‘Fallout’ Season 2 Needs To Explore Maximus’ Darker Side

Maximus, played by Aaron Clifton Moten, is one of Fallout‘s central protagonists, an affable and idealistic supplicant of the mysterious Brotherhood of Steel whose endearing insecurity belies his darker inner world. Maximus’ idealism is rooted in his childhood trauma. As a refugee from the Shady Sands nuclear holocaust, he was rescued by a giant power-suit-wearing Knight, a soldier of the Brotherhood of Steel. His insecurities are fostered by the toxic masculinity of the paramilitary order to which he belongs, frequently finding himself under the boot-heels of his fellow recruits of the Brotherhood of Steel, all competing to climb the ranks to become Knights one day, hopefully. This has planted a dark seed of hatred within the young man and is something the show should explore in Fallout‘s second season.

Fallout

In a future, post-apocalyptic Los Angeles brought about by nuclear decimation, citizens must live in underground bunkers to protect themselves from radiation, mutants and bandits.

Release Date

April 11, 2024

Main Genre

Sci-Fi

Seasons

1

Creator(s)

Graham Wagner , Geneva Robertson-Dworet

Producer

Lisa Joy, Jonathan Nolan

Streaming Service(s)

Prime Video

Maximus Harbors Admiration and Resentment for the Brotherhood in ‘Fallout’

Maximus doesn’t seem like much when he first appears on-screen as a timid and insecure recruit for the Brotherhood of Steel. He isn’t much liked by his peers, often at the receiving end of a paramilitary beatdown at the hands of his fellow recruits. They don’t respect him, and Maximus is too timid to do anything about it. He seethes in frustration as he empties latrines. Despite his devotion and reverential belief in the Brotherhood of Steel as the rightful authority of the Wasteland, he doesn’t seem to be finding the family he so desperately desires.

Maximus is, above all else, incredibly lonely, wanting desperately to belong and to be accepted. Maximus wears rose-colored glasses when it comes to the Brotherhood of Steel. He sees them as a family and believes that the Brotherhood of Steel’s authoritative body will reward his undue suffering and devotion. But the Brotherhood brass seems to be overlooking him, which has bred a deep resentment within Maximus. He confesses to his priest that although he did not put the razor in his comrades’ boots, he wanted it to happen, exposing his darker desire to ascend the rank at the expense of his peers. Maximus is not the nice guy he appears to be. Oddly enough, this confession earns him the role of Squire to Knight Titus (Michael Rapaport).

Maximus Is Already on the Path to Darkness in ‘Fallout’

The trauma of Maximus’ childhood, coupled with the abuse he suffers while going through the meat grinder that is the cult-like paramilitary order of the Brotherhood of Steel, has sewn the seeds of evil inside the tender heart of Maximus. On the surface, he’s a bit of a soft touch, but beneath his nice guy exterior beats the heart of an opportunistic killer. His darker nature rears its ugly head when he allows his Knight Titus to die after their battle with a mutant bear so that he can take his place in what becomes an epic game of Fake It ‘Till You Make It.

This is the first time Maximus’s romantic view of the order begins to fall away as the wounded Titus berates and threatens Maximus. Maximus has endured this kind of abuse all his life, and he has only tried to do his best. All his rage and frustration bubble up at that moment as the dying man callously disregards Maximus’ growing anger. After swearing an oath to protect his Knight and their mission with his life, choosing to break his oath isn’t something Maximus takes lightly. Leaving Titus to die, Maximus seizes the opportunity to become the Knight he has always wanted to be and believes that if he completes the mission, the Brotherhood will forgive him.

Titus shatters his idealism of the Brotherhood, who are just as violent and murderous as anyone else in the Wasteland in the mad scramble for power. By the end of the season, Maximus is set to walk a darker path. Taking credit for the death of Moldaver (Sarita Choudhury), Maximus can move up the ranks of the Brotherhood while simultaneously undermining the better angels of his nature. The potential for Maximus to become a morally gray character is a far more enticing plot than the one he received this season.

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Season 2 of ‘Fallout’ Needs To Expand on Maximus

Consider the relationship between Maximus and Lucy (Ella Purnell) and the blossoming love story evolving between the two characters. They are similar in some respects; both idealists have been disillusioned through their experiences in the wasteland. Though, as much as we might want Maximus and Lucy to get together, their paths diverge by the end of the season. Lucy joins The Ghoul (Walton Goggins) in the pursuit of her father (Kyle McLaughan) and Maximus rises to the level of Knight after Moldaver’s death. Interestingly, in the series, Maximus seems to find success within the Brotherhood when he breaks the rules, suggesting that the chivalric organization rewards cruelty, deception, and lies.

Should the Brotherhood continue to corrupt him as he rises through the ranks, this could eventually bring him into conflict with Lucy. Exploring the darker nature of both of these characters will raise the stakes for their idyllic relationship, providing more avenues for conflict, effectively undermining the audience’s expectations about whether they’ll end up living in a vault together. The complexity of Maximus’ character is something rife for exploration; audiences will have to wait with bated breath to see what happens next.

Fallout is streaming on Prime Video in the U.S.

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