The 10 Best “Fallout” Easter Eggs That Nod to the Iconic Video Game

Prime Video’s ‘Fallout’ TV show is loaded with references from the game series and even offers a few origin stories

Prime Video Kyle MacLachlan as Overseer Hank in ‘Fallout’.

Please stand by …

Amazon Prime’s Fallout has finally premiered – to rave reviews no less, debuting with an impressive 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. The series follows Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell), a young woman who’s spent her life living in the protection of an underground bunker after a nuclear war broke out between the U.S. and China. But after her vault is invaded by raiders and her father Hank (Kyle MacLachlan) is kidnapped by Lee Moldaver — also known as the Flame Mother — she’s forced to brave the surface for the first time to find him.

Based on the popular post-apocalyptic video game franchise of the same name, the TV series is set in 2296, 219 years after the fictional apocalypse occurred. This means that, chronologically, the show takes place after every Fallout video game to date, allowing it to offer fresh storylines and new characters.

But for anyone who has played the games, there are tons of easter eggs and references throughout the entire series. From 1997’s original Fallout game to New Vegas, Fallout 76 and more, the Prime Video series is a treasure trove for fans of the game franchise who will instantly recognize the apocalyptic future depicted in the show.

Read on to find out 10 of the coolest easter eggs from the Fallout series.

The series starts in a vault

Amazon Prime Video Vault 33 in ‘Fallout’.

After a brief flashback, the Fallout series begins in Vault 33 — just one of many underground vaults that were built to ensure the survival of humanity. Vaults are a huge part of the franchise and often serve as the starting points for the games. For example, players start in Vault 13 in the original Fallout, Vault 101 in Fallout 3 and Vault 76 in Fallout 76.

Starting the series in a vault is a great homage to the game franchise, and choosing Vault 33, a location never depicted in any of the games, is a dead giveaway to fans that the show focuses on a new story and a new cast of characters.

The thumbs-up philosophy has an origin story

Amazon Prime Studios Walton Goggins in ‘Fallout’.

The image of the Vault Boy giving a thumbs-up has become an iconic symbol of the Fallout games, and fans of the franchise have often wondered about the origin behind it. The Fallout series gives viewers a direct origin of the famous logo when actor Cooper Howard (Walton Goggins) poses for a Vault-Tec ad and gives the now-iconic thumbs up.

In the opening scene of the series, Fallout gives viewers an even deeper meaning to the thumbs up when Cooper tells his daughter about an old military trick where you stick your thumb out after a bomb explodes. He says if the mushroom cloud is smaller than your thumb, run. If it’s bigger … then there’s no point in running.

The Vault-Tec bobbleheads pop up everywhere

Amazon Prime Video The Vaul-Tec bobblehead in ‘Fallout’.

In the Fallout games, Vault-Tec bobbleheads can be found around the wasteland. When players collect them, they gain special perks. The bobblehead has also become a popular piece of memorabilia for fans, with some Fallout players amassing huge collections.

In the series, the bobblehead makes an appearance early on in the pilot when viewers are getting acquainted with Vault 33. In a quick montage segment, a vault dweller walks by a bobblehead and taps it on the head to make it jiggle. The bobbleheads are featured in subsequent episodes as well, continuing their popularity with fans.

The power armor is a direct nod to Fallout 4

Amazon Prime Video The power armor in ‘Fallout’.

In Fallout, we meet the Brotherhood of Steel, a religious-like faction dedicated to preserving (and hoarding) pre-war tech to keep what they consider “order.” They’re one of the most technologically advanced groups in the wasteland and are known for their fearsome military power. One of their mightiest weapons is their power armor.

Power armor has been a staple of the Fallout game series, and throughout the franchise’s history, it’s had a few different looks. But the power armor we see in the Fallout show is clearly the T-60 series, which is a direct nod to 2015’s Fallout 4. Since then, the T-60 series of power armor has also appeared in Fallout Shelter and Fallout 76.

Stimpacks cure everything

Amazon Prime Video A stimpack in ‘Fallout’.

Fallout players (and anyone who has ever played an action game) know that health kits can heal pretty much anything. Fallout is no exception and throughout the games, players can stab themselves with stimpacks to heal a number of ailments, from gunshots to stab wounds, bites and more.

The show features a stimpack in the very first episode and a few more times throughout the season. At the start of the pilot episode, Lucy gets stabbed with a machete, but thanks to her stimpack, she’s as good as new.

Mister Handy returns … but he’s kind of evil

Amazon Prime Video Mr.Handy in ‘Fallout’.

In the Fallout games, Codsworth is the lovably annoying Mister Handy robot programmed to help with domestic duties. He is a comic relief character and has since become a fan favorite thanks to his charming British accent and hilarious obliviousness.

However, the show introduces a malicious version of a Mister Handy robot — one that has been programmed to harvest organs. Despite being an evil take on the character, the crazed organ-harvesting robot still comes with his iconic British accent and aloof attitude, making his scenes some of the funniest in the entire season.

The Vault-Tec phone number actually works

Amazon Prime Video Walton Goggins in ‘Fallout’.

At the end of Cooper’s Vault-Tec commercial in episode 6, a number appears at the bottom of the screen, encouraging viewers to call and purchase space in the vaults. The number that appears is 213-25-VAULT (213-258-2858).

If you call the number, the person on the other end will scream frantically until the call disconnects, clearly showing the chaos that befell many vault dwellers. If you text the number, you get a different response that says, “Thank you for texting Vault-Tec. The next available appointment is 33 weeks from now, please stand by!”

It then gives texters the option to sign up for Fallout updates. While “33” could be a nod to Vault 33, some fans have speculated that it alludes to a Fallout series update, whether it be a release date for season 2 or a new game.

The Cold Fusion reactor access code is a tribute to the original Fallout game

Amazon Prime Video The New California Republic compound access code in ‘Fallout’.

After Lucy discovers the truth about the vaults and her father Hank, Moldaver reveals she needs an access code from a Vault-Tec employee to activate the Cold Fusion reactor. Hank reluctantly enters the code: 101097. Translated to a date, that’s Oct. 10, 1997 … the same day the original Fallout game was released.

The finale ends with New Vegas

Amazon Prime Video New Vegas in ‘Fallout’.

In the Fallout finale, Hank walks through the wasteland, and then a skyline emerges. But it’s not just any skyline — it’s New Vegas, the setting of the popular 2010 Fallout spin-off game. If the TV series returns for another season, it could potentially take place in the wild, hellish metropolis. This would also be a gift to fans since New Vegas is consistently ranked as the best Fallout game in the franchise.

There’s even a nod to Jaws

Amazon Prime Video A nod to ‘Jaws’ in ‘Fallout’.

At one point early in the season, Lucy and the Ghoul encounter a lake monster that some say is a Gulper from the video games. But in the series, it looks more like a mutated axolotl (with a mouth full of finger-like tentacles). The creature steals Lucy’s yellow blanket, which is strapped to her backpack, and then dives below the surface. The only thing left visible is the yellow blanket skimming the surface of the water. Then, the blanket suddenly plummets beneath the waves.

Anyone who has seen Jaws will instantly recognize this scene as a nod to the movie’s famous barrel scene. The blanket is even yellow just like the barrels in 1975 thriller.

Read the original article on People.