Inside the Fallout Universe, the Gaming World’s Most Surprising Small Screen Triumph
The post-apocalyptic TV series has come back to Prime Video, and it's safe to say that viewers were pleasantly surprised by the excellence of its debut season. By portraying the atomic-age, post-apocalyptic United States through the lenses of three distinct characters, it effectively portrayed various facets of the player's experience.
There was Lucy the vault dweller, trying to do the right thing and discovering that the barren landscape made that incredibly hard; Brotherhood initiate Max, the Brotherhood of Steel new recruit, who starts challenging his organization's authority and creates plenty of trouble in powered exoskeleton; and the Ghoul, a breakout character who has entirely abandoned any sense of morality out in the irradiated badlands.
Setting the Stage for a New Chapter
The debut season's ending revealed a major secret about the culprits behind the nuclear war that condemned a group of people in subterranean shelters for hundreds of years. It also posed numerous mysteries open for the second season – and, now, expectations are much greater.
“We'd gladly accept ‘pretty good’ – we should print that on merchandise,” says Jonah Nolan.
“Going into the first season, people were like, ‘Just don't mess it up’,” states Todd Howard. “We are thrilled with the response to the show, so this time people are bringing more enthusiasm and different expectations.”
A New Vegas Vibe for the Next Installment
The new season is located in New Vegas, the location of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is widely regarded for having the most compelling narratives and characters in the series, despite the fact that it was technically flawed at launch.
“It has a desert vibe, a Southwestern essence, that’s so essential to that game,” notes Nolan. “That dusty, blasted-out iconic highway aesthetic of the game is so much enjoyable to translate into the show.”
In the show's timeline, a considerable period has elapsed since the events of the New Vegas game by the time the characters make their way there. Yet, the creators hint that it acknowledges the fan's adventure.
The Importance of Physical Sets
The Fallout TV series is praised for its tangible quality – its production team insisted on authentic items and locations were fabricated, mirroring the makeshift nature of the outposts in the games.
“Being a genre enthusiast, so many shows I watch, I’m aware that they’re all filmed against a green screen,” comments another of the showrunners. “The primary goal of an adaptation, particularly of a interactive medium, is to seem like it’s authentic.”
In fact, almost every element you see on-screen is practical, even the legendarily scary mutated beasts known as Deathclaws. In the show, they are created using puppets, and were reportedly quite terrifying up close.
A Labor of Love
The Fallout series resonates because it is made by accomplished storytellers who are also passionate gamers, alongside the visionaries behind the source material. This mutual respect for the lore is apparent in the final product.
The second season is being released on a weekly basis rather than as a binge-able batch, marking a change from the first season. This schedule will allow for a altered audience reaction, something the showrunners themselves are excited to witness.
“It delves deeper, it’s bigger, it’s funnier, it has a lot of surprises,” says Howard. “I’m looking forward to seeing what people think.”