Inside the Fallout Universe, the Gaming World’s Most Surprising TV Hit

The Fallout TV series has come back to streaming services, and it's accurate to state that viewers were pleasantly surprised by the quality of its debut season. By depicting the retro-futuristic, nuclear-ravaged United States through the perspectives of three different characters, it succeeded in capturing multiple facets of the gamer's adventure.

There was Lucy the vault dweller, attempting to act with integrity and learning that the barren landscape made that exceptionally challenging; Max, the Brotherhood of Steel initiate, who starts challenging his faction's leadership and causes plenty of trouble in powered exoskeleton; and Walton Goggins's character, a fan-favorite figure who has long since lost any moral compass out in the radioactive wilderness.

Setting the Stage for Season Two

The debut season's finale disclosed crucial details about the culprits behind the nuclear war that condemned a population in subterranean shelters for centuries. It also posed several enigmas open for the upcoming chapter – and, now, anticipations are significantly higher.

“We'd gladly accept ‘pretty good’ – let’s get that on a poster,” quips Jonah Nolan.

“Going into the first season, people were like, ‘Just don't mess it up’,” comments the game director. “We’re over the moon with the feedback to the show, so this time people are coming in with more eagerness and new expectations.”

A New Vegas Vibe for Season Two

The upcoming season is taking place in the neon-lit city, the setting of the beloved game Fallout: New Vegas, which is widely regarded for having the most compelling narratives and characters in the series, even if it was technically flawed at launch.

“It has a desert vibe, a Southwestern essence, that’s so key to that game,” explains Nolan. “That dusty, desolate Route 66 feeling of the game is so much enjoyable to bring into the show.”

In the series narrative, a significant amount of time has elapsed since the events of the New Vegas game by the time the characters make their way there. Nevertheless, the creators suggest that it does reference the player’s journey.

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is notable for its tangible quality – its creators insisted on physical models and locations were fabricated, mirroring the cobbled-together nature of the settlements in the games.

“Being a genre enthusiast, so many shows I watch, I’m aware that they’re all standing in front of a green screen,” comments co-creator Geneva Robertson-Dworet. “The primary goal of an adaptation, particularly of a video game, is to seem like it’s authentic.”

In fact, pretty much everything you see on-screen is real, even the infamously terrifying radioactive creatures known as the apex predators. In the show, they are brought to life with puppets, and were by all accounts quite terrifying up close.

A Labor of Love

The Fallout series works because it is developed by talented film-makers who are also longtime fans, in collaboration with the game developers behind the video games. This shared passion for the world is clear in the final product.

The new batch of episodes is being released on a episode-by-episode basis rather than as a all-at-once release, offering a different experience from the initial release. This approach will allow for a different weekly discussion, something the showrunners themselves are excited to observe.

“It delves deeper, it’s more expansive, it’s wittier, it has a lot of revelations,” says Howard. “I can't wait to seeing what people think.”