Prime Video’s epic sci-fi series just dropped one of its most packed episodes yet

JOE spoke to the show's cast and crew about several of the episode's biggest moments.

That said, now that the show has dropped one of its most packed episodes yet - the third chapter of the new season, titled 'The Profligate' - we're going to get deeper into spoiler territory.

This is as we share what several members of Fallout's cast and crew told JOE about the episode's biggest moments when we interviewed them recently.

Robert House

Fallout S2 had already introduced the show's new big villain in its splattery cold open.

This is the character of Robert House (played by Justin Theroux), an all-powerful technocrat dedicated to the pursuit of his own interests, by any means necessary.

House had appeared briefly in S1 of Fallout, where he was played by another actor (Rafi Silver). Episode one of Fallout S2 seemed to suggest, however, that this previous version of the technocrat was a decoy, allowing the real House to move around undetected.

Adding to this suggestion is the press notes for the series describing Theroux's House as "not only a powerful man, but one of many faces".

'The Profligate' marked the first time Theroux's version of House interacted with one of the series' lead characters. This is as he appeared in a flashback scene in which he and pre-nuclear war Cooper Howard (Walton Goggins) had a restroom-set, tense discussion about politics.

Speaking about how he became involved with Fallout, Theroux told JOE: "Walton gave me a call... He texted me. He said: 'Hey, I'm gonna call you, pick up the phone.' Then, I picked up the phone and he offered me the part.

"That was a joy. That was a wonderful phone call to get."

Goggins and Theroux have been friends for years, with the latter explaining: "We've run with the same circle. We have a great little bunch of actors who all kind of came up together and are near each other.

"It's one of those wonderful things where you get to now work with them and enjoy everybody's success, that they're all having. It's just a beautiful thing."

Theroux also said he loves getting to play a character in House, who is both big and moustache-twirling but also enigmatic.

"I love that about him... I don't really see him as a villain so much as just a guy with an incredible skill set," he explained.

"It's always fun to play a character that I feel like is far from myself. He has an enormous IQ. I'm not a dim bulb, but I certainly don't burn as hot as he does.

"I really liked the words that they handed me and the things that I got to say, and the scene partner that they gave me."

Goggins then said of his new co-star: "[Theroux] came into this whole experience fully formed.

"Everything that he does I'm more than a fan of. He's my friend, and I respect him so much as an artist.

"When he started talking for the very first time [as House], it was like: 'Oh, he's not playing the idea of this person. This person is real.'

"You leaned in to everything that Justin was saying as House. I did, right out of the gate. I was just looking at people going: "That's my guy!".

Fallout co-creator Geneva Robertson-Dworet also told JOE that the introduction of Robert House, who is an iconic figure in the Fallout video games, brought a host of new themes to the series.

She explained: "He's this technocrat who, I think, in his own mind [believes he] is inventing technologies that will improve the world.

"But, as we see in [the world of Fallout], is that true so-called 'progress'?

"I think the question of whether progress is in fact progress is such a central theme in Fallout."

Macaulay Culkin

'The Profligate' also marked the first appearance of Macaulay Culkin's new and much-anticipated character in Fallout.

The Home Alone star plays the Lacerta Legate, a high-ranking member of Caesar's Legion - an exceedingly violent, autocratic, marauding faction that has sprung up post-nuclear war.

The faction is inspired by Ancient Rome, though many of its traditions are anachronistic, much to the annoyance of its new captive, Lucy (Fallout lead actress Ella Purnell).

Speaking about acting opposite Culkin, Purnell joked to JOE: "I wasn't starstruck because I'm obviously really cool and I would never get starstruck."

She then added: "It was very strange seeing him, someone that I grew up watching. It felt exciting to be doing scenes opposite him.

"There are so many moments in our lives that are just absolutely surreal, and that was definitely one of them."

Purnell also said she is "really, really excited" for people to see Fallout's extended cast this season (which also includes Kumail Nanjiani) telling JOE: "We have so many incredible storylines, so many new cast members, and so many cast members who were in season one and get to explore and play and expand more.

"I'm excited for people to see Annabel [O'Hagen], who plays Steph, and Norm (Moisés Arias) has an incredible storyline.

"Chet (Dave Register), the whole Brotherhood storyline, all these new factions that we meet - there's probably double or triple the amount of storylines we had last year, and each one is as good as the last."

A White Lotus reunion

Within 'The Profligate', eagle-eyed viewers might have noticed a reunion between Goggins and one of his previous co-stars on The White Lotus.

Jon Gries, best known as the villainous Greg in the HBO comedy-drama, made a cameo in this week of Fallout, playing Biff, a ranger for the New California Republic.

The NCR is another post-war faction, one that instead values democracy and the rule of law but has fallen on hard times.

We asked Fallout co-creator Robertson-Dworet if The White Lotus reunion was intentional, to which she replied: "It wasn't. It was simply that [Gries] was the best actor for the role.

"I think you immediately empathise with him, or at least I do. He is someone who has a lot of pathos, and that was what the character required, in the situation that they're in.

"He comes from a rightly very beloved faction, in our [Fallout] world, that is experiencing a difficult moment in its history... [when] we meet his character.

"I just love that you immediately empathise with him."

Goggins, meanwhile, said of working with Gries again: "He's been a buddy of mine before any of this started. I've known him for a long time.

"He's just a a lovely person, and we were lucky to have him."

How to watch Fallout season 2

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission on any sales generated from it.

The first three episodes of Fallout season two are streaming on Prime Video right now, with the rest of its eight episodes dropping weekly on Wednesdays.