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

The Fallout TV series has come back to its platform, and it's fair to say that viewers were pleasantly surprised by the excellence of its first season. By depicting the retro-futuristic, nuclear-ravaged United States through the perspectives of three separate characters, it managed to capture multiple facets of the gamer's journey.

We followed vault-dweller Lucy, attempting to uphold her morals and discovering that the barren landscape made that incredibly hard; Brotherhood initiate Max, the militant faction rookie, who starts challenging his cult's leadership and causes plenty of trouble in mechanized battle suit; and Walton Goggins's character, a fan-favorite figure who has long since lost any sense of morality out in the irradiated wilderness.

Setting the Stage for the Second Season

The debut season's ending revealed a major secret about those responsible for the nuclear war that condemned a group of people in bomb-proof bunkers for an extended period. It also raised numerous mysteries open for the next installment – and, this time, expectations are much greater.

“We’ll take ‘pretty good’ – let’s get that on a poster,” quips Jonah Nolan.

“Heading into the first season, everyone’s like, ‘Just don't mess it up’,” states the game director. “We are ecstatic with the feedback to the show, so this time people are bringing more enthusiasm and different expectations.”

The Mojave Beckons for Season Two

The second season is located in the neon-lit city, the location of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is widely regarded for having the best writing and characters in the series, even if it was technically flawed at launch.

“It has a arid atmosphere, a Mojave vibe, that’s so integral to that game,” explains Nolan. “That parched, blasted-out iconic highway vibe of the game is so much rewarding to bring into the show.”

In the series narrative, a significant amount of time has elapsed since the story of the New Vegas game by the time the characters make their way 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 physical authenticity – its creators insisted on authentic items and environments were fabricated, reflecting the cobbled-together nature of the towns in the games.

“As a sci-fi fan, so many series I watch, I’m conscious that they’re all filmed against a green screen,” comments another of the showrunners. “The whole point of an translation, particularly of a interactive medium, is to appear as if it’s tangible.”

In fact, pretty much everything you see on-screen is practical, including the legendarily scary radioactive creatures known as the apex predators. In the show, they are created using puppets, and were apparently pretty frightening up close.

A Labor of Love

The Fallout series works because it is developed by talented film-makers who are also passionate gamers, alongside the original creators behind the video games. This mutual respect for the lore is apparent in the finished show.

The new batch of episodes is being released on a episode-by-episode basis rather than as a full-season drop, representing a shift from the initial release. This format will foster a altered audience reaction, a dynamic the creators themselves are excited to observe.

“It has more depth, it’s bigger, it’s funnier, it has a lot of twists,” says Howard. “I am excited to seeing what people think.”