Fallout season 1 finale has a major New Vegas character cameo that you may have missed

Fallout
(Image credit: Prime Video)

The Fallout ending may have left you blinded by its blast of twists, turns, and a major location reveal – but it was also hiding a cameo from a major character in the games.

Fallout episode 8 spends plenty of time in Vault-Tec’s shadowy conference room, where Barb (Frances Turner) chairs a gathering of several corporation heads and CEOs. While the reveal that Vault-Tec at least considered starting nuclear armageddon was the big takeaway from the meeting’s minutes, there’s actually a familiar face lurking among the suits.

Notice the moustachioed head of RobCo? As fans have already pointed out, that’s Robert House – better known as Mr. House – the ruler of New Vegas in Fallout: New Vegas. 

Given the Fallout timeline (the TV series is set 15 years after the events of New Vegas), it’s unlikely we’ll see Mr. House again. On top of that, the ruins of New Vegas are depicted in the final shot of the season, perhaps hinting that the Prime Video show has adapted the ‘Yes Man’ ending choice of the Obsidian title, which saw the player-character Courier dismantle all existing power structures in New Vegas in favor of a truly independent state. 

Still, there’s always a possibility of Mr. House rocking up again. After all, Walton Goggins’ Ghoul is now in search of the person "behind the wheel" of everything; it’s also a figure that Hank (Kyle MacLachlan) is seeking out. Might it be Mr. House, the Yes Man AI, or something else entirely? Either way, it’s a fun nod to the games’ past and – much like in the spirit of the Fallout show as a whole – all without getting in the way of the story it’s trying to tell. Thumbs up.

For more on Fallout, check out the spoiler explainers, guides, and cast interviews below: 

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.