Roger was suffering and turning into the monster. His friend gave him a happy memory to think about before sparing his friend more pain and suffering...a kind mercy
@saintpsu Roger's gone. Now that's just a pile of meat decomposing on the sand. It's messed up, but you don't know when your next meal will be in the Wasteland.
He tries to frame it as a purely logical thing to do, to take out someone dangerous and get food at the same time, but making Roger think of something happy before he dies shows the mercy in the kill, and that Cooper is still in there underneath this Ghoul persona he's wearing/become.
another subtle detail is that right as the Ghoul/Cooper starts talking about food he turns mostly away from Roger so that he couldn't see him going for his gun and when Roger turned to look at Lucy he took the shot insuring he literally never saw it coming and died thinking happy thoughts
@@amythistxue1shit if I were going through this I’d probably want the same lol, this is probably my favorite scene, brutal but still some emotion behind it.
It's not "The Ghoul," it's not even _a ghoul._ It's Walter Goggins in a Porsche's worth of time in a make-up chair. That's it. Stock standard "cowboy," that Goggins always plays, without regard for how even the most pleasant sounding ghoul still sounds like a fancy ashtray looks.
His most compassionate kill of the season. Made sure Roger was having a happy memory as he died, and knew there was no hope at that stage; he was dead already.
Can we take a moment to appreciate how well-mannered Roger is? He's hanging on by a thread, struggling to remember his own name, and despite how desperate his situation he greets Cooper like an old friend. They even make some small talk before he asks if Cooper had some of the medicine that could save his life. The audience knows Cooper is telling the truth when he says he's out but Roger doesn't. And yet he doesn't get angry or accuse him of lying, he just says "that's okay" and expresses concern for Cooper and Lucy's safety. And then he goes right on back to chatting. It's an interesting juxtaposition that in a world full of raiders, cannibals and chicken...lovers it's the ghouls, the supposed monsters that act the most civilized.
It appeared more like Cooper saw the vials with fluid still in them indicating that Roger was gone because it wasn't working anymore and Roger knew it too
It is because they ARE civilized : Most Ghouls were turned by the initial atomic fallout, they're people of the time before the bombs, when life was simpler and happier and one didn't need a gun to make the talk in his stead. They're basically the last remnant of a time before humanity went insane
Hahaha, well, some dude think himself a man of equality and kindness struck a deal to let those “civilized” ghouls move into the Tenpenny tower, only have its former residents massacred by those ghouls.
Great character development from Lucy told through her understanding of ghouls. Having only learned that ghouls exist a few days ago, she went being shocked that The Ghoul would shoot his friend in the head, to learning the true extent of what it means to go feral in the organ harvesting building, to giving The Ghoul the vials to save him from turning, all the way to mercy-killing her own mother at the end.
It took her a while to learn though. I mean she can hear somebody trying to keep it together when they enter this building. Then she sees Roger going from being normal to these ticks of feralness.
@@recoil53 I think she learns it at a pretty natural rate. She does get caught off-guard in her next encounter with ferals. But even though this guy is turning feral, it's not a situation that would really indicate to her that he's going to become actively dangerous, and Coop obviously doesn't explain it to her. Seeing this with fresh eyes, her thoughts would more closely be on dementia + seizures than on zombie fiction
He died when his kind was in the past thinking of his mom with a smile on his face he didnt even know what hit him the ghoul gave him the most merciful death
@@MrDibaraYeah, it’s called a typo. Clearly you knew what he meant since you were able to brilliantly figure out what the word was, which means you also knew it was a typo. So why did you feel the need to correct him if you already knew it was a typo?
Something I noticed is that both Roger here, and later on the ghoul "martha" can be heard reminding themselves what their names are. Due to how important names are to us humans, I assume that's the last bit of their conciousness holding on to what individuality they have left before fully becoming animals.
He didn't kill his friend. He gave him a good happy memory in his final moments. His friend was already dead. What he did is he gave him peace. This was mercy.
Subtle but important detail: The “medicine” is mainly for viewers sake. *Thematically* Cooper is kept his sanity because of his good (albeit buried) conscience. This ghoul was alone & finally had to give in. Cooper has kept himself safe because he hopes he can still save his family. And what happens when Cooper almost gives up? It’s right after he sold Lucy. He was healed not by the medicine she gave him per se, it’s because she reminded him you can still be decent in a cruel world.
I thought it was funny. The laugh he gives the ghoul as soon as someone who knows them stops by. Of course there's no hatred for a non smoothie. Easier to talk too. The laugh he gives is symbolic of how easy it is rather than to dwell on who /what you were vs embracing what you have become. Shedding humanity for feral living. "It's a joke, it's all a joke."- The Comedian
@@RedRumOnE I can see the impulse to relate because of the laugh but I’d say the scene itself tells you Roger “the ghoul”, isn’t embracing nihilism like The Comedian. The most clear indicator is just the fact that we see ghoul’s repeat their own name before turning to literally remind themselves of their own humanity. We also know before Roger sees Cooper, they would have heard him laughing to himself but he doesn’t, he only laughs when he sees Cooper because he is so happy to see him. It’s then reinforced at the end of the scene when we see Roger laugh & smile talking about the dessert they loved from childhood.
I mean it could but none of that is confirmed. The show essentially confirmed it's the meds. In game going feral is never fully explained either and depends on multiple factors including how they were ghoulified, total radiation exposure, isolation, and time.
Ah, another fellow 'Of Mice and Men' reader... first thought to come to mind too. It's the most kind thing an executioner can do. There are real-life accounts of this kind of thing, I remember reading of how the swordsman they got to deliver Anne Boleyn's execution distracted her in her final moments before swiftly beheading her with a single slice.
Closest thing was the Nuka-World DLC in Fallout 4. There's a feral invested town northeast of Nuka-World where you find a ghoul lady who killed herself and made a holotape of her death because she lost hope in finding a cure for feralization
One of the bigger lines is here. Answers one big reason why he was able to survive as long as he has. "I've always been good at making money." There's an old cowboy saying, "learn to shoe horses and you can always make money." Coop's willingness to do any job, no matter how low, allowed him to buy the vials. They showed this in the 1st episode. An A list movie star, once the acting dried up, is willing to do a kids birthday to make some coin. The comment he gave his friend, "10 million?" Long look, "Noooo, 180k!" goes to his negotiation skills. His True Grit as a Cowboy saw him through the tough times and that one line encapsulates it. Kool stuff
I would consider this a "Cruel" mercy. Cooper knows his "Friend" isn't long for this world, not until he can't control himself, lets him think on a happy memory before blowing his head off. But he isn't being altogether altruistic here, he still dismisses his death, even harvesting him for food. It's a cruel world in the wasteland, and sometimes, a fella's gotta eat another fella.
Cruel mercy would've been something like leaving and letting him turn, because you can't bear to shoot him whilst he still has some humanity in him. What Cooper does to the corpse or why Cooper did it doesn't factor into it.
I think to him having a friend is like a pleasant convenience with no real attachments. Comes across like the ultimate pragmatist and a lawful neutral type character.
I actually like the introduction of a mysterious serum that can help stave off turning feral, it's the kind of thing which fits the Fallout vibe. To be honest, I always felt ghouls in the games were a little underdeveloped, in terms of their life cycle and the mechanics of what they go through. The creator of the original games has given the show a big thumbs up, so I don't think Fallout fans should be too annoyed with some changes here & there. As long as it's within the right spirit of the source material, which this show clearly is.
Personally I like to think that the Mysterious Serum is nothing more than a placebo, in the best case to give ghouls a sense of security to hang onto, in the worst case, nothing more than a useless scam from a snake oil merchant. For why we haven’t heard of it before, could be a development purely to this region, could be a recent development since Fallout 4, or simply not something Ghouls care to talk about while a smooth skin is present
Considering how much time in-universe has passed I can see this stuff being a recent development. Especially if civilization like Shady Sands got pretty far to spend time on making it.
@@wilsthelimit I'm holding out that it's just ultrajet that feralizing ghouls use for palliative relief, and Cooper just has a really bad drug problem
This is the saddest depiction of someone losing their sanity and brain function and ultimately turning into a monster Its very easy to see why The Ghoul does what he does and acts how he acts Its what it takes to ultimately survive in this Fallout world
What I didn’t notice until now is, at 1:34 when Roger asks him if he has any vials to spare he gives Lucy an almost regretful sidelong glance before he says he’s fresh out. Knowing in advance what he’s really going to do to her. That’s really slick acting.
This scene made me cry. Honestly, Roger was the sweetest person on the show, despite how he was treated. He was proof perfect of what Lucy believed in. Cooper was trying his best to do right by him in the end.
I really hope they elaborate on what that drug/medicine is in season two. It isn't in any of the games, but all of the games say no one is entirely sure why ghouls go feral
It could be the drug Hancock got a hold of. The experomental one. He said it was the only one left he found, but that does not account for other areas of the wasteland.
it's pretty much given in game canon that while ghouls recieve short term benefits from radiation, overexposure turns thier brains to mush. this tracks out with the ghoulish perk in fallout 4 where radiation WILL heal you...but it's STILL eroding your max bar. until you get the maxed out level which makes you that one in a million special snowflake.
@@alexsolomon8127 Right, but the Ghoul doesn't begin to turn feral if he goes too long without taking it, he starts to suffocate. Like he's got damage to his lungs and the healing factor from the drug keeps him alive until it wears off
When I saw it the first time, I didn't realize how many vials there were. Assuming the vials actually work in general, it says that Roger not only was going feral, but that the vials just weren't working for him anymore, for whatever reason, and that giving him another vial wouldn't have helped.
@@Marcelelias11 Theres quite literally nothing to support that Jason Bright came back from being feral. Ghoulification always ends up turning Ghouls feral. It literally is just a matter of when.
Another thing to note here is that they list off very obvious comfort foods. I tell ya, if I went 200+ years without getting a taste of some mac and cheese or apple pie, I think I'd look back on it that fondly too. What a nice thing to think about.
I think it's interesting to contrast this scene with the sort of answer that Steph provides when Norm questions her about life in Vault 31 in the next episode and she clearly is being evasive to avoid admitting the truth about Vault 31 being a cryo facility and her having been around before the bombs fell.
I love the detail that he keeps tellin himself his name over and over again, holding to his last drop of humanity like that, sad but admirable at the same time. This was a really cool show!
@@joebloggs8422 i do believe though that the reason he hasnt gone feral is because he has the purpose of finding out what happened to his family, i think this show will result in him finding them, and Lucy taking down these corporations finally, I suppose its their show together
For anyone who ever watched the movie based on “Of mice and men” as soon as he started taking about fond memories we knew what was coming, a last kindness before an unavoidable mercy.
“28 years since I started showing” and yet he remembers ice cream and apple pie. So Roger is a pre-war ghoul yet he’s only been taking the serum for 28 years. Well then of course we haven’t heard of this serum before, only ghouls THAT ARE ACTIVELY TURNING FERAL need to take it. It’s weird how all the lore buffs seemed to missed that.
These guys were definitely pals. Cooper probably came there to see if he had any vials on him to tide him over till he could get more most likely only to stumble upon the worst outcome. He was so kind about it, listening to him and easing him to his end. He's not all doom and destruction.
The "all ghouls go feral unless they take medicine" thing is purely an invention of the show. Never seen in any of the games before the show arrived (although I'm sure Bethesda will retcon it in there in future updates/installments in the franchise.) Two examples in evidence: Jason Bright, a cogent _Glowing One,_ meaning he's so irradiated he actively _emits_ radiation -- but isn't feral. So it's not about how irradiated they are. Next: Camp Searchlight, an NCR camp hit by a radiation bomb, many of the NCR troops in it going _insta-_ feral. So it's not about the length of time a ghoul has been a ghoul, either. And then there's Private Kyle Edwards, an NCR trooper still in Searchlight who _isn't_ feral when the rest of the troopers were. Same rapid exposure, same dose, but they went zombie and he didn't. So the evidence is adding up to this: Feral ghouls and non-feral ghouls are _separate types_ of ghoul, not different _degrees_ of ghoul.
LOL! Not very bright are you. the past games had ghouls searching for a way to prevent going feral. if a drug got developed in the NCR than it wouldn't be well known outside of calif due to the discrimination ghouls faced and if it was rare to begin with than it got super rare after.
I think it’s about as sweet as you can be that the ghoul ‘Old Yeller’s him. A bunch of comments mention that Cooper gives him a chance to reminisce about the good times, but he also waits ‘till Raj’s looking away at Lucy so he doesn’t have to see it coming. I feel like he’s the definition of true neutral.
What this scene did right was showing us what it looks like - and by extension, must feel like - for a non-feral ghoul to go through the feralization process: It looks agonizing, like it's actually painful for him, and the knowledge that he'll become a mindless monster soon isn't helping him either. That said, the idea of a chemical drug that keeps ghouls from turning feral is still pretty dumb.
Some may see this scene as cruel but really Cooper saved Roger who wants to live like that a Feral living the rest of you're life mindless and out for blood so sad glad he gave him a nice memory to remember
I'm still not buying into the idea that Ghouls have to absolutely take this drug to stay sane. At the very least, based on what I've seen, the drug can help you stave off becoming feral. But, like any drug, the longer you take it, the more you have to take.
@@kingcamelot1395 Well back then, Feral Ghouls just give up when they start showing signs of turning Feral. We've seen terminal entries of Ghouls gradually losing their minds as they type down their last thoughts before succumbing. Maybe this drug was made by Doctor Barrows in Underworld and he found a way to slow down the effects of turning Feral.
I don't think people realize how tragic it is when Ghouls go Feral. Their body and internal organs, their brains loses motor function and shuts down your body, literally into cold walking corpses... Cooper's friend here was Mercy kill. Others unfortunate enough to not die yet are forever suffering and become hollow shells of whom they once were... Some are recent ghouls or prewar ghouls. Its very sad and horrifying at the same time.
Lore wise nothing stops a Ghoul going feral other than luck, no drug exists in the Fallout universe to stop it. This scene does show the best and only cure when a Ghoul begins to show signs of turning though.
Lore wise, there's a lot of deciding factors on how a ghoul prevents themselves from going feral. One such factor is hope, somehow still finding a reason to keep living despite everything.
I argued with my friend for hours. I believes having a purpose and mission keeps you alive. The Marine in Cooper is alive because he wants to see his wife and daughter again.
@@phillipcaihoang8845 interesting. my theory is that it's just a special chem that actually affect Ghouls a bit too much, can help them get their mind (psychology) back, therefore not going feral, therefore, live longer.
@@jakces3810 I don't know what it is but they aren't even close and they are VERY good in their own right. They might need to go ahead and make a Half Life series. Full confidence they'll get it right.
To be honest, I got hints that ghouls can turn feral, mainly from the Fallout 4 Nuka World DLC. Makes me wonder if the Sole Survivor sparing Oswald the Outrageous was canon🤷. Then again, ghouls have been around for 200 years after the great war
Roger was suffering and turning into the monster. His friend gave him a happy memory to think about before sparing his friend more pain and suffering...a kind mercy
OK. Totally understandable. What about the eating him part?
@@saintpsu Yeah, very true🤣
@@saintpsucan't waste fresh ghoul glutes in the wasteland now can we?
@saintpsu Roger's gone. Now that's just a pile of meat decomposing on the sand. It's messed up, but you don't know when your next meal will be in the Wasteland.
@@kingcamelot1395 That’s… Also true…
He tries to frame it as a purely logical thing to do, to take out someone dangerous and get food at the same time, but making Roger think of something happy before he dies shows the mercy in the kill, and that Cooper is still in there underneath this Ghoul persona he's wearing/become.
In the wasteland you'll persevere or have your bone picked clean by buzzards.
another subtle detail is that right as the Ghoul/Cooper starts talking about food he turns mostly away from Roger so that he couldn't see him going for his gun and when Roger turned to look at Lucy he took the shot insuring he literally never saw it coming and died thinking happy thoughts
@@amythistxue1shit if I were going through this I’d probably want the same lol, this is probably my favorite scene, brutal but still some emotion behind it.
It's not "The Ghoul," it's not even _a ghoul._
It's Walter Goggins in a Porsche's worth of time in a make-up chair. That's it.
Stock standard "cowboy," that Goggins always plays, without regard for how even the most pleasant sounding ghoul still sounds like a fancy ashtray looks.
We could have had an actor
We got a personality.
His most compassionate kill of the season. Made sure Roger was having a happy memory as he died, and knew there was no hope at that stage; he was dead already.
Can we take a moment to appreciate how well-mannered Roger is? He's hanging on by a thread, struggling to remember his own name, and despite how desperate his situation he greets Cooper like an old friend. They even make some small talk before he asks if Cooper had some of the medicine that could save his life. The audience knows Cooper is telling the truth when he says he's out but Roger doesn't. And yet he doesn't get angry or accuse him of lying, he just says "that's okay" and expresses concern for Cooper and Lucy's safety. And then he goes right on back to chatting.
It's an interesting juxtaposition that in a world full of raiders, cannibals and chicken...lovers it's the ghouls, the supposed monsters that act the most civilized.
It appeared more like Cooper saw the vials with fluid still in them indicating that Roger was gone because it wasn't working anymore and Roger knew it too
Makes sense since pre-war ghouls come from a civilized world
Ghouls just seem like the most decent people overall. Until they go feral and all that. Vials for all!
It is because they ARE civilized :
Most Ghouls were turned by the initial atomic fallout, they're people of the time before the bombs, when life was simpler and happier and one didn't need a gun to make the talk in his stead.
They're basically the last remnant of a time before humanity went insane
Hahaha, well, some dude think himself a man of equality and kindness struck a deal to let those “civilized” ghouls move into the Tenpenny tower, only have its former residents massacred by those ghouls.
His last thought was of his mom's apple pie. This was the greatest act of kindness from Cooper in the show.
Great character development from Lucy told through her understanding of ghouls. Having only learned that ghouls exist a few days ago, she went being shocked that The Ghoul would shoot his friend in the head, to learning the true extent of what it means to go feral in the organ harvesting building, to giving The Ghoul the vials to save him from turning, all the way to mercy-killing her own mother at the end.
It took her a while to learn though. I mean she can hear somebody trying to keep it together when they enter this building. Then she sees Roger going from being normal to these ticks of feralness.
@@recoil53 I think she learns it at a pretty natural rate. She does get caught off-guard in her next encounter with ferals. But even though this guy is turning feral, it's not a situation that would really indicate to her that he's going to become actively dangerous, and Coop obviously doesn't explain it to her. Seeing this with fresh eyes, her thoughts would more closely be on dementia + seizures than on zombie fiction
@laylaruan Exactly. All Lucy knew was that Roger was "sick". Nothing about the extent of what was happening to him.
Fallout tv show ? Nah
Fallout TV show with Goggins? Yep
I wish I hadn't read this comment. That probably would have been interesting to watch not knowing.
He died when his kind was in the past thinking of his mom with a smile on his face he didnt even know what hit him the ghoul gave him the most merciful death
Remember how good food used to taste?
* his *mind*
@@nightrider85didn't think about how most ghouls probably lost their sense of taste...
And especially smell.
@@nightrider85ughhh Blanco Mac and cheese...
@@MrDibaraYeah, it’s called a typo. Clearly you knew what he meant since you were able to brilliantly figure out what the word was, which means you also knew it was a typo. So why did you feel the need to correct him if you already knew it was a typo?
Something I noticed is that both Roger here, and later on the ghoul "martha" can be heard reminding themselves what their names are. Due to how important names are to us humans, I assume that's the last bit of their conciousness holding on to what individuality they have left before fully becoming animals.
I am Swan! (Fallout 4)
@@bagman234 SWWWAAAAANN
He didn't kill his friend. He gave him a good happy memory in his final moments. His friend was already dead. What he did is he gave him peace. This was mercy.
Helped his friend die a man and not a beast.
I hope Walter Goggins gets a Golden Globe or at least an Emmy for his role as The Ghoul. He’s a phenomenal actor.
Walton Goggins.
This actor portraying Roger absolutely nailed this turning moment, the pain, the futility, concern, and the acceptance. I hope the dude gets noticed.
Cooper gave him one last good memory, that hurt a lot more than I thought it would…
It shouldn't hurt. If I were Roger I'd beg for such a mercy.
Subtle but important detail: The “medicine” is mainly for viewers sake. *Thematically* Cooper is kept his sanity because of his good (albeit buried) conscience. This ghoul was alone & finally had to give in. Cooper has kept himself safe because he hopes he can still save his family. And what happens when Cooper almost gives up? It’s right after he sold Lucy. He was healed not by the medicine she gave him per se, it’s because she reminded him you can still be decent in a cruel world.
I thought it was funny. The laugh he gives the ghoul as soon as someone who knows them stops by. Of course there's no hatred for a non smoothie. Easier to talk too. The laugh he gives is symbolic of how easy it is rather than to dwell on who /what you were vs embracing what you have become. Shedding humanity for feral living.
"It's a joke, it's all a joke."- The Comedian
In New Vegas a Ghoul mentioned that going feral happens when you lose hope.
@@Jadefox32 It also explains the Chinese submarine commander in Fallout 4. He didn't turn feral because he never gave up hope to see his homeland.
@@RedRumOnE I can see the impulse to relate because of the laugh but I’d say the scene itself tells you Roger “the ghoul”, isn’t embracing nihilism like The Comedian. The most clear indicator is just the fact that we see ghoul’s repeat their own name before turning to literally remind themselves of their own humanity. We also know before Roger sees Cooper, they would have heard him laughing to himself but he doesn’t, he only laughs when he sees Cooper because he is so happy to see him. It’s then reinforced at the end of the scene when we see Roger laugh & smile talking about the dessert they loved from childhood.
I mean it could but none of that is confirmed. The show essentially confirmed it's the meds. In game going feral is never fully explained either and depends on multiple factors including how they were ghoulified, total radiation exposure, isolation, and time.
The Ghoul / Cooper was the best character in the entire show
Chad
Definitely one of the coolest, they were all great but Coop was an absolute badass
There were a couple of solid characters, honestly. I really liked Lucy's brother as well. This show slapped way harder than it had any right to.
'You want another autograph, young Henry."
Cooper is literally our Level 50+ Player Character from All Fallout Games combined 🗿
Cooper made Roger think about the rabbits.
Aha, I'm glad I wasn't the only one thinking Of Mice and Men when he did the mercy kill.
@@ZoidiusPlasmaReaper for all we know, Cooper once probably played George.
I literally just made this comment on someone else’s 😂
"Look at the flowers, Lizzy..."
Ah, another fellow 'Of Mice and Men' reader... first thought to come to mind too. It's the most kind thing an executioner can do. There are real-life accounts of this kind of thing, I remember reading of how the swordsman they got to deliver Anne Boleyn's execution distracted her in her final moments before swiftly beheading her with a single slice.
The way that he brought back enough of his so he could kill his friend while he was remembering being human.
Helping his friend die as himself and not and not as a beast.
Leaving can be difficult, but staying can be worse
like ghouls, you lose when you think you don’t have control over it.
I think this is the first interpretation of an actual full feralization in any Fallout universe and its so.... heartbreaking. So well done too.
Closest thing was the Nuka-World DLC in Fallout 4. There's a feral invested town northeast of Nuka-World where you find a ghoul lady who killed herself and made a holotape of her death because she lost hope in finding a cure for feralization
Guy who plays Rodger’s acting is fantastic
Neal Huff. Terry Easton AKA The Voice from the Person of Interest
@@tomaszwitkowski9507 Same as the Enclave scientist who was Finch also from Person of interest.
@@michaelbenjmitchell1yh they had a great cast for this show proper talented actors
And I get to tend the rabbits, right, George?
"That's right, Lenny."
* *pow!* *
🧟♂️ 💥🔫
Don't think George ate some of Lenny afterwards, but it's been a while since I read the book.
Holyfuck you just brought back alot of tears man, goddamn mice and men was a good read
@@CrimpyCracker I don't think he buried him either tho (at least not in the movie, didn't read the book) so lord knows what happened to his corpse.
I like that they used the ghost town of kolmanskop, Namibia for this show
They didn't even really have to spend so much on set design, yet it still looks exactly like the wasteland in games.
Wouldn't it have been cheaper to film in Detroit?
@@StuSavilleToo dangerous in real life to film in Detroit.
@@StuSaville theyd find lots of real life ghouls there, spraying walls of abandoned shops they just bankrupted
@@kokowoch And lots of real life raiders.
One of the bigger lines is here.
Answers one big reason why he was able to survive as long as he has.
"I've always been good at making money."
There's an old cowboy saying, "learn to shoe horses and you can always make money."
Coop's willingness to do any job, no matter how low, allowed him to buy the vials.
They showed this in the 1st episode. An A list movie star, once the acting dried up, is willing to do a kids birthday to make some coin.
The comment he gave his friend, "10 million?"
Long look, "Noooo, 180k!" goes to his negotiation skills.
His True Grit as a Cowboy saw him through the tough times and that one line encapsulates it.
Kool stuff
I would consider this a "Cruel" mercy.
Cooper knows his "Friend" isn't long for this world, not until he can't control himself, lets him think on a happy memory before blowing his head off.
But he isn't being altogether altruistic here, he still dismisses his death, even harvesting him for food.
It's a cruel world in the wasteland, and sometimes, a fella's gotta eat another fella.
Cruel mercy would've been something like leaving and letting him turn, because you can't bear to shoot him whilst he still has some humanity in him. What Cooper does to the corpse or why Cooper did it doesn't factor into it.
I think to him having a friend is like a pleasant convenience with no real attachments. Comes across like the ultimate pragmatist and a lawful neutral type character.
I actually like the introduction of a mysterious serum that can help stave off turning feral, it's the kind of thing which fits the Fallout vibe. To be honest, I always felt ghouls in the games were a little underdeveloped, in terms of their life cycle and the mechanics of what they go through.
The creator of the original games has given the show a big thumbs up, so I don't think Fallout fans should be too annoyed with some changes here & there. As long as it's within the right spirit of the source material, which this show clearly is.
the iv bags the Ghoul had when buried were radaway
Personally I like to think that the Mysterious Serum is nothing more than a placebo, in the best case to give ghouls a sense of security to hang onto, in the worst case, nothing more than a useless scam from a snake oil merchant.
For why we haven’t heard of it before, could be a development purely to this region, could be a recent development since Fallout 4, or simply not something Ghouls care to talk about while a smooth skin is present
Considering how much time in-universe has passed I can see this stuff being a recent development. Especially if civilization like Shady Sands got pretty far to spend time on making it.
@@zacharybartolo5111I agree. My headcanon is that it was older research co-opted by the OSI.
@@wilsthelimit I'm holding out that it's just ultrajet that feralizing ghouls use for palliative relief, and Cooper just has a really bad drug problem
This is the saddest depiction of someone losing their sanity and brain function and ultimately turning into a monster
Its very easy to see why The Ghoul does what he does and acts how he acts
Its what it takes to ultimately survive in this Fallout world
I can't believe there telling Fallout, this has to be the greatest show on the planet. Outstanding production, they got everything right.
What I didn’t notice until now is, at 1:34 when Roger asks him if he has any vials to spare he gives Lucy an almost regretful sidelong glance before he says he’s fresh out. Knowing in advance what he’s really going to do to her. That’s really slick acting.
This scene made me cry. Honestly, Roger was the sweetest person on the show, despite how he was treated. He was proof perfect of what Lucy believed in. Cooper was trying his best to do right by him in the end.
Weird how this is the first non-feral Ghoul I've seen perform cannibalism.
Well, sometimes a fellow’s gotta eat a fellow. 🤷🏻♂️
Gallo in Fallout 3 was a non feral ghoul cannibal
Set in Fallout 1 also sings the Happy Tummy song
Dude needed those drugs to stay sane
@@Bert439Now you understand why Cooper did what he did to Lucy when she damaged his viles
I really hope they elaborate on what that drug/medicine is in season two. It isn't in any of the games, but all of the games say no one is entirely sure why ghouls go feral
I doubt that anyone invented a whole new drug to help ghouls, although it's possible. I think it's just Rad-X.
@@harrytabb328 Rad-x is a pill in the games, and it seems like the drug is what turned Thaddeus into a ghoul like Hancock in Fallout 4
It could be the drug Hancock got a hold of. The experomental one. He said it was the only one left he found, but that does not account for other areas of the wasteland.
it's pretty much given in game canon that while ghouls recieve short term benefits from radiation, overexposure turns thier brains to mush. this tracks out with the ghoulish perk in fallout 4 where radiation WILL heal you...but it's STILL eroding your max bar. until you get the maxed out level which makes you that one in a million special snowflake.
@@alexsolomon8127 Right, but the Ghoul doesn't begin to turn feral if he goes too long without taking it, he starts to suffocate. Like he's got damage to his lungs and the healing factor from the drug keeps him alive until it wears off
When I saw it the first time, I didn't realize how many vials there were. Assuming the vials actually work in general, it says that Roger not only was going feral, but that the vials just weren't working for him anymore, for whatever reason, and that giving him another vial wouldn't have helped.
all ghouls eventually turn. it's just a matter of when.
@@theghostofthomasjenkins9643Not true. Some haven't turned until now, and some, like Jason Bright, have actually come back from a feral state.
@@Marcelelias11 Theres quite literally nothing to support that Jason Bright came back from being feral. Ghoulification always ends up turning Ghouls feral. It literally is just a matter of when.
His last thoughts were of his mom. Not the wasteland, not the bombs, not the horrors of his life. I would want that for me, if i were in his shoes.
Another thing to note here is that they list off very obvious comfort foods.
I tell ya, if I went 200+ years without getting a taste of some mac and cheese or apple pie, I think I'd look back on it that fondly too. What a nice thing to think about.
I think it's interesting to contrast this scene with the sort of answer that Steph provides when Norm questions her about life in Vault 31 in the next episode and she clearly is being evasive to avoid admitting the truth about Vault 31 being a cryo facility and her having been around before the bombs fell.
I always thought the vials were RadAway. Or at least some form of Anti-mutagen RadAway cocktail.
Well Lucy uses RadAway a few episodes later and it’s the traditional IV bag.
A special Radaway that helps the mind?
I love the detail that he keeps tellin himself his name over and over again, holding to his last drop of humanity like that, sad but admirable at the same time. This was a really cool show!
He needs his own show, best character for a long time
Cooper/The Ghoul? This is his show. You didn't notice hes a main character?
@@lsjdngljsdnflknd Yes, as well as the other main characters
I believe this can be said to be his show
@@rawhidelamp I don’t think so, it was between him and Lucy, I was thinking more about how he became a ghoul
@@joebloggs8422 i do believe though that the reason he hasnt gone feral is because he has the purpose of finding out what happened to his family, i think this show will result in him finding them, and Lucy taking down these corporations finally, I suppose its their show together
For anyone who ever watched the movie based on “Of mice and men” as soon as he started taking about fond memories we knew what was coming, a last kindness before an unavoidable mercy.
imagine living for few hundreds years and still remember your mom who died few hundreds years back.. the pain is real
I love how this show treated the Ghouls. We all knew that overtime they lost their humanity and turned into monsters, but never like this.
That was more kindness and mercy than shown by most people today.
Ít brought a tear to my eye that he got to smile and think about his moms apple pie for his last moment.
What a great compassionate kill for his friend and taking him to a warm great memory they shared! Hearts and tears.
I like that he was kind before the shot.
He waited 28 years to eat his fren.
He had to so he could survive
😂😂😂
Lucy is very similar to Chell from Portal 2 when she leaves the market and gives the drugs to Ghoul
“28 years since I started showing” and yet he remembers ice cream and apple pie. So Roger is a pre-war ghoul yet he’s only been taking the serum for 28 years. Well then of course we haven’t heard of this serum before, only ghouls THAT ARE ACTIVELY TURNING FERAL need to take it.
It’s weird how all the lore buffs seemed to missed that.
Have to say the actors and behind the scenes people did a excellent job with the sounds. And the actors performances are superb.
Whoever that guy is that played Roger I think he was very underrated he did a great job
"I did Okay..."
He knew he was gonna die soon by turning
@@Faint691 Final stage of grief. Acceptance.
This is one of my favourite scenes in the entire show
Same.
This is a straight up homage to Of Mice And Men. "And I get to tend the rabbits!"
These guys were definitely pals. Cooper probably came there to see if he had any vials on him to tide him over till he could get more most likely only to stumble upon the worst outcome. He was so kind about it, listening to him and easing him to his end. He's not all doom and destruction.
Just a regular day in the life of Gary Busey.
The "all ghouls go feral unless they take medicine" thing is purely an invention of the show. Never seen in any of the games before the show arrived (although I'm sure Bethesda will retcon it in there in future updates/installments in the franchise.)
Two examples in evidence: Jason Bright, a cogent _Glowing One,_ meaning he's so irradiated he actively _emits_ radiation -- but isn't feral. So it's not about how irradiated they are. Next: Camp Searchlight, an NCR camp hit by a radiation bomb, many of the NCR troops in it going _insta-_ feral. So it's not about the length of time a ghoul has been a ghoul, either. And then there's Private Kyle Edwards, an NCR trooper still in Searchlight who _isn't_ feral when the rest of the troopers were. Same rapid exposure, same dose, but they went zombie and he didn't.
So the evidence is adding up to this: Feral ghouls and non-feral ghouls are _separate types_ of ghoul, not different _degrees_ of ghoul.
LOL! Not very bright are you. the past games had ghouls searching for a way to prevent going feral. if a drug got developed in the NCR than it wouldn't be well known outside of calif due to the discrimination ghouls faced and if it was rare to begin with than it got super rare after.
1:13 “I see you got a smoothie of your own” Roger got it before tumblr did 😂
as someone who always use Creation Kit to mod Fallout 4 that "Ghoul" look is spot on! it's one of the templates from NPCS.
That's how I'd wanna go surprised right in the middle of thinking about a happy memory
Fantastic series, looking forward to S2!
still absolutely one of the most saddest scenes behind lucy discovering her dad's secret
Cooper has had one of the saddest character transformations I've ever seen. He went from a loving, kind, patriotic father and husband, to The Ghoul.
this scene is amazing for so many reasons.
We should all have a friend that would that mercy on us
The kindest thing you see the ghoul do in the whole show. The second he sees Roger having a happy memory, he takes him out while he isn’t looking.
"Her smile and optimism: gone".
That's a friend.
I think it’s about as sweet as you can be that the ghoul ‘Old Yeller’s him.
A bunch of comments mention that Cooper gives him a chance to reminisce about the good times, but he also waits ‘till Raj’s looking away at Lucy so he doesn’t have to see it coming.
I feel like he’s the definition of true neutral.
It's kind of interesting that they shot this show using anamorphic lenses, at least for some scenes.
Kudos.
Lucy's reaction at the end was hilarious
"Tell me about the rabbits, Roger."
i like how roger didnt accuse coop of holding out on him. real friends.
What this scene did right was showing us what it looks like - and by extension, must feel like - for a non-feral ghoul to go through the feralization process: It looks agonizing, like it's actually painful for him, and the knowledge that he'll become a mindless monster soon isn't helping him either.
That said, the idea of a chemical drug that keeps ghouls from turning feral is still pretty dumb.
Rest in peace Roger he was a good ghoul
Dear god.. he "of mice and men"-ned him 😂
Every time I think "Ice cream and apple pie" I think of this scene.
I work in a small-town restaurant, so I do this al ot.
Got him on the good thought...
Goggins zombie cowboy character is what makes this show Worth watching .
Some may see this scene as cruel but really Cooper saved Roger who wants to live like that a Feral living the rest of you're life mindless and out for blood so sad glad he gave him a nice memory to remember
Drawing more then a little inspiration from “Of Mice and Men” here.
Lenny 🥲
It was a mercy
And then they cut his butt off for meat even though the Ghoul spends years in a grave with no food and Lucy definitely doesn't want any.
canniblism perk. also if you paid attention their were iv bags leading down to the ghoul into the dirt.
The Ghoul rocking the cannibal and ghoulish perks
Always tell George about the rabbits. It's what good mates do.
So, this can happen to The Ghoul and John Hancock if they don’t be taking drugs. Jeez that’s messed up!
I'm still not buying into the idea that Ghouls have to absolutely take this drug to stay sane. At the very least, based on what I've seen, the drug can help you stave off becoming feral. But, like any drug, the longer you take it, the more you have to take.
@@kingcamelot1395
Yeah that’s the catch.
Roger said his symptom shown 20 plus years ago. I don't think Hancock need that drug until he's around 200 years old.
@@kingcamelot1395 yup, addiction withdrawal is what Coop got.
@@kingcamelot1395 Well back then, Feral Ghouls just give up when they start showing signs of turning Feral. We've seen terminal entries of Ghouls gradually losing their minds as they type down their last thoughts before succumbing. Maybe this drug was made by Doctor Barrows in Underworld and he found a way to slow down the effects of turning Feral.
I don't think people realize how tragic it is when Ghouls go Feral. Their body and internal organs, their brains loses motor function and shuts down your body, literally into cold walking corpses... Cooper's friend here was Mercy kill. Others unfortunate enough to not die yet are forever suffering and become hollow shells of whom they once were... Some are recent ghouls or prewar ghouls. Its very sad and horrifying at the same time.
Meanwhile, you see Martha in a slightly worser state than Roger. And then there's Lucy's mom.
Can't wait for season 2 ! 😢🫶🏻
just look at the flowers roger
Lore wise nothing stops a Ghoul going feral other than luck, no drug exists in the Fallout universe to stop it. This scene does show the best and only cure when a Ghoul begins to show signs of turning though.
Lore wise, there's a lot of deciding factors on how a ghoul prevents themselves from going feral. One such factor is hope, somehow still finding a reason to keep living despite everything.
Vape fiends when they're broke and out of juice
I argued with my friend for hours. I believes having a purpose and mission keeps you alive. The Marine in Cooper is alive because he wants to see his wife and daughter again.
Just remember the apple pie, Roger. Just remember it. How it tasted.
He went out thinking of his mom’s cooking and looking at a beautiful woman. Not to bad.
Whoever chose the title... nice.
I doubt he did it to give him a happy memory.
He probably did it to distract him so he wouldn't know it was coming.
No.. he wanted to give him a good memory.
@waragainstmyself1159 - but that doesn't make any sense. He is dead. what good is the memory going to do him?
That’s what those vials where for, I thought they where Jet.
Maybe rad-x or radaway
Or some cocktail of both
@@phillipcaihoang8845 interesting. my theory is that it's just a special chem that actually affect Ghouls a bit too much, can help them get their mind (psychology) back, therefore not going feral, therefore, live longer.
Thinking of momma and meat and potatoes, or maybe those baked chicken she'd make with shell mac and cheese...
Amazon is full of poo and Bezo is an a-hole but this... this show was something... special.
don't forget Invincible and The Boys though
@@jakces3810 I don't know what it is but they aren't even close and they are VERY good in their own right.
They might need to go ahead and make a Half Life series. Full confidence they'll get it right.
To be honest, I got hints that ghouls can turn feral, mainly from the Fallout 4 Nuka World DLC. Makes me wonder if the Sole Survivor sparing Oswald the Outrageous was canon🤷. Then again, ghouls have been around for 200 years after the great war
some are younger. You can turn from leftover radiation if you do something fun like bathing in the glowing sea of Fallout 4
Me with the cannibal perk after executing one of my companions.
Its important to wear a hat to protect your skin, so you don't end up looking like a ghoul.... oh wait,,
That was sad.