🔗 Share this article Behind the Scenes of the Fallout Universe, Gaming’s Most Unexpected TV Hit The Fallout TV show is back to streaming services, and it's fair to say that fans were agreeably astonished by the quality of its debut season. By portraying the retro-futuristic, nuclear-ravaged United States through the eyes of three different characters, it managed to capture various facets of the player's experience. We followed vault-dweller Lucy, striving to do the right thing and finding that the barren landscape made that incredibly hard; Brotherhood initiate Max, the militant faction initiate, who begins to question his organization's dogma and unleashes a lot of havoc in robotic power armour; and Walton Goggins's character, a fan-favorite figure who has completely shed any ethical bearings out in the radioactive wilderness. Building Anticipation for a New Chapter The debut season's conclusion disclosed a major secret about the culprits behind the nuclear war that condemned a group of people in underground vaults for hundreds of years. It also posed several enigmas unresolved for the next installment – and, this time, hopes are significantly higher. “We’ll take ‘pretty good’ – we should print that on merchandise,” quips Jonah Nolan. “Going into the first season, people were like, ‘Just get it right’,” adds Todd Howard. “We’re over the moon with the feedback to the show, so now people are bringing more excitement and new expectations.” The Mojave Beckons for the Next Installment The upcoming season is taking place in New Vegas, the backdrop of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is often praised for having the most compelling narratives and personalities in the series, despite the fact that it was technically flawed at launch. “It has a sun-baked feel, a Southwestern essence, that’s so key to that game,” explains the co-creator. “That parched, desolate Route 66 aesthetic of the game is so much enjoyable to translate into the show.” In the series narrative, a long time has elapsed since the events of the New Vegas game by the time the characters arrive there. Yet, the creators suggest that it will honor the fan's adventure. Crafting a Tangible World The Fallout TV series is notable for its tactile feel – its production team prioritized real props and locations were built, reflecting the improvised nature of the towns in the games. “As a sci-fi fan, so many productions I watch, I’m conscious that they’re all filmed against a green screen,” says co-creator Geneva Robertson-Dworet. “The primary goal of an adaptation, especially of a video game, is to feel like it’s tangible.” Indeed, almost everything you see on-screen is physical, including the infamously terrifying radioactive creatures known as the apex predators. In the show, they are brought to life with animatronics, and were apparently rather intimidating up close. Made by Fans, for Fans The Fallout series resonates because it is crafted by skilled directors who are also longtime fans, in collaboration with the game developers behind the source material. This mutual respect for the lore is apparent in the end result. The new batch of episodes is launching on a episode-by-episode basis rather than as a all-at-once release, offering a different experience from the previous season. This approach will allow for a altered weekly discussion, a dynamic the creators themselves are looking forward to engage with. “It's richer, it’s more expansive, it’s funnier, it has a lot of revelations,” says Howard. “I’m looking forward to seeing what people think.”