Fallout
Created by: Graham Wagner, Geneva Robertson-Dworet
Based on: Fallout by Bethesda Softworks
Stars: Ella Purnell (Lucy MacLean), Aaron Moten (Maximus), Kyle MacLachlan (Hank MacLean), Moisés Arias (Norm MacLean), Xelia Mendes-Jones (Dane), Frances Turner (Barb Howard), Walton Goggins (The Ghoul / Cooper Howard)
Season 2 – Episode 7
Episode title: The Handoff
Original release date: January 28, 2026 (Amazon Prime Video)
Plot: Before the war, Steph and her mortally wounded mother escape from an internment camp in American-occupied Canada. Later, she finds a job in Las Vegas meeting a passed out Hank, hoping to get a job at Vault-Tec. Cooper decides to give the cold fusion relic to the President of the United States, on the suggestion of Congresswoman Diane Welch, claiming it will benefit everybody. In 2296, Norm recovers and transmits a message through the radio but is caught by the Vault-Tec executives. In the Vaults, Barb gives Steph Hank’s box. Later at her wedding, Chet accuses Steph of killing Woody and exposes her true identity. At the Vault-Tec facility, Lucy initially agrees with Hank’s plan, only to fool him in order to shut down the control chips’ mainframe, operated by the disembodied head of Congresswoman Welch. Meanwhile, Maximus, Thaddeus and the Ghoul agree to work together to free Lucy in exchange for giving the Ghoul the relic. At the Strip, Maximus fights off Deathclaws using power armor, while the Ghoul enters the Lucky 38. Using the relic to power up the monitor, the Ghoul meets Robert House on screen.
* * *
Fallout – S02E07 – The Handoff | Transcript
Note for Students & Writers: This transcript is archived here for educational purposes, critical analysis, and screenwriting study. All rights belong to the original creators.
[voice echoing]
They’re coming! They’re coming!
[heavy breathing]
[tense music playing]
[alarm blaring]
♪
[panting]
No!
[alarms continue]
[gunfire]
[shrieking]
[both panting]
[Vertibird whirring]
Lord tunderin’ Jaysus.
Mom.
[distorted] Halt. Back to the internment camp, hosers. Turn around and start walking, or I will shoot.
[screaming]
What the f–
[explosion]
[high-pitched ringing]
[gasping]
[breathing heavily]
[high-pitched ringing]
[muffled coughing]
[breathing deeply]
[snoring]
[dramatic music playing]
[sighs]
[Stephanie] No. [sobbing]
[Joan] [whispering] It’s okay.
[Stephanie] No.
[Joan] It’s okay, baby.
[Stephanie sobbing]
[Joan] Now you just go south. You cross that border and you keep going south. You get somewhere warm. I know I raised you Catholic, but you forget all that, okay? You forget everything those people ever said.
[Stephanie] You’re coming with me.
[Joan] It’s too late for me, my love. There’s a flood coming. Now, you keep your head above that water any way you can. And you get south of that border and you cling to the highest branch you can find, and you survive.
[dramatic music playing]
[Joan] If you have to hurt people, God won’t judge you.
♪
[gate squeaking]
Hey, beautiful. Passport?
[spitting]
[Joan] Don’t think of them as human beings.
[sighs]
[Joan] Think of them as Americans.
[ominous music playing]
[patriotic music playing]
[♪ Nat King Cole: “When You’re Smiling”]
♪ When you’re ♪
♪ smiling ♪
♪ When you’re smiling ♪
♪ the whole world smiles ♪
♪ with you ♪
[dial clicking]
♪ When you’re laughing ♪
♪ When you’re laughing ♪
♪ the sun comes ♪
♪ shining through ♪
♪ But when you’re crying… ♪
[Lucy] Well, I guess this is one way to save the world. But it’s wrong.
[Hank] Perfect is the enemy of good, Lucy.
♪ happy again ♪
♪ Keep on smiling ♪
[Lucy] What does it do to their brains?
[Hank] PTidies things up a bit. Cleans the memory of the horrors they’ve experienced. This dial controls how much amnesia they have, and the mainframe implants new ideas in their heads. Turning these Wastelanders into well-meaning, good people.
[Lucy] I’m shutting this whole thing down, and I’m bringing you home. How do I do that?
[Hank] Once the procedure’s been finished, it’s irreversible.
[Lucy] Fine. Then, how do I stop you from making more?
[Hank] Well, we have to destroy the mainframe which programs the Boxes, and that’s in the basement.
[Lucy] How do I get there?
[Hank] It’s a bit of a hike. Let’s take the golf cart.
[Lucy] What’s a golf cart?
[Hank] Oh. Lucy?
[whimsical music playing]
[Hank] This is gonna be fun!
[sighs]
[cart whirring]
[Hank] Straighten it out.
[tires screeching lightly]
[Hank] There you go. Alright, back. Good.
[tires screeching]
[Hank] You’re doing great. You’re doing great. Keep the speed up.
[sighs]
[Hank] Alright, this is a toughie, Lucy. You don’t use both feet.
[Lucy] What? There’s two pedals.
[Hank] I know. But you just use one foot for both pedals.
[Lucy] That doesn’t make any sense.
[Hank] You’ll get it.
♪
[Hank] PYou’re doing great.
[tires screeching]
[Hank] Really wish we’d had a normal life, Sugarbomb.
[Lucy] We did have one, Dad. You wrecked it.
[beeps, door unlocks]
[Hank] The mainframe is in there.
[Lucy] Okay, I need water and I need potassium.
[Hank] To make an explosive? What if you don’t have potassium?
[Lucy] I can make do with, um…
[Hank] Come on, you got this.
[Lucy] With, uh…
Oh, mind the floor. I just mopped.
[grunting]
[Lucy] Thank you.
[soft, dramatic music playing]
[Lucy] You know, the Legion is still out there.
[Hank] I know.
[Lucy] They’re gonna hurt a lot of people.
[Hank] Yes.
[Lucy] And with what you’ve created, you could stop them.
[Hank] We could stop them, Lucy.
[boot spurs jingling]
[Thaddeus] Hey. Just a couple of ghouls. Am I right?
[sighs]
[Thaddeus] Just talking ghoul stuff. So, you fought that guy?
[Maximus] Yeah, but I was wearing Power Armor.
[Thaddeus] Well, you know, that Armor’s really hard to operate. When I was in that shit, I tried to pick up a cup in the cafeteria, it was crazy. You sure we should be following him?
[Maximus] He said he would take us to Lucy. Hey, where are we going?
[Ghoul] Lucky 38.
[Thaddeus] Uh, we’re-we’re goin’ the wrong direction. Vegas is that way.
[Ghoul] You wanna save the girl, you’re gonna have to get into an impenetrable Vault, the same Vault my family is in. To get there, you’re gonna have to cross the Strip. You wanna cross the Strip, you gon’ have to kill a pack of Deathclaws.
♪
[Ghoul] We need to kit up.
[Maximus] So, Lucy’s in Las Vegas.
[Ghoul] I can see why you two got along so well.
[Maximus] Yeah, why’s that?
[Ghoul] ‘Cause you ask a lot of goddamn questions. I got a question for you. How do you have that?
[Thaddeus] Whoa, whoa, whoa, okay. Maybe before things escalate here, we can maybe all agree that he’s got a gun?
[Ghoul] Open your hand.
[Thaddeus] Just let him see it.
[ominous music playing]
[Maximus] This is for Lucy. She’s a good person. She’ll do the right thing with it.
[gun clicks]
[music fades]
[Thaddeus sighs]
[Cooper] Thanks for helping my friend get back to his hotel room.
[Stephanie] Oh, not to worry, sir.
[Cooper] Bet you’ve seen a lot in this town.
[Stephanie] Hey.
[Cooper] Yeah?
[Stephanie] I’ve seen your face on those billboards for the Vaults.
[Cooper] Yeah.
[Stephanie] Do you have any idea how a gal on minimum wage can get into one?
[Cooper] I’m sorry, sweetheart, but the Vaults aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Maybe the best thing that we could hope for is that enough people do the right thing so that the Vaults aren’t necessary.
[Stephanie] Hm. That’s a nice sentiment. But I think I have a better chance of getting in a Vault. Do you know how I could get a job at Vault-Tec?
[Cooper] [sighs] Ask him.
[ominous music playing]
[door opens, shuts]
[♪ Raymond Scott: “Devil Drums”]
[guests cheering, laughing]
[music and laughter continue]
[indistinct chatter]
[Cooper] Hi.
[Representative Welch] Hi.
[Cooper] Thank you very much for meeting me.
[Representative Welch] Thank you for bailing me out of jail.
[Cooper] I know you’re a good person. And I know that you’re trying to do the right thing. I wanna believe in people like you, that fight for all the right things, but you don’t make it easy. I saw you at that VA meeting last week. Why can’t good people like you just learn to sell it better?
[Representative Welch] I don’t know. How’s that worked in your experience? How much do you actually know about the company that put you on all those billboards?
[Cooper] More than I did when I signed that contract.
[Representative Welch] So, you know why your wife is in Las Vegas?
[Cooper] They’re delivering the most powerful technology in the world to the most powerful man in the world. Robert House wants the diode so he can live forever, and Vault-Tec gets the bombs in exchange. And when they do that…
[Representative Welch] They’ll be the only ones left. And that’s what they want.
[Cooper] What if my wife’s deal fell through? What would you do with infinite energy?
[Representative Welch] Give it away to the public.
[Cooper] I know how it’s being transported. If I could deliver it to you, I’ll need assurances. No offense, but I–
[Representative Welch] No, I get it. I wouldn’t give it to me, either. But if it helps, two hours ago, an unmarked government plane landed at McCarran Airport. The President of the United States is in Las Vegas. How would you feel about giving it directly to him?
[Cooper] You can get me a meeting with the President?
[Representative Welch] Yes.
[Cooper] That would work.
[Representative Welch] Give him the diode and we can put an end to 25 years of Resource Wars tonight.
[dramatic music playing]
[Thaddeus] Holy crow.
[Ghoul] Huh.
[Thaddeus] Wow.
[gun clicking]
[Ghoul] Ooh. Hello, darlin’.
[Thaddeus] I’m sure you probably know this, but I’m actually kinda new to all this ghoul stuff. Yeah. Still got my nose. That’s the worst thing, really, just waitin’ for it to fall off. Just hurry it up already. You know? And then there’s this. This is normal, right?
[squelching]
[Ghoul sighs]
[Thaddeus] Okay. I’m gonna dial this in, you know, just gotta… Hey, anybody see a scope, uh, let me know. You know, I’m not– I could really use a scope.
[Maximus] I don’t understand. Why are you helping us with all this?
[Ghoul] Well, ain’t nothin’ in this world for free. This is a transaction. You wanna get your girlfriend, you gonna need some weapons to take down some Deathclaws. Now, you want what’s in this room, you got to give me what’s in your pocket.
[Maximus] I told you. It’s for Lucy.
[Ghoul] So, you wanna give that thing to a good person so they can save the world. I understand. But in order to save that good person… you’re gonna have to give it to a really bad person. In all my years, I’ve only ever seen one man come out on top in Vegas. We got to do it like he did.
[Maximus] And what’s that exactly?
[chain rattling]
[Ghoul] He rigged the game.
[dramatic music playing]
[Maximus] You always end up back where you started, huh?
[grunts]
[Ghoul] Now, you understand.
[voice] [muffled, echoing] He’s not one of us.
[high-pitched ringing]
[Ronnie] [muffled] He’s been lying to us this entire time.
[Clark] So, what do we do with him?
[Pete] He’s dangerous. Untrustworthy.
[Ronnie] Right, right. And if we let him go, he could come back and try and kill us.
Yeah.
Right?
Wait, I’m actually pretty sure that the Vault-Tec Handbook says that impersonating management is punishable by death.
Oh, well, if you’re pretty sure the Vault-Tec Handbook says that, I mean… [chuckles] And if, you know, if that’s protocol.
[Clark] Yeah. Yeah.
Right?
He’s awake.
[Clark] Oh, rats. What do we do?
Knock him out again.
[Norm] What’s gonna happen to my Vault? No, no…
[Clark] This can’t be good for your brain.
[Norm] No, no. No!
[♪ Vera Lynn: “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles”]
[baby cooing]
♪ I’m forever blowing bubbles ♪
♪ Pretty bubbles in the air ♪
♪ They fly so high ♪
[Chet] So, I saw we’re getting married tomorrow. I’m so excited! I’m just curious. Why?
[Stephanie] Chet! I’m working.
[ominous music playing]
[Chet sighs]
[disposal whirring and crunching]
[disposal turning off]
[sighs]
[suspenseful music playing]
[Chet] Have you seen Woody lately?
[Stephanie] Seems like so many people missed my big public announcement. Woody’s been sent on a leadership exchange program in Vault 31.
[suspenseful music continues playing]
[disposal whirring]
[intercom feedback]
[announcer] Reminder, water rationing remains in effect until further notice. Showers are outlawed. Â And so is flushing the toilet.
[feedback]
[Betty sighs]
[eerie music playing]
[clicking]
[Betty] Henry. You and your secrets.
♪
[ominous music playing]
[Betty] Congratulations.
[Stephanie gasps]
[Betty] On your engagement.
[Stephanie] Do you have people spying on me, Betty?
[Betty] Of course, I do. You’re so much like how I remember you. We were scared of you. But I sometimes forget how much I learned in the time you were still under.
[Stephanie] I learned my fair share before I went under.
[banging]
[Betty] You gave your word… to divert 50% of your water production to Vault 33. Or so help me–
[Stephanie] You’ll get your water.
[Betty] Whatever you’re up to, I want no part of it. I just want these people to live in peace.
[Stephanie] The deal was for the water, Betty. I can’t speak for the future. That’s bigger than us.
[dramatic music swelling]
[indistinct chatter]
[ominous music playing]
[heavy footsteps]
[dramatic, rhythmic music playing]
[Thaddeus] Why are they lookin’ at us like that?
[Ghoul] Never underestimate the power of brand recognition.
Long live the New California Republic!
Welcome back!
Kill the Deathclaws!
Get us back our town!
[epic music playing]
[Deathclaws roaring]
[Maximus] [distorted] So, Lucy’s on the other side of that gate?
[Ghoul] Yep. Now, once we cross over there, we’re gonna have to move fast. It’s only about 50 yards to those steps, but those things are quick.
[Maximus] Understood.
[Ghoul] Sniper, get up on that roof.
[arm thuds]
[gun clatters]
[Maximus] Oh.
[Thaddeus] Uh…
[Maximus] Whoa.
[Thaddeus] Uh, y-yeah, I-I would. I just seem to be having sort of a medical episode here. This sort of thing happens to folks like us all the time, right? Uh…
[Maximus] Hey, maybe you should hang back this time, Thaddeus.
[Thaddeus] You sure?
[Maximus] Your arm fell off.
[Thaddeus] You know, if you just give me a few minutes here, I bet I can sort it out. If I can get the finger on the trigger, then I can get this situated.
[Ghoul sighs]
[heroic music playing]
[Lucy] [softly] Okey-dokey.
[soft, dramatic music playing]
[radio static]
[♪ The Mills Brothers: “Daddy’s Little Girl”]
♪ You’re the end of the rainbow ♪
[Hank] Mm.
♪ My pot of gold ♪
[Lucy] Mashed potatoes. Just like home.
[chuckles]
[Hank] Always your favorite. Norm, not so much. [laughing] Thank you. Thank you.
Will there be anything else?
[Hank] Oh, I think we’re fine. Thank you.
[Lucy] Can I ask you a question?
Yes?
[Lucy] Do you remember me?
Yes. This morning.
[Lucy] No, from the hill where we first met. You lived there for 25 years.
[Hank] Lucy?
[clearing throat]
[Lucy] Do you remember the New California Republic?
[Hank] [sighs] We’re fine here, thank you.
Thank you.
[Hank] The New California Republic [scoffs] is just like the Legion. They all have their problems, Lucy. High taxes. Expansionist tendencies. Unpopular foreign policy. Trust me, you’ll understand when you’re older. Ah! Ah… Bless it.
[Lucy] Let me help you.
[appliance door shuts]
[Lucy sighs]
[Hank] Careful, it’s hot. [chuckles]
[Lucy] Here.
[Hank] Ah.
[Lucy] I think I do understand. One side is murdering people, enslaving them, crucifying them, and the other side is just vaguely problematic.
[click]
[Hank] Lucy, no.
[Lucy] You know, I have to admit, you always were a good father. Thanks to you, I’m not a fudging idiot.
[Hank] Lucy!
[Lucy] I’m shutting down the mainframe.
[Hank] Lucy, do not! Lucy! [groaning]
[dramatic music playing]
[Norm] Oh, Claudia.
[grunting softly]
[Claudia] We have to get out of here.
[Norm] I have to do something first.
[radio signal wavering]
[Norm] Hello? This is Norm MacLean from Vault 33. Lucy, if-if you’re out there, I’m on the surface. I need your help.
[dramatic music playing]
[tires screeching]
[Norm] Dad, if you can hear me… what’s gonna happen to our Vault? Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you tell us the truth?
[dramatic music swells]
[♪ The Chordettes: “The Wedding”]
[Davey] And do you, Overseer Stephanie Harper, take Vault Dweller Chet to be your lawfully wedded husband?
[Stephanie] I do.
[Davey] And do you, Vault Dweller Chet, take Overseer Steph to be your wife?
♪ Heart and soul ♪
♪ Forever and ever ♪
♪ Doodoodoo ♪
[Stephanie] Just say, “I do.”
[chuckles softly]
[Chet] I don’t.
[Davey] I now pronounce you…
[Chet] I don’t.
[guests murmuring]
[Stephanie] Chet… don’t do this.
[Chet] I… I don’t know, I, um… [chuckles] M-Maybe we should just keep going.
[Stephanie] Mm.
[Chet] It just seemed like the only time that I was gonna have a lot of, uh… [chuckles] …you know, witnesses around… to say… I think that Steph is part of some kind of plan to hurt us. I don’t know what exactly, but I don’t think that Woody is in Vault 31.
[Stephanie] [whispering] Chet.
[Chet] I think that Steph hurt him. I found his glasses in our garbage disposal.
[gasps and murmurs]
[Davey] That is a serious accusation. Where are these glasses?
[Chet] I… put them back. In the disposal.
[Davey] [clearing throat] Cold feet’s normal. Let’s continue with the ceremony.
[Chet] No!
[guests gasp, murmur]
[Chet] Steph was not born in Vault 31.
[Stephanie] [whispering] Chet.
[Chet] She’s 200 years old.
[guests gasping]
[Chet] And she’s not even from America. She’s Canadian!
[guest screaming]
Canadian? Why?
[panicked chatter]
[ominous music playing]
[voices muffled, indistinct]
[muffled shouting]
[Chet] Who are you, Steph?
[tense music playing]
[panting]
Steph?
[panting]
[Chet] Open up!
[guests shouting]
[Stephanie breathing heavily]
[wind whistling]
[heavy robotic footsteps]
[chittering]
[snarling]
[Maximus] [distorted] What’s the strategy?
[Ghoul] I want you to get between me and anything that looks like that.
[growling]
[Maximus panting]
[dramatic Western music playing]
[growling]
[knuckles cracking]
♪
[roaring]
[Deathclaw screeching]
[Maximus shouting]
[Maximus] C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, come
[roaring]
[Gauss rifle clicking, powering up]
[roaring]
[Gauss rifle clicking, powering up]
[growling]
[Maximus panting]
[clattering]
[Deathclaw roaring]
[roaring]
[Maximus] [grunting] Here we go.
[Maximus grunting]
[screaming]
[yelling]
[Maximus groaning]
[Deathclaw roaring]
[Maximus] Oh… no.
[spurs jingling lightly]
[soft music playing]
[Cooper] Here we go.
[Barb] The only way to save our family is to save the world. That simple.
[Cooper] That simple.
[♪ Raphael: “Balada de la Trompeta”]
[vocalist singing in Spanish]
♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah ♪
♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah ♪
♪ Ah, ah, ah ♪
♪ Ah, ah-ayy ♪
♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah ♪
♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah ♪
♪ Ah, ah, ah ♪
♪ Ah, ah-ayy ♪
[trumpet solo playing]
[Lucy sighs]
♪
[vocalist singing in Spanish]
[Cooper] Mr. President.
Thank you for doing the right thing, son.
[music continues playing]
[vocalist singing in Spanish]
♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah ♪
♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah ♪
♪ Ah, ah, ah ♪
♪ Ah, ah-ayy ♪
♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah ♪
♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah ♪
♪ Ah, ah, ah ♪
♪ Ah, ah-ayy ♪
[Lucy] Oh, dinah.
[music continues playing]
[hissing]
[vocalist continues singing in Spanish]
[console blaring, beeping]
[loud whirring]
[clacking]
[static]
[Robert House] Well, hello, old chum.
[♪ Pat Boone: “The Wang Dang Taffy-Apple Tango”]
♪ They did the Wang Dang ♪
♪ Taffy-Apple Tango ♪
♪ They did the Wang Dang
Taffy-Apple Tango ♪
♪ Mambo Cha Cha Cha ♪
♪ How’s it go? ♪
♪ I don’t know ♪
♪ Last night at Papa Joe’s
my buddy met a lovely dove ♪
♪ She was the kind you never find
but keep on dreamin’ of ♪
♪ She did a dance we never
saw before but sure did love ♪
♪ It was the Wang Dang
Taffy-Apple Tango ♪
♪ Mambo Cha Cha Cha ♪
♪ Heel and toe? ♪
♪ I don’t know ♪
♪ Ooh la la la la la la la ♪
♪ Ooh la la la la la la ♪
♪ The crowd was tappin’ and aclappin’
as the music played ♪
♪ His heart was right in time
with every little move she made ♪
♪ Though he was shy she took his hand
and said, “Don’t be afraid” ♪
♪ Let’s do the Wang Dang
Taffy-Apple Tango
♪ Mambo Cha Cha Cha ♪
♪ Fast or slow? ♪
♪ I don’t know ♪
♪ To do the Wang Dang
Taffy-Apple Tango ♪
♪ Tang Wang Mambo
Cha Cha Cha ♪
♪ Wang Dang Taffy-Apple Tango ♪
♪
