🔗 Share this article

The Fallout TV series is back to its platform, and it's accurate to state that viewers were delightfully shocked by the caliber of its first season. By portraying the retro-futuristic, post-apocalyptic United States through the eyes of three different characters, it effectively portrayed multiple facets of the player's journey.

We followed vault-dweller Lucy, attempting to act with integrity and learning that the ruined world made that incredibly hard; Brotherhood initiate Max, the militant faction new recruit, who starts doubting his cult's dogma and causes a lot of havoc in powered exoskeleton; and the Ghoul, a fan-favorite figure who has entirely abandoned any moral compass out in the contaminated badlands.

Setting the Stage for a New Chapter

The show's first season finale revealed key information about who helped cause the atomic conflict that sealed a population in subterranean shelters for centuries. It also raised numerous mysteries unresolved for the second season – and, now, expectations are significantly higher.

“We'd gladly accept ‘pretty good’ – we should print that on merchandise,” quips Jonah Nolan.

“Starting the first season, everyone’s like, ‘Just don't mess it up’,” adds a key figure from the games. “We are thrilled with the feedback to the show, so now people are coming in with more excitement and altered expectations.”

The Mojave Beckons for the Next Installment

The second season is set in the neon-lit city, the backdrop of the beloved game Fallout: New Vegas, which is widely regarded for having the sharpest dialogue and characters in the series, even if it was somewhat buggy at launch.

“It embodies a desert vibe, a Mojave vibe, that’s so key to that game,” notes the co-creator. “That parched, blasted-out iconic highway feeling of the game is so much rewarding to bring into the show.”

In the show's timeline, a considerable period has passed since the story of the New Vegas game by the time the characters make their way there. Yet, the creators indicate that it does reference the fan's adventure.

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is notable for its physical authenticity – its creators insisted on real props and locations were constructed, echoing the makeshift nature of the outposts in the games.

“Being a genre enthusiast, so many series I watch, I’m conscious that they’re all standing in front of a digital backdrop,” comments another of the showrunners. “The key objective of an translation, particularly of a video game, is to feel like it’s authentic.”

Actually, virtually every element you see on-screen is practical, including the notoriously frightening irradiated monsters known as Deathclaws. In the show, they are created using puppets, and were reportedly rather intimidating up close.

A Labor of Love

The Fallout series succeeds because it is made by skilled directors who are also longtime fans, with the help of the game developers behind the franchise. This shared passion for the lore is clear in the finished show.

The new batch of episodes is launching on a weekly basis rather than as a all-at-once release, marking a change from the first season. This approach will create a new viewing experience, something the creators themselves are excited to observe.

“It delves deeper, it’s larger in scale, it’s wittier, it has a lot of revelations,” says the game director. “I am excited to seeing what people think.”