Ave, true to Caesar! The long-anticipated trek toward New Vegas is finally materializing in Fallout Season 2. While the inaugural season concluded with a tantalizing glimpse of the Mojave’s crown jewel, the show’s architects are taking a measured approach to the destination. Though the fourth episode didn’t quite deliver us to the neon-soaked gates of the wasteland’s vice capital, it did reintroduce one of Fallout: New Vegas‘ most polarizing factions: Caesar’s Legion.
[Editor’s Note: This article contains significant plot spoilers for Fallout season 2, episode 3.]
The season premiere offered a nostalgic thrill by placing the Great Khans in the familiar surroundings of Novac. While the Khans were never more than a mid-tier power in the 2010 game, their inclusion signaled a deep reverence for the source material. This momentum built through episode 2, which teased the arrival of the most formidable force in the Mojave, culminating in a full-scale introduction in episode 3.
For those new to the lore, the Legion is an inescapable presence in the Mojave. They are essentially an army of post-nuclear LARPers modeling themselves after the Roman Empire, obsessed with total subjugation of the region. They are famous for their brutality and their distinctive aesthetic: repurposed athletic gear used as combat armor and ornate, intimidating helmets that contrast sharply with the scavenged rags of other desert dwellers. In the game, they represented a terrifying, disciplined threat that could fundamentally reshape the wasteland.
Bringing the Legion onto the screen should have been a monumental milestone, especially since they received their own title card this season. They weren’t just background noise in the original game; they were a central pillar of the narrative, capable of seizing control and imposing a totalitarian, slave-driven order across the Mojave in multiple ending scenarios.
Initially, the show’s Legion appears just as bloodthirsty as their digital counterparts. We witness a Legate—Caesar’s second-in-command—decapitate a captive right in front of Lucy. It’s a grisly introduction, but the tension evaporates the moment the Legate removes his mask to reveal the face of Macaulay Culkin. While Culkin is a fantastic addition to the cast, his presence introduces a meta-textual levity that undermines the gravitas of the scene. For a faction that needs to feel like an existential threat, casting the Home Alone star feels more like a wink to the audience than a commitment to the Legion’s menace.
The bigger issue is that this version of the Legion is a mere shadow of its former self. Following the demise of the original Caesar, the group has splintered into warring sub-factions. It’s a somewhat ignominious fate for one of the franchise’s most iconic powers, reducing a grand empire to a bickering collection of fragments.
In contrast, we encounter two resilient members of the New California Republic (NCR). Despite being isolated from their main force by Legion scouts, these veterans refuse to abandon their duty. While The Ghoul eventually sells them out to orchestrate Lucy’s escape, the betrayal serves as a tactical masterstroke that highlights the Legion’s incompetence rather than their strength. By baiting the Legion into an internal skirmish, The Ghoul triggers a full-scale civil war within the encampment, leaving the once-mighty warriors to slaughter one another in a chaotic crossfire.
If this represents the definitive end for Caesar’s Legion in the series, it feels like a squandered opportunity. To see them eradicated so quickly, portrayed as gullible and disorganized, is a tough pill to swallow for fans who remember them as the ultimate wasteland bogeymen.
Ultimately, Fallout Season 2 is a continuation of the character-driven saga established in the first season, with New Vegas serving more as a thematic backdrop than a central plot point. The realization is beginning to sink in: the epic struggles of the 2010 game are historical footnotes now. We are witnessing the messy, unglamorous aftermath of those legendary events.
While it’s disappointing to see a faction like the Legion go out with a whimper, I remain cautiously optimistic. The show has successfully integrated elements like Victor the Securitron and the Great Khans, even if their roles are different from what we expected. However, as someone who deeply loves the intricate politics of New Vegas, seeing these power players reduced to bit parts is unsettling. When the show finally steps inside the city limits, I honestly don’t know what to expect—and after seeing the Legion’s fate, that uncertainty feels more like dread than excitement.
Source: Polygon
