“We Are Not Saying the Bombs Drop on a Different Date” Fallout EP, Showrunner Talk Mr. House's Predictions in Episode 5

If it's something the fans know about Fall-outit's that war never changes. If there are two things fans know about Fall-outit's that the Great War took place on October 23, 2077. It's an unchanging piece of lore, cemented by how close the timeline Fallout 76 is to the great war. Fall-out Season 2 has been about the events leading up to the Great War, perhaps even more so than Season 1, but what may surprise fans is how Episode 5 plays with that specific date.

It actually seems that way Fall-out Season 2, Episode 5 may be flying a little too close to the sun by suggesting that the Great War could take place anytime before October 23rd. Of course, it's worth noting that this is the first time fans have gotten such an in-depth look at events that take place before the Great War, so when Mr. House proposes a date earlier than October 23, it is not possible. Fortunately, everyone working on the show is well aware of canon and works closely to uphold it, even if certain events, like Shady Sands, cast things in a new light. I recently sat down with Fall-out executive producer Jonathan Nolan and showrunner Geneva Robertson-Dworet to discuss episode 5 of the series, specifically around the said date.

Mr. House comes face to face with Cooper Howard

Fall-out continues to reveal what happened before the Great War, with a scene set in the past showing Cooper Howard coming face to face with Mr. House. He is there on other business, but he is invited to speak with Mr. House. The confrontation raises the specter of the end of the world and a surprising prediction from Mr. House. He says the world will end on April 14, 2065, at 05:17. Not only is this a full 12 years before the canon date of the Great War, but his prediction also changes. Because Cooper Howard came to the Las Vegas Strip, the date jumped forward by a full month: March 14, 2065.

If that were the case, it would be hugely problematic for the timeline of events. There is not only the timeline for Fall-out games to consider, but actually fans see the great war taking place in the show. Cooper Howard is with his daughter at a birthday party, near Los Angeles, when the bombs fall in Season 1. Intrigued, of course, I had to ask Nolan and Robertson-Dworet about this specific moment of the show, with the pair stressing that this doesn't break canon as it's a shifty prediction. As Nolan said,

“One of the fun things about meeting Robert House, in what you call the here and now or the past, depending on how you look at it, is the larger mystery of the bombs, what led to the events of the end of the world, who exactly was to blame and how that kind of intrigue played out.”

In fact, the excellent scene from episode 5 mentions all of this. Robert House himself does not understand who or what is pulling the strings, be it Vault-Tec, the countries, or one Fall-out faction as The Enclave, but it is heavily teased throughout the games and in the show. The phone call that Hank MacLean makes Fall-out Season 2, Episode 1 can be linked to this mysterious world-ending party, for one. Regardless, Nolan and the show are playing with the events of what happened to cause the Great War — and, not least, when. Nolan continued,

“I think Geneva and Graham [Wagner] have found some great, thoughtful, and artful ways to handle the multiple endings of all the different games, even though we're many years in the future, we're paying close attention to the canon. But I think the other thing that's such a privilege about this show is the ability to cut whole cloth and do some original storytelling within it.”

Fallout Season 2 Plays with the date of The Great War, but will not change it

All are important considerations in a game adaptation. In fact, one of the reasons Fall-out Season 2 has continued to receive rave reviews for being an original story set in a beloved world. Recreate any of Fall-out gaming is possible, but it probably wouldn't make for good television because of how different the mediums are. Instead, original storytelling inside Fall-outs cannon goes a long way. And Robertson-Dworet wanted to be clear about any lingering concerns about the date of the Great War:

As of Episode 5, it's uncertain how much more fans will see about this fusion, but dealing with the events leading up to the Great War is a great way to keep players hooked from episode to episode. Hopefully the payoff deserves The Great Wars title.