Behind the Scenes of Fallout, the Gaming World’s Most Surprising TV Hit

The post-apocalyptic TV show has come back to streaming services, and it's safe to say that audiences were delightfully shocked by the excellence of its first season. By depicting the atomic-age, post-apocalyptic United States through the lenses of three different characters, it effectively portrayed different facets of the gamer's journey.

There was Lucy the vault dweller, attempting to act with integrity and learning that the ruined world made that very difficult; Brotherhood initiate Max, the militant faction rookie, who begins to question his organization's dogma and unleashes significant chaos in powered exoskeleton; and Walton Goggins's character, a fan-favorite figure who has entirely abandoned any moral compass out in the contaminated wilderness.

Setting the Stage for the Second Season

The debut season's ending unveiled crucial details about those responsible for the nuclear war that trapped a population in underground vaults for hundreds of years. It also left several enigmas unanswered for the second season – and, now, expectations are much greater.

“We’ll take ‘not terrible’ – we should print that on merchandise,” says one of the series creators.

“Going into the initial season, people were like, ‘Just get it right’,” adds Todd Howard. “We are thrilled with the reception to the show, so this time people are coming in with more excitement and altered expectations.”

The Mojave Beckons for Season Two

The upcoming season is located in New Vegas, the setting of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is frequently celebrated for having the best writing and cast in the franchise, despite the fact that it was a bit broken at launch.

“It embodies a arid atmosphere, a Southwestern essence, that’s so essential to that game,” notes the co-creator. “That parched, desolate Route 66 vibe of the game is so much enjoyable to bring into the show.”

In the show's timeline, a considerable period has passed since the story of the New Vegas game by the time the characters make their way there. Nevertheless, the creators hint that it does reference the gamer's experience.

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is praised for its physical authenticity – its creators prioritized physical models and environments were constructed, mirroring the makeshift nature of the outposts in the games.

“Being a genre enthusiast, so many series I watch, I’m aware that they’re all standing in front of a blue screen,” observes co-creator Geneva Robertson-Dworet. “The key objective of an translation, especially of a interactive medium, is to feel like it’s tangible.”

In fact, pretty much every element you see on-screen is real, even the legendarily scary irradiated monsters known as the apex predators. In the show, they are portrayed by practical effects, and were by all accounts quite terrifying up close.

Made by Fans, for Fans

The Fallout series works because it is crafted by talented film-makers who are also dedicated players, in collaboration with the game developers behind the franchise. This shared passion for the lore is clear in the end result.

The new batch of episodes is being released on a episode-by-episode basis rather than as a binge-able batch, offering a different experience from the first season. This schedule will create a new audience reaction, a dynamic the team themselves are looking forward to engage with.

“It's richer, it’s larger in scale, it’s wittier, it has a lot of surprises,” promises Howard. “I can't wait to seeing what people think.”