please follow our crew on Twitter at seeninnerdfriend us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and threads at Scene NRD, and visit our website, www.cenandnerdpodcast.com. But most importantly, rate, follow and comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever your podcast. Good night. Geek out. You're welcome.