Fallout TV show season one: What are the experiments in Vault 32 and 33?

Throughout the Fallout television series on Amazon Prime, viewers were initially led to believe Vault-tec and the Vault dwellers are the good guys. But as it turns out, Vault-tec and its corporate body were performing experiments, and most vaults, like 32 and 33, were subject to different experiments.

The Fallout series referenced three Vaults: 31, 32, and 33. The latter is where Lucy is from, and 31 is where the former Vault-tec employees are cryogenically frozen and released when needed.

So, while Vault 31 and its role in the interlinked system are explained, Vaults 32 and 33’s experiments aren’t easy to figure out.

What is the experiment in Vault 32 in Fallout?

Vault 32’s experiment involved overpopulation. Two critical elements in the Fallout television series confirm this:

1. The mice doco on TV when Norm and Chet explored Vault 32 in episode four.
2. The executive of Big MT suggested the overpopulation competition idea in episode eight. 

In episode four, the narrator mentions overpopulation occurs when mice are given everything they need, like a place to sleep and all the food they can eat. At this moment, the mice fight for food and space, which is likely how most people of Vault 32 die—by killing and eating each other. But as the Vaulties of 32 appear to have known the truth regarding the Vaults and their experiment, this could have fueled their survival instincts.

In episode eight, Frederick Sinclair, the leading executive for Big MT, suggests the idea of overpopulation. He wanted to see a vault featuring people competing to survive, where only the best, brightest, and strongest win. This, more than likely, became Vault 32.

What is the experiment in Vault 33 in Fallout?

In The Beginning, which is episode eight, The Brain mentions that Vault 33 and Vault 32 were breeding pools for the Vault-tec employees who were cryogenically frozen in Vault 31. By breeding with the Vaulties from 32 and 33, Bud (the Brain) hoped to create the ultimate human fit for management.

Because Vault 32 was overpopulated, exchanging people every three years helped ensure breeding between relatives did not occur and brought fresh blood into Vault 33. This also meant that only the smartest, strongest, and best people were exchanged between Vaults, enhancing the pools to create even better managers.

So, if you were wondering what experiments were occurring in the Vaults, re-watch episodes four and eight to uncover more Easter eggs, details surrounding their purpose, and who caused the explosion in Fallout.