🔗 Share this article

The post-apocalyptic TV series is back to streaming services, and it's fair to say that audiences were delightfully shocked by the quality of its debut season. By illustrating the atomic-age, post-apocalyptic United States through the lenses of three different characters, it managed to capture different facets of the player's journey.

We followed vault-dweller Lucy, trying to do the right thing and finding that the ruined world made that very difficult; Max, the militant faction rookie, who starts challenging his cult's leadership and causes plenty of trouble in robotic power armour; and the Ghoul, a breakout character who has completely shed any ethical bearings out in the contaminated wastes.

Setting the Stage for the Second Season

The debut season's finale revealed a major secret about who helped cause the nuclear war that trapped a society in subterranean shelters for centuries. It also left several enigmas unresolved for the second season – and, on this occasion, expectations are much greater.

“We’ll take ‘pretty good’ – we should print that on merchandise,” remarks the show's co-creator.

“Heading into the first season, people were like, ‘Just get it right’,” states a key figure from the games. “We are ecstatic with the feedback to the show, so now people are bringing more enthusiasm and altered expectations.”

A New Vegas Vibe for Season Two

The second season is set in New Vegas, the backdrop of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is widely regarded for having the best writing and characters in the series, even if it was technically flawed at launch.

“It embodies a arid atmosphere, a Southwestern essence, that’s so essential to that game,” notes the co-creator. “That dusty, desolate Route 66 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 events of the New Vegas game by the time the protagonists arrive there. However, the creators indicate that it does reference the player’s journey.

Crafting a Tangible World

The Fallout TV series is praised for its tangible quality – its creators insisted on real props and locations were built, echoing the makeshift nature of the settlements in the games.

“Being a genre enthusiast, so many productions I watch, I’m aware that they’re all standing in front of a digital backdrop,” says co-creator Geneva Robertson-Dworet. “The whole point of an adaptation, particularly of a video game, is to appear as if it’s real.”

In fact, pretty much everything you see on-screen is practical, even the legendarily scary mutated beasts known as Deathclaws. In the show, they are brought to life with practical effects, and were reportedly rather intimidating up close.

Made by Fans, for Fans

The Fallout series resonates because it is made by talented film-makers who are also dedicated players, with the help of the game developers behind the source material. This common understanding for the world is evident in the finished show.

The second season is debuting on a weekly basis rather than as a all-at-once release, offering a different experience from the first season. This schedule will allow for a different viewing experience, a dynamic the team themselves are looking forward to witness.

“It's richer, it’s more expansive, it’s more humorous, it has a lot of twists,” promises the game director. “I am excited to seeing what people think.”