🔗 Share this article

The post-apocalyptic TV show is back to its platform, and it's accurate to state that audiences were delightfully shocked by the caliber of its first season. By illustrating the atomic-age, nuclear-ravaged United States through the lenses of three different characters, it effectively portrayed various facets of the player's experience.

There was vault-dweller Lucy, striving to act with integrity and finding that the ruined world made that very difficult; Max, the Brotherhood of Steel rookie, who begins to question his organization's authority and unleashes a lot of havoc in powered exoskeleton; and Walton Goggins's character, a fan-favorite figure who has long since lost any ethical bearings out in the irradiated wastes.

Setting the Stage for the Second Season

The debut season's conclusion revealed crucial details about the culprits behind the global annihilation that trapped a group of people in subterranean shelters for an extended period. It also left several enigmas open for the upcoming chapter – and, now, anticipations are much greater.

“We’ll take ‘pretty good’ – let’s get that on a poster,” says the show's co-creator.

“Starting the initial season, people were like, ‘Just don't mess it up’,” adds Todd Howard. “We’re over the moon with the reception to the show, so now people are arriving with more enthusiasm and different expectations.”

A New Vegas Vibe for Season Two

The upcoming season is set in the neon-lit city, the backdrop of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is widely regarded for having the best writing and characters in the franchise, even if it was somewhat buggy at launch.

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

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

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is notable for its physical authenticity – its creators prioritized physical models and environments were constructed, reflecting the cobbled-together nature of the towns in the games.

“As a sci-fi fan, so many shows I watch, I’m conscious that they’re all filmed against a blue screen,” comments co-creator Geneva Robertson-Dworet. “The whole point of an adaptation, especially of a interactive medium, is to appear as if it’s real.”

In fact, pretty much each creature you see on-screen is practical, even the legendarily scary irradiated monsters known as Deathclaws. In the show, they are created using puppets, and were apparently rather intimidating up close.

A Labor of Love

The Fallout series resonates because it is developed by talented film-makers who are also passionate gamers, in collaboration with the visionaries behind the franchise. This shared passion for the universe is clear in the end result.

The new batch of episodes is debuting on a episode-by-episode basis rather than as a binge-able batch, marking a change from the first season. This format will create a different viewing experience, a dynamic the showrunners themselves are excited to witness.

“It's richer, it’s larger in scale, it’s more humorous, it has a lot of revelations,” says Howard. “I’m looking forward to seeing what people think.”