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Shady Sands has been a part ofFalloutlore ever since the series' beginning. Since the live-action show is set in the Los Angeles area and Shady Sands is a location of great importance to the New California Republic, it’s no surprise that it shows up a lot there.
In fact, the entire plot of the show ties back to Shady Sands and the aftermath of what happened to it, with many of the characters being impacted in some way. If you’d like more background on Shady Sands and what happened to it in the show, here’s everything you need to know.
What Is Shady Sands?
Shady Sands isthe capital of the New California Republic,a faction in Falloutthat was officially founded by the survivors of Vault 15 around 2189, with the capital of Shady Sands already established around 2142.
Yourfirst in-game introduction to Shady Sands is actually in the original Falloutthat launched in 1997 during the period of 2161, where you also meet with its leader, Aradesh.
It was a community thatcontinued to expand and increase in numbers, reaching its peak by the events of Fallout: New Vegas, where the NCR plays the most significant role of any Fallout game.
The Fallout show gives youa further live-action look at some of the inner workings of Shady Sandsand how the community thrived, showing you glimpses of working trolleys and new architecture sprung amidst the ruins.
What Is The Fate Of Shady Sands In The Fallout Show?
As of 2296, the year in which the Fallout TV series is set,Shady Sands has been destroyed by a nuclear bomb. What remains of it is a large crater and the community sign.
As a result of the Shady Sands incident, the New California Republic moved its base to the Griffith Observatory under new leadership from Lee Moldaver, and it’sthe eventthat serves as the backbone for the entire narrative arc of the show.
The bombing of Shady Sands wasa travesty carried out by none other than Vault 33 Overseer Hank MacLean, the main protagonist’s father. He remains so evil and loyal to Vault-Tec that he would bomb and destroy a thriving community on the surface to keep the Bud’s Buds initiative intact and continue lying to the dwellers about Reclamation Day.
The other part of it is that Hank’s wife,Rose MacLean, escaped the vault with their children and relocated to Shady Sandsin hopes of living there. When he found out, he took their kids back to Vault 33 and left Rose there to die in the bombing.
What Happened To The People Of Shady Sands?
While the devastation of what happened to Shady Sands seemed enough that everyone should’ve died,there were many survivors who were lucky enough to get resettled.
Those who joined Lee Moldaver and her NCR resistanceregrouped at the Griffith Observatoryand seemingly restarted some of what they had going in Shady Sands.
Some survivors got accepted into the Vault 4 community, located under the nearby Hawthorne Medical Laboratories building owned by Vault-Tec (because of course it is). They have safe refuge among the people who were wronged by mutant experiments and hold rituals worshiping Lee Moldaver as their ‘Flame Mother.’
Vault 4 contains further evidence of the timeline for the New California Republic and Shady Sands on a classroom chalkboard, as well as tributes honoring the fallen community.
You also learn that Lucy’s companionMaximus was a young boy who survived the Shady Sands bombingby being hidden in a refrigerator, similar to that unexplained Ghoul child left in a fridge in Fallout 4.
The Shady Sands bombingled to Maximus being discovered by the Brotherhood of Steel, which took him in as a youthand allowed him to eventually join the higher ranks of the organizationand shaped him into the character he is now.
Is What Happened To Shady Sands Canon?
Yes,as confirmed by Bethesda’s Todd Howard,the destruction of Shady Sands is canon to the video game timeline.
This mainly became an issue because ofthe chalkboard drawing that described the ‘Fall of Shady Sands’ as being some time in 2277, which conflicts with Fallout: New Vegas since the date is four years too soon.
According to Howard in an IGN interviewconcerning the show’s timeline, he says the writers and showrunners are “threading it tighter there, butthe bombs fall just after the events of New Vegas.”
It’s, therefore, confirmed that the date of 2277 was only meant to convey that there was a growing rift in Shady Sands and that things were in turmoil for the community. You could expect thatthe actual bombing happened sometime in the late 2280s.
