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The post-apocalyptic TV series is back to its platform, and it's fair to say that viewers were delightfully shocked by the quality of its first season. By portraying the atomic-age, post-apocalyptic United States through the perspectives of three separate characters, it succeeded in capturing multiple facets of the gamer's journey.

There was Lucy the vault dweller, attempting to do the right thing and learning that the ruined world made that incredibly hard; Max, the Brotherhood of Steel new recruit, who begins to question his faction's dogma and creates a lot of havoc in powered exoskeleton; and the Ghoul, a standout performance who has completely shed any moral compass out in the irradiated badlands.

Setting the Stage for a New Chapter

The debut season's ending unveiled a major secret about those responsible for the nuclear war that sealed a society in subterranean shelters for hundreds of years. It also left numerous mysteries unresolved for the upcoming chapter – and, this time, anticipations are significantly higher.

“We’ll take ‘pretty good’ – we should print that on merchandise,” remarks the show's co-creator.

“Heading into the first season, people were like, ‘Just get it right’,” comments a key figure from the games. “We are ecstatic with the response to the show, so this time people are bringing more enthusiasm and new expectations.”

A New Vegas Vibe for the Next Installment

The upcoming season is taking place in the neon-lit city, the backdrop of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is widely regarded for having the sharpest dialogue and personalities in the franchise, even if it was a bit broken at launch.

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

In the show's timeline, a significant amount of time has elapsed since the story of the New Vegas game by the time the protagonists make their way there. Yet, the creators hint that it does reference the fan's adventure.

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is distinguished by its physical authenticity – its makers insisted on real props and environments were fabricated, reflecting the cobbled-together nature of the outposts in the games.

“As a sci-fi fan, so many series I watch, I’m aware that they’re all standing in front of a digital backdrop,” comments another of the showrunners. “The primary goal of an translation, especially of a video game, is to appear as if it’s real.”

Indeed, almost each creature you see on-screen is real, even the notoriously frightening mutated beasts known as Deathclaws. In the show, they are portrayed by puppets, and were apparently rather intimidating up close.

Made by Fans, for Fans

The Fallout series works because it is made by talented film-makers who are also dedicated players, with the help of the game developers behind the video games. This shared passion 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 binge-able batch, representing a shift from the previous season. This approach will foster a different audience reaction, something the showrunners themselves are excited to engage with.

“It's richer, it’s bigger, it’s funnier, it has a lot of revelations,” promises the game director. “I’m looking forward to seeing what people think.”