Exploring the Fallout Universe, Gaming’s Most Astonishing Small Screen Triumph
The post-apocalyptic TV show has come back to its platform, and it's fair to say that audiences were pleasantly surprised by the quality of its initial run. By depicting the retro-futuristic, post-apocalyptic United States through the perspectives of three separate characters, it succeeded in capturing multiple facets of the gamer's journey.
We followed vault-dweller Lucy, attempting to uphold her morals and discovering that the ruined world made that very difficult; Brotherhood initiate Max, the militant faction initiate, who starts doubting his organization's dogma and creates a lot of havoc in mechanized battle suit; and Walton Goggins's character, a breakout character who has long since lost any moral compass out in the irradiated wilderness.
Setting the Stage for a New Chapter
The show's first season finale unveiled crucial details about those responsible for the global annihilation that trapped a group of people in subterranean shelters for hundreds of years. It also left plenty of questions open for the upcoming chapter – and, this time, anticipations are much greater.
“We’ll take ‘not terrible’ – we should print that on merchandise,” quips the show's co-creator.
“Starting the initial season, people were like, ‘Just don't mess it up’,” states Todd Howard. “We’re over the moon with the reception to the show, so now people are arriving with more eagerness and altered expectations.”
The Mojave Beckons for the Next Installment
The second season is set in New Vegas, the setting of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is widely regarded for having the sharpest dialogue and cast in the franchise, even if it was somewhat buggy at launch.
“It embodies a arid atmosphere, a Southwestern essence, that’s so integral to that game,” notes the co-creator. “That dusty, desolate Route 66 feeling of the game is so much rewarding to translate into the show.”
In the show's timeline, a considerable period has elapsed since the story of the New Vegas game by the time the characters make their way there. Nevertheless, the creators indicate that it does reference the fan's adventure.
Crafting a Tangible World
The Fallout TV series is distinguished by its tactile feel – its production team insisted on real props and locations were constructed, reflecting the makeshift nature of the towns in the games.
“Being a genre enthusiast, so many productions I watch, I’m aware that they’re all standing in front of a blue screen,” says another of the showrunners. “The key objective of an translation, especially of a interactive medium, is to seem like it’s authentic.”
In fact, virtually every element you see on-screen is physical, even the legendarily scary irradiated monsters known as Deathclaws. In the show, they are portrayed by animatronics, and were by all accounts pretty frightening up close.
A Labor of Love
The Fallout series succeeds because it is crafted by accomplished storytellers who are also longtime fans, with the help of the original creators behind the video games. This mutual respect for the world is apparent in the end result.
The second season is launching on a episode-by-episode basis rather than as a all-at-once release, marking a change from the first season. This format will create a different viewing experience, something the team themselves are excited to engage with.
“It's richer, it’s more expansive, it’s more humorous, it has a lot of twists,” teases Howard. “I can't wait to seeing what people think.”