🔗 Share this article

The post-apocalyptic TV series is back to Prime Video, and it's fair to say that viewers were delightfully shocked by the caliber of its debut season. By illustrating the retro-futuristic, post-apocalyptic United States through the eyes of three separate characters, it managed to capture various facets of the player's journey.

There was Lucy the vault dweller, striving to act with integrity and discovering that the ruined world made that very difficult; Max, the militant faction rookie, who begins to question his faction's authority and unleashes a lot of havoc in mechanized battle suit; and Walton Goggins's character, a standout performance who has completely shed any moral compass out in the radioactive badlands.

Setting the Stage for the Second Season

The debut season's finale unveiled key information about the culprits behind the nuclear war that sealed a group of people in subterranean shelters for centuries. It also posed plenty of questions unanswered for the next installment – and, now, expectations are significantly higher.

“We'd gladly accept ‘not terrible’ – we should print that on merchandise,” quips one of the series creators.

“Starting the initial season, people were like, ‘Just don't mess it up’,” states a key figure from the games. “We are ecstatic with the feedback to the show, so this time people are bringing more excitement and altered expectations.”

A New Vegas Vibe for the Next Installment

The upcoming season is taking place in New Vegas, the backdrop of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is frequently celebrated for having the most compelling narratives and personalities in the franchise, even if it was a bit broken at launch.

“It has a arid atmosphere, a Southwestern essence, that’s so integral to that game,” notes the co-creator. “That dusty, desolate iconic highway aesthetic of the game is so much rewarding to incorporate into the show.”

In the series narrative, a considerable period has passed since the events of the New Vegas game by the time the protagonists make their way 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 insisted on authentic items and locations were constructed, mirroring the makeshift nature of the settlements 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 primary goal of an adaptation, particularly of a video game, is to feel like it’s authentic.”

In fact, virtually each creature you see on-screen is physical, even the infamously terrifying radioactive creatures known as Deathclaws. In the show, they are created using puppets, and were by all accounts rather intimidating up close.

Made by Fans, for Fans

The Fallout series works because it is crafted by talented film-makers who are also longtime fans, with the help of the original creators behind the video games. This common understanding for the lore is apparent in the final product.

The new batch of episodes is debuting on a episode-by-episode basis rather than as a binge-able batch, representing a shift from the initial release. This schedule will foster a new viewing experience, a dynamic the showrunners themselves are looking forward to witness.

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