Why Did 'Fallout' Season 2 Kill Off One of Its Most Interesting Characters?

Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Fallout Season 2.

Video game adaptations are at the peak of their popularity right now, thanks to The Last of Us, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Five Nights at Freddy’s, but Fallout is unlike anything else in the subgenre. Although the series is a broadly original story that exists as a continuation of the games' universe, Fallout Season 2 has included more direct ties to the source material. One of the more fun revelations in Fallout’s second season is Kumail Nanjiani's appearance as Paladin Xander Harkness, a liaison for the Commonwealth's chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel who briefly teams up with Maximus (Aaron Moten). While the character had previously been introduced simply as “Paladin” in the mobile game Fallout Shelter, Nanjiani offers a broader backstory that turned Harkness into a more interesting adversary.

Harkness’s death introduces an important piece of character development to the second season; while Maximus had been warned not to kill the Paladin by his superior, Elder Quintus (Michael Cristofer), he eventually does so after Harkness threatens to kill some Ghoul children. It’s a shocking, memorable scene that suggests that Maximus has not totally converted himself mentally and emotionally to the Brotherhood, but Harkness was too interesting a character to be wasted so quickly. When considering how he could serve as a representation of a different faction of the Brotherhood, Harkness’s death feels like it wasted an opportunity to expand the lore of Fallout in a natural way.

Paladin Xander Harkness Has an Interesting Relationship With Maximus in 'Fallout' Season 2

Although he was not present in the Season 2's first episode, Maximus has a fascinating dilemma ahead of him because he is learning the consequences of being hailed as a hero within the Brotherhood. Maximus may have been waiting throughout the entire first season to be treated with respect by the order in which he serves, but his ascension to the rank of Knight only came after he was separated from Lucy (Ella Purnell) and forced to recognize the brutality of what the Brotherhood was actually doing. Unlike Quintus, who is generally pretty disparaging to everyone he outranks, Harkness is introduced as a suave, Errol Flynn-esque war hero who seems to invoke awe and respect. Seeing Maximus fall under the influence of a charismatic mentor who offers him an opportunity to complete his goals could have made his struggle to rise through the ranks of the Brotherhood more complex; it also might have served as an interesting parallel journey to Lucy’s adventures with the Ghoul (Walton Goggins), as they have also been having debates about ethics.

Fallout has succeeded in fleshing out its world in a way that is palatable to non-gamers who aren’t as familiar with Easter eggs and references, but the dynamic between different chapters of the Brotherhood has thus far been unexplored. While the presence of the Commonwealth has been discussed by characters like Quintus, the show has yet to expand on where this region is and its relationship to other factions of the Brotherhood. As much as Maximus’ choice to defy Harkness is an empowering moment that emphasizes he has not been subjected to the Brotherhood’s propaganda, it may have been more impactful if he had more time to actually develop a relationship with the Paladin.

‘Fallout’ Needs To Do More With Its Celebrity Guest Stars

Fallout has amassed an impressive array of guest stars and cameo appearances, but there’s a point at which seeing a famous face begins to feel like a gimmick. While it’s nice when an actor like Matt Berry can add his vocal talents to a CGI character, it's a bit underwhelming when more recognizable actors like Macaulay Culkin only briefly pop up before disappearing from the show entirely. Having someone famous used to represent an important development in the game’s universe might be an effective tool of exposition, but it's become a somewhat lazy narrative device that’s all too predictable.

Maximus’ turn against Harkness, as emotionally true as it was, didn’t feel all that surprising when considering that it seemed unlikely that Nanjiani would have a substantial role in the season. There isn’t quite enough time to explore why Harkness is so hateful towards the Ghoul children, which is an aspect of the Brotherhood that Maximus has yet to learn much about. Even if Nanjiani is a more inherently comedic actor who brings some liveliness to the season, Harkness's ruthless determination to take out the Ghouls is legitimately terrifying and forces Maximus to consider the ethics of his allegiance for the first time since the end of the previous season. It’s a particularly interesting idea to consider after Maximus has already been wrestling with his internal darkness following his deadly brawl with another member of the Brotherhood.

Although Harkness could have been better served by the writers, Nanjiani is an actor who might have added something unique to Fallout had he been given a more substantial role. Nanjiani is not only a passionate gamer who clearly knows the material quite well, but someone who has been expanding his range and improving as an actor. Nanjiani’s personality, sensitivity, and willingness to play idiosyncratic characters make him an interesting choice for a genre project, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe really squandered his potential in Eternals, even though his performance was the best-reviewed aspect of the reviled superhero box office bomb. There’s always the potential that Nanjiani’s appearance on Fallout might be the first of many high-profile roles in genre shows that could steadily give him more dramatic work in which he gets to show how versatile an actor he can be. However, he seemed like such a perfect fit for Fallout that it’s a shame that he was only given room to steal scenes in a single episode.