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The Fallout TV show is back to its platform, and it's safe to say that audiences were pleasantly surprised by the quality of its first season. By portraying the retro-futuristic, post-apocalyptic United States through the eyes of three different characters, it succeeded in capturing different facets of the gamer's journey.

We followed Lucy the vault dweller, attempting to act with integrity and discovering that the barren landscape made that exceptionally challenging; Brotherhood initiate Max, the Brotherhood of Steel rookie, who starts challenging 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 sense of morality out in the irradiated wastes.

Setting the Stage for Season Two

The debut season's conclusion unveiled crucial details about the culprits behind the nuclear war that trapped a society in bomb-proof bunkers for centuries. It also left numerous mysteries unresolved for the upcoming chapter – and, now, hopes are significantly higher.

“We’ll take ‘not terrible’ – let’s get that on a poster,” quips Jonah Nolan.

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

A New Vegas Vibe for Season Two

The new season is located in New Vegas, the setting of the beloved game Fallout: New Vegas, which is widely regarded for having the sharpest dialogue and characters in the series, even if it was a bit broken at launch.

“It’s more of a arid atmosphere, a Southwestern essence, that’s so essential to that game,” explains the co-creator. “That dusty, desolate Route 66 aesthetic of the game is so much fun to bring into the show.”

In the show's timeline, a significant amount of time has passed since the story of the New Vegas game by the time the characters make their way there. Yet, the creators suggest that it does reference the player’s journey.

Crafting a Tangible World

The Fallout TV series is distinguished by its tangible quality – its makers ensured physical models and locations were constructed, mirroring the improvised nature of the settlements in the games.

“Being a genre enthusiast, so many shows I watch, I’m conscious that they’re all filmed against a blue screen,” comments another of the showrunners. “The primary goal of an adaptation, particularly of a interactive medium, is to appear as if it’s real.”

Actually, pretty much everything you see on-screen is physical, including the infamously terrifying irradiated monsters known as the apex predators. In the show, they are created using puppets, and were by all accounts quite terrifying up close.

A Labor of Love

The Fallout series works because it is made by talented film-makers who are also passionate gamers, in collaboration with the game developers behind the franchise. This mutual respect for the world is evident in the final product.

The new batch of episodes is being released on a episode-by-episode basis rather than as a all-at-once release, representing a shift from the previous season. This format will allow for a different viewing experience, something the team themselves are excited to engage with.

“It has more depth, it’s larger in scale, it’s more humorous, it has a lot of revelations,” says Howard. “I am excited to seeing what people think.”