Fallout Fans Spot Sneaky Easter Egg: Makeup Department's Hidden Homage

The Fallout TV series, based on the beloved video game franchise, has been drawing on over 25 years of source material. Executive producer Jonathan Nolan, a self-proclaimed Fallout enthusiast, wanted the show to feel authentic to the world fans know and love, but also wanted to avoid simply copying the games.

“Jonah [Jonathan Nolan] explicitly told me, use the game as a reference,” makeup department head Michael Harvey told PC Gamer. He explained that Nolan wanted the team to "lean into the world for what it is, and take the elements from that world," but also use their own imagination and creativity. “Don’t carbon copy anything,” Nolan instructed.

However, it seems even strict directives can be bent. According to Harvey, a unique opportunity arose during filming. “Costume designer Amy Wescott dressed this [actor] like somebody right out of the game," he recalled. "So I took that character and that likeness and literally made it one of the characters from the game, and I figured, you know what? It was such a [minor] character. Nobody's ever going to catch it.”

Harvey's subtle make-up homage to the Fallout universe went unnoticed, even by the show's crew and Nolan himself. But, as he soon discovered, Fallout fans are a sharp bunch. "He didn't catch it. The writers didn't catch it. But boy, Reddit caught it, and they went wild for it. They went nuts over it, and they're like, 'We know exactly who that character is. We can tell you what game, what map, and what that person was.' ”

The character in question is a wandering arms dealer from Fallout 4 named Cricket. Although a minor character who only appears briefly outside Diamond City and Vault 81, Fallout enthusiasts readily recognised her.

In the TV series, the character is called Rink and has just a small role in a single scene, appearing for a mere ten seconds. Despite this, Reddit’s eagle-eyed Fallout community spotted her instantly.

In episode 5, Max and Lucy, the protagonists, encounter Rink as she crosses a bridge. Her distinctive appearance - a gaunt figure with a faint scar across her eyebrow, sporting a hooded cloak and red-rimmed eyes - is identical to Cricket's.

Harvey's attempt at a hidden Easter egg failed spectacularly, but not in a bad way. He remarked, “That was my one little easter egg that I was hoping nobody would catch right away. They jumped on that so fast. So, kudos to the level and the depth that these fans will go.”

It seems that even a fleeting appearance in a brief scene wasn’t enough to hide the character’s identity from the dedicated Fallout fanbase. The success of Harvey’s homage demonstrates the passion and keen eye of the community, proving that they truly know their games inside and out.