One of the central questions posed by Fallout season two, all season, has been about the fate of Hank MacLean. In fact, the show flat-out asked the question of Lucy on more than one occasion. What will she do when she finds her father, a man she has loved all her life, but has committed so many atrocities? Will Lucy kill Hank? Will she forgive him and let him go? Throughout Fallout season two, Lucy maintains that she will bring her father to justice when she finds him. But what does that even mean? Well, now we know. Let’s dive into Hank MacLean’s ultimate fate in Fallout season two, whether he’s alive or dead, and what may or may not be next for him in Fallout season three.
Hank MacLean Is Not Dead on Fallout Season 2
No, Kyle MacLachlan’s Hank MacLean is not dead on Fallout season two… Not literally. But the version of the character we have come to know is dead. Hank MacLean wiped his own memories on Fallout season two. And now he remembers nothing. It’s a fate, in ways, worse than death for Hank MacLean… and for those who care about him, regardless of his true evil.
Kyle MacLachlan’s Hank MacLean Has Wiped All His Memories
In the end, Lucy’s idea of bringing her father, Hank, to justice on Fallout season two is to implant him with the very mind-control device he was trying to implant inside of her in order to control her. Lucy tells him, “I need you to tell me what you were really doing here… And then I’m going to turn you into the father I thought you were.” Lucy implies she is going to use the mind-control device on Hank to erase just enough of his evil to become a palatable figure in her life once again.
But, of course, she never gets to do this. Hank MacLean tells her, “You think this is the real world. The surface is the experiment, not the Vaults. I’ve already sent my R&D into the wasteland; their boxes are the latest models, too. You can’t even see them. Unbeknownst to everyone, they’re following orders written for them centuries ago.” But when Lucy questions what they are ordered to do, Hank ensures that he can never answer that question. He turns the dial on the mind-control device remote, hits the button, and BAM, Hank MacLean has wiped all of his memories clean on Fallout season two.
What’s Next for Hank MacLean on Fallout Season 3 and Beyond?
Well, Hank MacLean is still alive on Fallout season two, but he doesn’t remember anything. He no longer remembers his past or bombing Shady Sands. Hank MacLean no longer remembers his daughter Lucy or what he ordered his minions to do in service of the Enclave. Hank is a man with no sense of self. So, where does that leave Hank MacLean as we head into Fallout season three? Can a man with no mind be held accountable for his past actions, or what his choices bring in the future? It’s a complicated series of questions.
We asked Kyle MacLachlan what he thought was next for Hank on Fallout season three and beyond, and he had this to say: “Just about any direction is possible at the moment. I think he could, memories, who know if they come back, float back around again. Is it temporary? We don’t know the extent of this instrument of memory loss, what’s going to happen. So it’s wide open. I’m looking forward to finding out what the writers have in mind. “
We Can’t Wait to See Kyle MacLachlan’s Hank MacLean Again Soon
Hank MacLean is a bad man. But he’s a villain we love to watch. And, so we’re thrilled that despite everything, Kyle MacLachlan’s Hank MacLean isn’t dead AND he’s almost certainly coming back for Fallout season three. We can’t wait to see what Hank gets up to next.
Fallout season two is now streaming on Prime Video.
Rotem Rusak is the Editor-in-Chief of Nerdist. Hank MacLean FREAKS her out, but he is a fabulous villain on Fallout.