Freeside: The Heart of New Vegas in Fallout Season 2

Fallout season 2 has already visited a few places that will look familiar to players of the games: the town of Novac, NCR's Camp Golf, and the Starlight Drive-In, to name a few. After getting up close and personal with a Deathclaw nest — and promptly running away from it — Lucy and the Ghoul found themselves in Freeside, a long-awaited stop for Fallout: New Vegas fans.

No location packs quite as much of a punch, or have been quite so heavily teased, as Freeside. The Ghoul name-dropped the settlement multiple times in "The Demon in the Snow," attempting to redirect Lucy there. Freeside could also be seen in promotional images for this season. All of this suggests that Freeside will have some importance to the Fallout season 2 main characters, and for good reason.

Lucy And The Ghoul Made A Pivotal Stop In Freeside During Fallout Season 2, Episode 5

"The Wrangler" is the most jam-packed season 2 episode to date, and it all went down in Freeside. After escaping the Deathclaw-riddled New Vegas, Lucy and the Ghoul recoup in the bustling Freeside. The Ghoul, no longer interested in fueling Lucy's drug habit, sends her to Sonny's Sundries for some Addictol. There, Lucy proves to be a thief in addition to a drug addict who's gotten a taste for violence.

Meanwhile, the Ghoul gets drunk at the Atomic Wrangler, this episode's namesake. When Lucy joins him, season 1's Snake Oil Salesman makes an appearance with a message from Hank, courtesy of his newly perfected mind control device. The Ghoul delivers a major betrayal when he accepts his offer to return Lucy home in exchange for his family's safety.

He shoots Lucy with a sedative, but it's not enough to stop her from grabbing her stolen Power Fist and punching him straight out the window, where he's impaled on a pole. Lucy fades in and out of consciousness, eventually opening her eyes to see Hank.

Why Freeside Is Fallout: New Vegas' Best Location

Freeside is players' last stop on the long road to New Vegas, but it quickly proves to be an area worth sticking around in. The settlement is painted as gritty and lawless, and to an extent it is — drug addiction is rampant, fights break out in the street, mercenaries line up at the city's entrance to offer their services as hired protection, and the town is run by a gang.

But that gang is the Kings, a group of unwitting Elvis impersonators who actively work in Freeside's best interest. The more the player supports Freeside by doing things like uplifting local businesses and helping addicts get back on their feet, the more the Kings will randomly approach the player with gifts, encouraging them to keep up the good work.

Beyond the Kings, Freeside's other main attraction is the Atomic Wrangler, a bar, hotel, and casino that struggles to get by without the flashy appeal of the Strip. Run by the Garret twins, the Wrangler enables every possible addiction: sex, substances, gambling, etc. Yet it somehow feels like a positive presence in the Wasteland, a place just trying to let troubled souls blow off some steam.

Overall, playing Fallout: New Vegas can involve a lot of wandering, fighting, and political strategizing. But Freeside embodies the soul of the game, allowing the player to build relationships, see how real people are living, and make choices that have immediate interpersonal consequences.

Freeside Is Poised To Be A Critical Location For Fallout Season 2

So far, Freeside is the location Lucy and the Ghoul have spent the most time in, and it's being established as more than a mere pit stop. It's the most developed and populated settlement seen so far in season 2, and especially after Fallout subverted audience expectations of New Vegas, Freeside is the next best thing in terms of a major hub.

Given the major development that just occurred between Lucy and the Ghoul, Freeside also marks the location of a critical turning point in the story. After the events of "The Wrangler," the Ghoul's betrayal ends the buddy road trip chapter of season 2, making Freeside the journey's unexpected final destination.

Most notably, as of the end of "The Wrangler," both Lucy and the Ghoul are still there — and the Ghoul isn't going anywhere any time soon. Hank's plan for the quasi-sedated Lucy remains to be seen, but the Ghoul will need Freeside's support as he recovers from being skewered.

The show has made a point to establish the Ghoul's regenerative abilities and his familiarity with Freeside, both of which were made supremely relevant in "The Wrangler." This, paired with its general livelihood compared to anywhere else we've seen in the Wasteland, points to Freeside continuing to be a fixture in Fallout season 2.