At the end of Fallout season 2, we got a hint at what was coming next. The Ghoul (Walton Goggins) learned that his family had been moved from New Vegas to Colorado after finding a postcard emblazoned with the Rocky Mountains in his wife’s New Vegas cryopod, so he sets off to find them. But while conventional wisdom tells us Fallout season 3 will likely be set in the Centennial State (home to the games’ infamous Vault 0), it sounds like that may not be the case after all.
Speaking to Polygon in an interview, co-showrunner Geneva Robertson-Dworet noted, “The postcard is aiming him toward Colorado, but where we’re actually going next season we’re not committing to quite yet.”
There’s certainly no rush to get The Ghoul or anyone else to Colorado this quickly. After all, it wasn’t until halfway through season 2 that we actually got to see New Vegas. But if Colorado isn’t the next stop, where to?
Looking at a map, one interesting destination stands out. It’s hard to get from Las Vegas to Colorado without passing through the state of Utah, which has some interesting Fallout lore. In the Fallout: New Vegas expansion Honest Hearts, the player character travels to the state’s Zion Canyon, one of the few locations spared from nuclear bombing. It’s a rare radiation-free space in the post-war United States.
We also know, thanks to New Vegas, that Caesar’s Legion has some power in Utah, though how much depends on who you ask. That said, much like the Mojave Wasteland, Utah is loaded with various tribes, gangs, and raiders all fighting for survival. In short, it sounds just as gnarly as what’s come before, if not more so.
One potential existing story the show could follow up on is the destruction of New Canaan. In Fallout canon, New Canaan was the settlement built by the Mormon survivors of the bombings. While New Canaan prospered, it didn’t last forever, giving us one of the franchise’s most interesting characters in the process.
Joshua Gresham was a missionary in New Canaan, sent to assist two members of the humanitarian group, Followers of the Apocalypse, in meeting with various tribes in the hills. One of the Followers, a man named Edward Sallow, took it upon himself to retrain a tribe to fight, transforming them into an army under his control. This was the beginning of the Legion, with Sallow becoming the first Caesar. Facing death as an alternative, Joshua agreed to become his second-in-command under the new name Malpais Legate.
Together, the two grew the Legion into a powerful force until its defeat at the First Battle of Hoover Dam, which saw the New California Republic’s army victorious against the invading horde. Upon defeat, Caesar shifted the blame to Joshua, tarring and immolating him before having him thrown into the Grand Canyon. Somehow, Joshua survives and returns to New Canaan covered in bandages, now known as the Burned Man. But eventually, more of Caesar’s lackeys come for him, burning New Canaan to the ground.
There are multiple endings to the Honest Hearts expansion pack, most of which conclude with Joshua surviving. So it’s entirely possible we will see the Burning Man in season 3 if Fallout finds its way to Utah. And if we’re being honest, that’s more interesting than going straight to Colorado. We already know the Enclave is shaping up to be the series’ big bad, but why not do a bit of sidequesting to check out the charred remains of New Canaan first?
Fallout seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Prime Video.
