🔗 Share this article

The post-apocalyptic TV series has made a triumphant return to streaming services, and it's accurate to state that audiences were pleasantly surprised by the excellence of its first season. By portraying the atomic-age, nuclear-ravaged United States through the lenses of three distinct characters, it effectively portrayed different facets of the gamer's experience.

We followed Lucy the vault dweller, attempting to do the right thing and discovering that the ruined world made that incredibly hard; Max, the Brotherhood of Steel rookie, who starts doubting his cult's leadership and creates a lot of havoc in powered exoskeleton; and the Ghoul, a fan-favorite figure who has entirely abandoned any ethical bearings out in the radioactive wastes.

Building Anticipation for Season Two

The show's first season conclusion revealed a major secret about the culprits behind the nuclear war that condemned a group of people in underground vaults for centuries. It also raised plenty of questions unanswered for the next installment – and, on this occasion, hopes are much greater.

“We’ll take ‘not terrible’ – let’s get that on a poster,” quips Jonah Nolan.

“Heading into the initial season, everyone’s like, ‘Just don't mess it up’,” comments a key figure from the games. “We’re over the moon with the reception to the show, so this time people are arriving with more enthusiasm and new expectations.”

A New Vegas Vibe for the Next Installment

The new season is set in New Vegas, the setting of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is often praised for having the best writing and personalities in the franchise, despite the fact that it was technically flawed at launch.

“It embodies a desert vibe, a Mojave vibe, that’s so essential to that game,” explains Nolan. “That dusty, blasted-out iconic highway aesthetic of the game is so much fun to translate into the show.”

In the show's timeline, a significant amount of time has elapsed since the story of the New Vegas game by the time the characters arrive there. Nevertheless, the creators hint that it does reference the gamer's experience.

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is distinguished by its physical authenticity – its makers ensured physical models and environments were built, echoing the makeshift nature of the outposts in the games.

“As a sci-fi fan, so many productions I watch, I’m conscious that they’re all filmed against a blue screen,” observes another of the showrunners. “The key objective of an adaptation, particularly of a video game, is to seem like it’s real.”

Actually, pretty much every element you see on-screen is physical, including the infamously terrifying mutated beasts known as Deathclaws. In the show, they are portrayed by practical effects, and were reportedly quite terrifying up close.

Made by Fans, for Fans

The Fallout series resonates because it is developed by accomplished storytellers who are also longtime fans, alongside the game developers behind the source material. This mutual respect for the world is clear in the end result.

The second season is being released on a weekly basis rather than as a full-season drop, representing a shift from the first season. This schedule will allow for a altered viewing experience, a dynamic the showrunners themselves are excited to witness.

“It delves deeper, it’s larger in scale, it’s funnier, it has a lot of surprises,” says Howard. “I’m looking forward to seeing what people think.”