Champion

Meteor Shower - Mia Bergeron , 2025.

American, b. 1979   -    

Well.

Look at this shot & tell me that there isn't a deeper meaning behind it.

The warm sun behind him makes it seem like he is glowing. Symbolic of Cooper Howard's return.

He's not back yet and he's still got a lot of walls to come down, but this is a glimmer of hope. He's likely going to use Lucy to gain information from Hank & that's why he wants her back, but it's also something to hide behind because he's doing the right thing - something he probably hasn't done in a long time.

And it's especially powerful because the scene was paralleled with Charlie's speech, talking about doing things for the people you love even if they might be bad.

Cooper has done what he's done because a small part of him CARES about Lucy at this point. So when we get to Sad Ghoul Drowning His Sorrows scene (probably in episode 6 or 7), he's probably made that choice to give Lucy over to Hank, because he's been searching for his family for 219 years and he's known Lucy a few weeks so ofc his family trumps a Vault-Dweller that gets on his nerves.

The trouble he finds himself in after betraying her, however, is that by that point he has actually come to care about her a lot more. It's only AFTER Hank has her that he realises this & regrets his choice. Cue teaming up with Max & Thad.

[Walton Goggins] shares one moment that he chose as a first for the Ghoul. When he touches Lucy’s back as she gets sick, “That was the first time I’ve ever touched anyone in this show that wasn’t to harm them. I just want to put my hand on her back.” (x)

The Ghoul and Lucy smiling at each other