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The post-apocalyptic TV series has come back to streaming services, and it's safe to say that viewers were pleasantly surprised by the quality of its debut season. By illustrating the retro-futuristic, post-apocalyptic United States through the eyes of three different characters, it succeeded in capturing multiple facets of the gamer's journey.

We followed Lucy the vault dweller, trying to uphold her morals and discovering that the barren landscape made that very difficult; Brotherhood initiate Max, the Brotherhood of Steel rookie, who starts challenging his faction's leadership and causes plenty of trouble in robotic power armour; and the Ghoul, a fan-favorite figure who has long since lost any moral compass out in the irradiated wilderness.

Building Anticipation for Season Two

The debut season's ending disclosed a major secret about who helped cause the global annihilation that trapped a population in subterranean shelters for centuries. It also left plenty of questions open for the upcoming chapter – and, on this occasion, hopes are much greater.

“We’ll take ‘pretty good’ – let’s get that on a poster,” remarks Jonah Nolan.

“Going into the first season, everyone’s like, ‘Just get it right’,” states a key figure from the games. “We’re over the moon with the reception to the show, so now people are arriving with more excitement and new expectations.”

The Mojave Beckons for the Next Installment

The upcoming season is located in the neon-lit city, the backdrop of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is frequently celebrated for having the best writing and personalities in the franchise, even if it was a bit broken at launch.

“It embodies a desert vibe, a Mojave vibe, that’s so integral to that game,” says the co-creator. “That parched, blasted-out Route 66 vibe of the game is so much enjoyable to translate into the show.”

In the show's timeline, a long time has passed since the events of the New Vegas game by the time the characters make their way there. Yet, the creators indicate that it does reference the gamer's experience.

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is praised for its tactile feel – its production team ensured physical models and sets were built, echoing the makeshift nature of the settlements 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 blue screen,” comments co-creator Geneva Robertson-Dworet. “The key objective of an translation, particularly of a video game, is to appear as if it’s authentic.”

In fact, pretty much every element you see on-screen is real, including the notoriously frightening radioactive creatures known as the apex predators. In the show, they are portrayed by puppets, and were reportedly quite terrifying up close.

Made by Fans, for Fans

The Fallout series resonates 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 common understanding for the world is clear in the end result.

The second season is debuting on a weekly basis rather than as a binge-able batch, representing a shift from the previous season. This approach will allow for a altered weekly discussion, something the team themselves are looking forward to observe.

“It has more depth, it’s bigger, it’s more humorous, it has a lot of surprises,” says Howard. “I can't wait to seeing what people think.”