Behind the Scenes of the Fallout Universe, the Gaming World’s Most Astonishing Small Screen Triumph

The Fallout TV series has come back to streaming services, and it's fair to say that fans were pleasantly surprised by the excellence of its first season. By depicting the atomic-age, post-apocalyptic United States through the perspectives of three different characters, it effectively portrayed various facets of the gamer's journey.

There was Lucy the vault dweller, attempting to uphold her morals and finding that the wasteland made that exceptionally challenging; Brotherhood initiate Max, the militant faction new recruit, who starts doubting his organization's leadership and creates significant chaos in robotic power armour; and the Ghoul, a fan-favorite figure who has long since lost any sense of morality out in the irradiated wastes.

Setting the Stage for a New Chapter

The debut season's finale unveiled crucial details about those responsible for the global annihilation that sealed a society in bomb-proof bunkers for an extended period. It also left plenty of questions unresolved for the second season – and, this time, hopes are significantly higher.

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

“Going into the first season, people were like, ‘Just get it right’,” comments a key figure from the games. “We’re over the moon with the reception to the show, so now people are bringing more eagerness and new expectations.”

A New Vegas Vibe for Season Two

The new season is taking place in New Vegas, the backdrop of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is widely regarded for having the sharpest dialogue and cast in the series, despite the fact that it was a bit broken at launch.

“It’s more of a desert vibe, a Southwestern essence, that’s so key to that game,” notes Nolan. “That dusty, blasted-out Route 66 vibe of the game is so much fun to incorporate into the show.”

In the show's timeline, a long time has passed since the events of the New Vegas game by the time the protagonists arrive there. Yet, the creators indicate that it does reference the player’s journey.

Crafting a Tangible World

The Fallout TV series is distinguished by its tactile feel – its production team ensured real props and sets were fabricated, 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 standing in front of a digital backdrop,” comments another of the showrunners. “The key objective of an adaptation, particularly of a interactive medium, is to seem like it’s real.”

Indeed, almost everything you see on-screen is physical, even the notoriously frightening irradiated monsters known as the apex predators. In the show, they are brought to life with animatronics, and were by all accounts pretty frightening up close.

Made by Fans, for Fans

The Fallout series resonates because it is crafted by skilled directors who are also dedicated players, in collaboration with the visionaries behind the video games. This common understanding for the world is apparent in the end result.

The second season is launching on a episode-by-episode basis rather than as a full-season drop, representing a shift from the previous season. This schedule will create a different weekly discussion, a dynamic the showrunners themselves are eager to engage with.

“It's richer, it’s more expansive, it’s wittier, it has a lot of twists,” says the game director. “I am excited to seeing what people think.”