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

The post-apocalyptic TV series is back to its platform, and it's safe to say that audiences were pleasantly surprised by the quality of its initial run. By depicting the atomic-age, post-apocalyptic United States through the perspectives of three separate characters, it succeeded in capturing multiple facets of the player's experience.

We followed Lucy the vault dweller, striving to do the right thing and finding that the barren landscape made that very difficult; Max, the militant faction new recruit, who begins to question his faction's authority and unleashes significant chaos in powered exoskeleton; and the Ghoul, a standout performance who has entirely abandoned any sense of morality out in the irradiated wilderness.

Setting the Stage for the Second Season

The debut season's ending revealed crucial details about the culprits behind the global annihilation that sealed a population in underground vaults for hundreds of years. It also left plenty of questions unanswered for the upcoming chapter – and, now, hopes are significantly higher.

“We'd gladly accept ‘not terrible’ – let’s get that on a poster,” remarks one of the series creators.

“Heading into the first season, everyone’s like, ‘Just get it right’,” adds Todd Howard. “We are thrilled with the feedback to the show, so now people are coming in with more excitement and new expectations.”

A New Vegas Vibe for Season Two

The upcoming season is set in the neon-lit city, the location of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is widely regarded for having the most compelling narratives and personalities in the franchise, even if it was a bit broken at launch.

“It embodies a desert vibe, a Mojave vibe, that’s so integral to that game,” says Nolan. “That dusty, blasted-out Route 66 vibe of the game is so much enjoyable to incorporate into the show.”

In the series narrative, a considerable period has elapsed since the events of the New Vegas game by the time the characters arrive there. However, the creators suggest that it acknowledges the fan's adventure.

Crafting a Tangible World

The Fallout TV series is praised for its tangible quality – its makers insisted on physical models and environments were built, mirroring the improvised nature of the towns in the games.

“As a sci-fi fan, so many shows I watch, I’m aware that they’re all filmed against a green screen,” says another of the showrunners. “The primary goal of an adaptation, particularly of a video game, is to appear as if it’s tangible.”

Actually, almost each creature you see on-screen is physical, even the legendarily scary mutated beasts known as Deathclaws. In the show, they are portrayed by practical effects, and were by all accounts pretty frightening up close.

A Labor of Love

The Fallout series works because it is made by accomplished storytellers who are also dedicated players, in collaboration with the original creators behind the source material. 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, offering a different experience from the initial release. This approach will create a different audience reaction, a dynamic the team themselves are looking forward to observe.

“It delves deeper, it’s more expansive, it’s wittier, it has a lot of revelations,” promises Howard. “I’m looking forward to seeing what people think.”