Diksha Sundriyal
In the brutal world of Prime Video’s ‘Fallout,’ no one can be trusted. It is set in the post-apocalyptic world, where humanity is trying to get back on its feet two hundred years after the nuclear fallout. One of the protagonists of the story is a young man named Maximus, training under the Brotherhood of Steel and dreaming of becoming a knight someday. He trains day and night for this but somehow seems to come up short. He is jealous of his colleagues who are selected to be squires for the knights, and an instance of his jealousy makes everyone around him question his actions.
When his close friend, Dane, is selected to become a squire for Knight Titus, Maximus’ jealousy is visible. The next day, a blade is found in Dane’s boot, which renders them unable to become a squire anymore. In their stead, Maximus is sent into the Wilds. This raises a pertinent question about Maximus and what kind of person he really is. SPOILERS AHEAD
Who Put the Blade in Dane’s Boot?
The world of ‘Fallout’ is not easy to live in, and it seems like even after all these years, the core of humanity and its violence remains the same. People are ready to do all sorts of things to get what they want, and Maximus is one of them. But because he is not a clear-cut bad guy, one can’t help but wonder if he really has it in him to hurt a dear friend and take their place. Would he really hurt Dane, the only person who seems to be his friend where most other people resort to bullying him? Turns out, he wouldn’t.
Considering how angry Maximus gets when Dane is chosen, it is easy to suspect him of hurting Dane, wishing to take their place. Because he is the only person who benefits from Dane being pulled out from their duties as a squire, it is natural that questions should arise about his intentions. But even as everyone suspects Maximus, Dane supports him, claiming that Maximus would never hurt them, that it is entirely inconceivable. The audience remains in the same mindset until something happens that changes our opinion about Maximus.
While tracking the target with Knight Titus, an inexperienced Maximus shows a lack of action in the face of an attack. Titus is grievously injured, but he could be saved if his squire, Maximus, gave him a stimpack in time. As Maximus looks for the stimpack in the bag, Titus spews vindicative words and makes it clear that once they go back, he will report Maximus for his incompetence, and it would be the end of his squire.
Having come so far and been so close to getting what he wants, Maximus is suddenly scared, and this leads him to do the only thing he can at the moment. He lets Titus die and takes his place, which gives him more time to come up with a solution to the predicament he has now put himself in. This act raises more suspicion about him and almost convinces the audience about his treachery. If he can let the knight die, he can harm his friend, too. But much like everything else in the world of ‘Fallout,’ things are not so simple.
After going through quite an unexpected series of events, when Maximus finally returns to the Brotherhood of Steel, he discovers what really happened to Dane. When his friend was selected to be Knight Titus’ squire, it meant that they would have to leave the comfort and safety of the Brotherhood’s headquarters and venture into the dangerous and uncertain Wilds. As well-trained as they were, Dane wasn’t mentally prepared to take on that role, which was thrust upon them. So, they did the only thing they could to get themselves out of this bind. They put a blade in their own boot and made it seem like someone else had purposely hurt them.
While this act did keep Dane from going to the Wilds, they didn’t anticipate the impact it would have on Maximus. When everyone started pointing a finger at their friend, Dane tried to convince them that it wasn’t so. But by then, the ship had sailed, and Maximus was sent to the Wilds instead. Eventually, the truth came out, and Dane was forced back into the thing they wanted to escape. They had to take arms and go to the Wilds to fight their enemies. There was nothing they could do to save themselves this time.
Read More: Fallout: What Happened to Cooper Howard aka The Ghoul’s Wife and Daughter?
