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The Fallout TV show is back to its platform, and it's fair to say that fans were delightfully shocked by the excellence of its debut season. By portraying the retro-futuristic, nuclear-ravaged United States through the perspectives of three different characters, it managed to capture different facets of the player's adventure.

We followed vault-dweller Lucy, trying to act with integrity and discovering that the ruined world made that incredibly hard; Max, the Brotherhood of Steel rookie, who starts doubting his cult's authority and creates plenty of trouble in mechanized battle suit; and Walton Goggins's character, a fan-favorite figure who has completely shed any moral compass out in the irradiated badlands.

Setting the Stage for Season Two

The debut season's ending revealed key information about who helped cause the atomic conflict that sealed a group of people in bomb-proof bunkers for an extended period. It also left numerous mysteries open for the second season – and, on this occasion, expectations are considerably elevated.

“We’ll take ‘not terrible’ – let’s get that on a poster,” says one of the series creators.

“Starting the initial season, people were like, ‘Just get it right’,” comments Todd Howard. “We’re over the moon with the reception to the show, so now people are arriving with more eagerness and altered expectations.”

A New Vegas Vibe for Season Two

The upcoming season is taking place in New Vegas, the location of the beloved game Fallout: New Vegas, which is often praised for having the best writing and cast in the franchise, even if it was a bit broken at launch.

“It’s more of a arid atmosphere, a Mojave vibe, that’s so key to that game,” explains the co-creator. “That parched, blasted-out iconic highway feeling of the game is so much rewarding to translate into the show.”

In the series narrative, a significant amount of time has elapsed since the events of the New Vegas game by the time the protagonists arrive there. Yet, the creators suggest that it does reference the player’s journey.

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is praised for its physical authenticity – its creators ensured physical models and sets were built, echoing the makeshift nature of the settlements in the games.

“As a sci-fi fan, so many productions I watch, I’m aware that they’re all filmed against a blue screen,” observes another of the showrunners. “The whole point of an translation, particularly of a video game, is to feel like it’s tangible.”

Indeed, virtually each creature you see on-screen is physical, including the notoriously frightening irradiated monsters known as the apex predators. In the show, they are brought to life with animatronics, and were apparently quite terrifying up close.

A Labor of Love

The Fallout series succeeds because it is crafted by skilled directors who are also dedicated players, with the help of the visionaries behind the video games. This mutual respect for the universe is apparent in the final product.

The second season is launching on a weekly basis rather than as a full-season drop, representing a shift from the previous season. This format will create a altered weekly discussion, something the showrunners themselves are excited to engage with.

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