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The Fallout TV series is back to its platform, and it's fair to say that viewers were pleasantly surprised by the excellence of its debut season. By illustrating the atomic-age, nuclear-ravaged United States through the eyes of three distinct characters, it succeeded in capturing different facets of the player's journey.

There was Lucy the vault dweller, attempting to act with integrity and discovering that the wasteland made that incredibly hard; Max, the Brotherhood of Steel rookie, who starts challenging his faction's leadership and unleashes plenty of trouble in powered exoskeleton; and the Ghoul, a breakout character who has long since lost any sense of morality out in the irradiated wilderness.

Setting the Stage for a New Chapter

The show's first season ending revealed crucial details about who helped cause the atomic conflict that trapped a group of people in bomb-proof bunkers for centuries. It also left plenty of questions open for the upcoming chapter – and, on this occasion, anticipations are much greater.

“We'd gladly accept ‘pretty good’ – we should print that on merchandise,” says one of the series creators.

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

The Mojave Beckons for the Next Installment

The upcoming season is located in New Vegas, the location of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is widely regarded for having the best writing and personalities in the franchise, even if it was technically flawed at launch.

“It embodies a desert vibe, a Mojave vibe, that’s so integral to that game,” explains Nolan. “That dusty, desolate Route 66 aesthetic of the game is so much rewarding to bring into the show.”

In the show's timeline, a significant amount of time has passed since the events of the New Vegas game by the time the protagonists make their way there. Yet, the creators indicate that it will honor the player’s journey.

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is distinguished by its tangible quality – its creators ensured real props and sets were fabricated, echoing the cobbled-together nature of the towns in the games.

“Being a genre enthusiast, so many productions I watch, I’m aware that they’re all filmed against a blue screen,” comments co-creator Geneva Robertson-Dworet. “The whole point of an adaptation, especially of a video game, is to appear as if it’s real.”

Actually, pretty much every element you see on-screen is physical, including the infamously terrifying radioactive creatures known as the apex predators. In the show, they are brought to life with practical effects, and were by all accounts pretty frightening up close.

A Labor of Love

The Fallout series succeeds because it is made by accomplished storytellers who are also dedicated players, with the help of the visionaries behind the video games. This common understanding for the lore is evident in the final product.

The second season is being released on a episode-by-episode basis rather than as a full-season drop, marking a change from the initial release. This approach will create a altered weekly discussion, something the team themselves are eager to engage with.

“It has more depth, it’s larger in scale, it’s funnier, it has a lot of twists,” says Howard. “I’m looking forward to seeing what people think.”