🔗 Share this article

The Fallout TV show has come back to its platform, and it's fair to say that fans were delightfully shocked by the caliber of its initial run. By illustrating the atomic-age, post-apocalyptic United States through the eyes of three different characters, it managed to capture multiple facets of the gamer's experience.

We followed vault-dweller Lucy, trying to act with integrity and discovering that the ruined world made that very difficult; Max, the Brotherhood of Steel rookie, who begins to question his organization's leadership and causes a lot of havoc in powered exoskeleton; and Walton Goggins's character, a breakout character who has long since lost any sense of morality out in the contaminated badlands.

Setting the Stage for a New Chapter

The debut season's finale revealed a major secret about who helped cause the atomic conflict that sealed a population in bomb-proof bunkers for centuries. It also posed numerous mysteries open for the second season – and, this time, hopes are significantly higher.

“We’ll take ‘not terrible’ – we should print that on merchandise,” remarks the show's co-creator.

“Heading into the initial season, people were like, ‘Just get it right’,” states the game director. “We are thrilled with the feedback to the show, so now people are arriving with more eagerness and new expectations.”

The Mojave Beckons for the Next Installment

The upcoming season is set in New Vegas, the backdrop of the beloved game Fallout: New Vegas, which is widely regarded for having the best writing and personalities in the franchise, despite the fact that it was somewhat buggy at launch.

“It’s more of a sun-baked feel, a Mojave vibe, that’s so integral to that game,” explains the co-creator. “That dusty, blasted-out Route 66 feeling of the game is so much enjoyable to bring into the show.”

In the series narrative, a considerable period has passed since the story of the New Vegas game by the time the characters arrive there. Nevertheless, the creators suggest that it does reference the gamer's experience.

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is notable for its tangible quality – its production team insisted on physical models and sets were constructed, mirroring the improvised nature of the outposts in the games.

“As a sci-fi fan, so many shows I watch, I’m conscious that they’re all filmed against a green screen,” says another of the showrunners. “The primary goal of an translation, particularly of a video game, is to appear as if it’s tangible.”

In fact, almost every element you see on-screen is practical, including the infamously terrifying irradiated monsters known as Deathclaws. In the show, they are created using practical effects, and were apparently quite terrifying up close.

A Labor of Love

The Fallout series works because it is crafted by skilled directors who are also passionate gamers, alongside the original creators behind the video games. This mutual respect for the lore is evident in the finished show.

The second season is being released on a weekly basis rather than as a all-at-once release, representing a shift from the previous season. This approach will foster a different weekly discussion, a dynamic the creators themselves are eager to engage with.

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