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The Fallout TV series has come back to its platform, and it's fair to say that fans were delightfully shocked by the caliber of its initial run. By portraying the atomic-age, post-apocalyptic United States through the eyes of three different characters, it succeeded in capturing multiple facets of the gamer's experience.

There was Lucy the vault dweller, trying to act with integrity and learning that the ruined world made that exceptionally challenging; Brotherhood initiate Max, the militant faction new recruit, who starts doubting his faction's leadership and creates a lot of havoc in robotic power armour; and the Ghoul, a standout performance who has long since lost any ethical bearings out in the contaminated wastes.

Setting the Stage for Season Two

The show's first season conclusion unveiled key information about who helped cause the nuclear war that trapped a population in subterranean shelters for centuries. It also raised numerous mysteries open for the second season – and, this time, expectations are significantly higher.

“We’ll take ‘not terrible’ – we should print that on merchandise,” quips one of the series creators.

“Starting the initial season, people were like, ‘Just get it right’,” adds a key figure from the games. “We are ecstatic with the reception to the show, so now people are arriving with more excitement and new expectations.”

A New Vegas Vibe for Season Two

The new season is taking place in New Vegas, the location of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is frequently celebrated for having the best writing and personalities in the series, even if it was technically flawed at launch.

“It has a desert vibe, a Mojave vibe, that’s so essential to that game,” notes the co-creator. “That parched, blasted-out Route 66 aesthetic of the game is so much rewarding to incorporate into the show.”

In the show's timeline, a long time has elapsed since the events of the New Vegas game by the time the protagonists arrive there. Yet, the creators hint that it acknowledges the player’s journey.

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is notable for its tangible quality – its makers insisted on real props and locations were constructed, echoing the cobbled-together 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 blue screen,” observes another of the showrunners. “The key objective of an translation, especially of a interactive medium, is to seem like it’s tangible.”

In fact, pretty much each creature you see on-screen is practical, even the legendarily scary mutated beasts known as Deathclaws. In the show, they are created using puppets, and were apparently rather intimidating 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 mutual respect for the universe is apparent in the final product.

The new batch of episodes is launching on a episode-by-episode basis rather than as a all-at-once release, marking a change from the first season. This format will allow for a altered audience reaction, a dynamic the showrunners themselves are looking forward to witness.

“It delves deeper, it’s bigger, it’s funnier, it has a lot of revelations,” teases Howard. “I am excited to seeing what people think.”