Behind the Scenes of Fallout, Gaming’s Most Surprising Small Screen Triumph

The post-apocalyptic TV series has made a triumphant return to its platform, and it's safe to say that fans were pleasantly surprised by the quality of its debut season. By portraying the retro-futuristic, nuclear-ravaged United States through the lenses of three separate characters, it effectively portrayed various facets of the player's adventure.

We followed Lucy the vault dweller, striving to uphold her morals and finding that the ruined world made that very difficult; Max, the militant faction new recruit, who starts challenging his faction's dogma and unleashes plenty of trouble in powered exoskeleton; and Walton Goggins's character, a fan-favorite figure who has long since lost any sense of morality out in the radioactive badlands.

Setting the Stage for the Second Season

The show's first season finale revealed key information about those responsible for the global annihilation that sealed a population in bomb-proof bunkers for hundreds of years. It also posed plenty of questions unresolved for the next installment – and, now, hopes are significantly higher.

“We'd gladly accept ‘not terrible’ – let’s get that on a poster,” remarks Jonah Nolan.

“Going into the first season, everyone’s like, ‘Just get it right’,” adds a key figure from the games. “We’re over the moon with the reception to the show, so this time people are arriving with more eagerness and altered expectations.”

A New Vegas Vibe for Season Two

The upcoming season is located in New Vegas, the location of the beloved game Fallout: New Vegas, which is widely regarded for having the most compelling narratives and characters in the series, despite the fact that it was a bit broken at launch.

“It has a sun-baked feel, a Southwestern essence, that’s so integral to that game,” notes Nolan. “That parched, blasted-out Route 66 aesthetic of the game is so much fun to translate into the show.”

In the series narrative, a considerable period has elapsed since the story of the New Vegas game by the time the protagonists arrive there. Yet, the creators indicate that it will honor the fan's adventure.

Crafting a Tangible World

The Fallout TV series is notable for its tangible quality – its makers ensured physical models and sets were built, echoing the makeshift nature of the towns in the games.

“As a sci-fi fan, so many shows I watch, I’m conscious that they’re all standing in front of a blue screen,” comments co-creator Geneva Robertson-Dworet. “The primary goal of an adaptation, especially of a video game, is to seem like it’s real.”

Actually, virtually each creature you see on-screen is real, even the infamously terrifying mutated beasts known as the apex predators. In the show, they are created using practical effects, and were by all accounts pretty frightening up close.

Made by Fans, for Fans

The Fallout series works because it is made by talented film-makers who are also longtime fans, in collaboration with the original creators behind the source material. This mutual respect for the lore is apparent in the final product.

The second season is being released 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 altered audience reaction, something the creators themselves are excited to engage with.

“It delves deeper, it’s more expansive, it’s more humorous, it has a lot of twists,” says the game director. “I can't wait to seeing what people think.”