Whenever it’s announced that some large streaming service is working on a live action adaptation of a beloved video game franchise, I immediately think of all of the ways they could fuck it up. Take the Halo series, for example. Fans of that franchise have been suffering a lot lately due to the recent games not being up to par with it’s predecessors and then they get the abomination that is the Halo TV show stuffed down their throat. So when Amazon announced that they wanted to bring Fallout to the silver screen, audiences and fans alike were not so enthusiastic. You see, the world of Fallout is rich with lore that even the most hardcore fans have a hard time keeping up with. The timeline of Fallout spans hundreds of years with the games taking place between the years 2161-2287. With that in mind, it’s a tall order to not break the lore, introduce good characters, make the show have that Fallout esthetic, AND tell a compelling story. And you know what? They did it.
I’ll keep this as spoiler free as possible as I want people to go watch the show. Fallout follows four main characters; The Ghoul, Lucy, Norman, and Maximus. It uses these characters’ interweaving arcs to tell 4 different stories that end up converging into a fantastic finale.
The Ghoul
Played by veteran actor Walton Goggins, The Ghoul is arguably the most interesting character in the show. Touted as one of the most fearsome bounty hunters in the Wasteland, The Ghoul is not someone to be trifled with. It becomes increasingly apparent that he has been around for a very long time. So long, in fact, that he witnessed the dropping of the first bombs onto California. The only reason he is still alive is because he is a Ghoul and has seemingly not turned feral due to an unknown chem that keeps him sane. However, you as the audience may wonder why he carries on. Why not let his condition take over him? Why keep going after 200+ years? That is the question that will keep you hooked on his specific story.
Lucy
Lucy is perhaps the most familiar and relatable character to those that played the games. Lucy was born and raised in Vault 33 alongside her brother, Norman. Vault 33 is depicted as an ideal image of human society. Everyone has a role and contributes to the well being of the Vault. Life couldn’t be better than this. That is, until the vault was attacked by raiders and Vault 33’s Overseer, Lucy’s father, was kidnapped. Afterwards, Lucy set out to the surface for the very first time to track down her father and bring him home. Along the way, she learns the rules and dangers of the Wasteland. She has to adjust on the fly and differentiate friend from foe. Of course, there are twists and turns that changes her perspective on Vaults, the Wasteland, and her overall existence.
Norman
The younger brother of Lucy, Norman, is portrayed as the ‘downer’ of Vault 33. Unsatisfied with the redundancy of Vault life, Norman has a hard time caring about anything. However, after the raider attack and Lucy’s departure, Norman starts to ponder how and why this happened and senses there may be something bigger going on. He investigates the neighboring Vaults 32 and eventually 31 where he discovers that not everything is what it appears to be. Are the Vaults really safe? Why is every Overseer in Vault 33’s history a transplant from Vault 31? Questions, questions, questions.
Maximus
An orphan due to the destruction of Shady Sands, the capital of the New California Republic, Maximus is ‘adopted’ by the Brotherhood of Steel (a powerful faction known throughout the Wasteland). Trying to work his way up in the ranks of the Brotherhood, Maximus finds himself traveling alongside a Knight in Power Armor on a mission to retrieve an object that could objectively control the Wasteland and it’s inhabitants. Maximus must carefully toe the line of survival and not losing his morality as the Wasteland is not a place for heroes.
Although all of these characters have different drives, goals, and aspirations, the events of the show force them to cross paths unknowingly after the same objective (minus Norman as he remains int he Vaults).
It’s through these separate journeys that really help flesh out the world and show the audience what all is going on with the different factions, mutated creatures, and unique dangers the Wasteland holds. There is, of course, plenty of Easter Eggs and references that will satisfy even the biggest of Fallout fans, however, they don’t act as jingling keys or distract from the main plot of the story.
Another positive about this show is that it really looks and feels like it’s a part of the Fallout universe. The post-apocalyptic 1950s vibe is truly the star of the show. You can definitely tell that there was great effort to make sure the sets were as authentic as possible.
Like previously mentioned, I don’t want to spoil the show as this takes place after the Fallout games and the events are indeed canon to the overall timeline. But even if you’re not a Fallout fan or have never heard of the games, this is an excellent opportunity for you to jump into this world and learn about the Wasteland, just like Lucy. This show gives you well written characters, a vast world to learn about, and plenty of action to keep you engaged. In the neverending experiment that is adapting video games into live action cinema, you can confidently put this up there with The Last of Us in terms of quality. I will spoil that the ending of season 1 is not the end for these characters and I fully expect there to be a season 2 and I am excited to see what is next.
8.3/10
-TC
Tired Consumer 
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