8 Things We Liked, and 2 We Didn't, About Fallout

We Liked: The Ghoul’s Fine Line Between Terrifying and Sympathetic

Of all three main characters however, it’s Walton Goggins’ Ghoul—née Cooper Howard, as we learn delving more and more into his pre-war, completely-nosed life—that becomes the most fascinating. The Ghoul is unequivocally a central perspective figure of the series, but stands in strong contrast to Lucy and Maximus’ mostly good intentions—and for the most part of the season, stands against them as almost the closest thing the series has to a primary antagonist.

This means that not only is he a fascinating character to see have the perspective he does on Fallout’s world, as we learn more and more about his own place in it and the world before it, but it also means the Ghoul gets to just be frequently terrifying as a person. He’s so completely driven by his own bitter survival and vengeance, but also utterly ruthless in that drive, that he’ll stop at nothing or make no moral quandary about getting what he wants—often violently. Goggins gives Cooper/the Ghoul a ton of heart, but even as we learn more about him and sympathize with the person he’s become, metaphorically and literally, he remains this incredible threatening force in the show.

Once again, a special shout out to his entrance into the Brotherhood/New California Republic battle in the climax by basically getting his own version of the Rogue One Darth Vader hallway. It rules.