In Fallout Season 2, Robert House is introduced as the major antagonist of the season, who is the ruler of New Vegas. But he has a long history. Robert House was a visionary, but a ruthless one, and the CEO of RobCo Industries, who survived the Great War by life-preservation ruling New Vegas from his Lucky 38 penthouse via Securitron robots.In Fallout Season 2, episode 3, The Profligate, in a flashback scene, House insults Cooper Howard by calling him a “pinko.” The word is meant to demean Cooper and question his loyalty. Although the term is no longer used today, it carries a strong political meaning within the show’s setting.Why Robert House calls Cooper a pinko in Fallout Season 2In Fallout Season 2, the word “pinko” is used with a clear intent. Robert House, played by Justin Theroux, calls Cooper a “pinko” during a flashback scene. The term was historically used as an insult for people who supported selective communist ideas without fully committing to communism. The word has political symbolism. It is common knowledge that red is the colour that has been associated with communism for years, and the word “pinko” suggests a lighter version of red. In other words, it refers to someone who is not fully communist but still sympathetic to those beliefs. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostDuring the mid-20th century, this term was often thrown at left-leaning liberals. These were people who questioned capitalism or refused to aggressively oppose communism, but weren't completely in favor of it either. Even if someone lightly disagreed with capitalist views, they would often be called “pinko.” This context is similar to that of the show because its setting mirrors a retrofuturistic version of 1950s America. The show blends advanced technology with Cold War fear, making political insults like this feel authentic.In Fallout Season 2, when we see House use this word, he does not use it lightly. He calls Cooper a “pinko” because, as we see through Cooper's backstory, he initially viewed himself as anti-communist. His time during the Sino-American War shaped his early beliefs, and he supported the American attitude against communism. At this stage, House would have seen Cooper as politically aligned with him.However, as the flashbacks in Fallout Season 2 show, that alignment began to crack. Cooper grew bitter after witnessing how powerful corporations exploited citizens with the government's approval. This realization caused him to lose faith in the system he once used to defend. Cooper later befriended a committed communist and attended several meetings meant for radicals, but still did not exactly advocate for communism. Despite that, he was publicly labeled a communist. From House’s perspective, this association was enough to call Cooper a “pinko", in an attempt to make him feel inferior or politically wrong. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostFallout Season 2 makes it clear that Cooper’s political stance is not extreme. Neither does he claim to be a communist, nor does he blindly support the American government. His beliefs sit somewhere in between, and he questions unchecked capitalism but does not fully embrace the communist ideology. This middle ground is what makes him dangerous in the eyes of people like House. In the political climate shown in Fallout Season 2, neutrality or doubt is seen as betrayal.House using the insult “pinko" highlights how polarized the pre-war world had become. The term says more about Robert House’s intolerance than Cooper’s true beliefs. It reinforces the idea that in the pre-war world, and even after it, questioning power is enough to make you an enemy, and somebody who deserved to be called demeaning terms.Fallout Season 2 episode 3, titled The Profligate is streaming on Prime Video. Episode 4 will be released on January 7, 2026.For more articles like this, follow Soap Central.