The Other Player
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| "The Other Player" | |
|---|---|
| Fallout episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 6 |
| Directed by | Lisa Joy |
| Written by | Dave Hill |
| Cinematography by | David Franco |
| Editing by | Yoni Reiss |
| Original air date | January 21, 2026 |
| Running time | 51 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"The Other Player" is the sixth episode of the second season of the American post-apocalyptic drama television series Fallout. It is the fourteenth overall episode of the series and was written by co-executive producer Dave Hill, and directed by executive producer Lisa Joy. It was released on Amazon Prime Video on January 21, 2026.
The series depicts the aftermath of an apocalyptic nuclear exchange in an alternate history of Earth where advances in nuclear technology after World War II led to the emergence of a retrofuturistic society and a subsequent resource war. The survivors took refuge in fallout shelters known as Vaults, built to preserve humanity in the event of nuclear annihilation. In the episode, Lucy discovers her father's intentions, while the Ghoul is approached by a potential ally.
The episode received positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances and character development, although some criticized the Vault 33 subplot.
In 2077, Barb talks with Robert House's double, planning to exchange the cold fusion reactor for a mind-control device. At her bedroom, she is confronted by Cooper Howard, who has discovered she is involved in Vault-Tec's plans. Barb reveals she is shielding their family from the inevitable nuclear war by playing the part, only sharing the idea of dropping the bombs first after it was suggested by Dr. Wilzig. Despite losing her husband's trust, Barb extracts the cold fusion device from Hank after Cooper drugs him.
In 2296, Lucy wakes up at the secret Vault-Tec facility. She makes her way through the facility, where she learns Hank has been kidnapping wastelanders and brainwashing them to build more control chips. Reaching a "Simulation" room modeled after her apartment at Vault 33, she reunites with Hank. He tries to downplay his actions, reaffirming that they serve the greater good. Lucy remains disgusted and apprehends him instead, intending to take him back to Vault 33 and face justice for destroying Shady Sands.
Woody goes missing in Vault 32 while Chet learns he will officially marry Steph. In Vault 33, a defiant Reg stands up to Betty before she closes his club, earning him the citizens' approval. In the desert, Maximus and Thaddeus are forced to leave the power armor behind, knowing the Brotherhood can track it. During the night, they are woken up by Dogmeat; noticing she is carrying the Ghoul's hat, they follow her as she runs off.
Following his defenestration and subsequent impalement, the Ghoul is seemingly deserted by Dogmeat. He experiences the onset of feralness while he struggles but fails to free himself. At night, a Super Mutant saves him and takes him to his hide-out, where he treats the Ghoul's injury. He attempts to recruit him for an upcoming war with the Enclave, the true instigator of the nuclear war. When the Ghoul declines, the Super Mutant knocks him out and dumps him at a different location, where Maximus and Thaddeus discover him the following morning, having been led there by Dogmeat.
Production
Development
The episode was written by co-executive producer Dave Hill, and directed by executive producer Lisa Joy. It was Hill's first writing credit and Joy's first directing credit.[1]
Casting
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Ron Perlman, who narrated the game series, guest stars in the episode as the super mutant who saves the Ghoul's life.[2] When the series was greenlit, Perlman was waiting to be contacted to be involved in some form. The writers were trying to figure out a character with Perlman in mind, before coming up with a character "who feels kind of like you’re finally meeting Colonel Kurtz." Perlman said, "In this post-apocalyptic world, I'm one of the remnants of the dust heap upon which civilization is trying to rebuild itself."[3]
