If You Haven’t Seen Amazon’s Fallout Yet, You Should
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Fallout, Amazon’s highly-anticipated live-action adaptation of the popular video game series, premiered last Thursday, April 11th. It reached number 1 on Prime Video within 24 hours and had a 93% critics score and an 88% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes within days. If you haven’t watched it yet, you may be wondering if it lives up to the hype. The answer is yes. It really does. If you have already seen the show, you may want to check out our other review (with spoilers!).
Fallout is based on a series of open-world role-playing games (RPG) in which Earth has been decimated by nuclear warfare. It’s been 219 years since the bombs dropped and the world exists in a state of relentless deprivation and desperation. Below ground, the Vault dwellers are isolated from the rest of humankind and know only what history – and their leaders – have told them. Above ground, humans struggle, mutated creatures roam, wars are waged, and survival demands that you kill or be killed.
A review by Inverse said that Fallout “could very well become the new benchmark for the video game prestige series as we know it.” The show uses the open-world setting to its advantage, crafting stories and side characters around some of the best-loved (and most distracting) details from the game series. The creators expertly handle the games’ role-playing nature by having the audience follow three distinct and very different characters. The many supporting characters (some of whom deserve a show of their own) and side stories celebrate the games’ rich lore and extensive world-building in a way that’s evident even to newcomers.
From the beginning, the creators of the Fallout TV series were determined to create an original story within the video game world. Our three main characters – Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell), Maximus (Aaron Moten), and The Ghoul (Walton Goggins) – are original creations of the show. This was a smart and significant decision, bringing freshness to the story for old fans without making new fans feel out of their depth. The characters themselves initially appear to occupy straightforward roles – Lucy the naive heroine, Maximus the stoic hero, and The Ghoul the cynical antihero – but clever writing, excellent timing, and a healthy dose of bloodthirstiness breathe fresh life into these stereotypes. Yes, Lucy is wide-eyed, trusting, and believes in doing unto others as you would have done unto you. She also kicks ass and takes names. Sexually liberated, supremely practical, and impressively resourceful, Lucy subverts the trope of the “nice” character and elevates the show to unexpected heights.
The Ghoul, on the other hand, plays into the stereotype of the hardened bounty hunter, prepared to do anything and everything to get what he wants. Walton Goggins steals scene after scene, strolling casually through the bloodshed with a disregard for life that speaks volumes about the kind of world he lives in. Maximus, our aspiring knight of the Brotherhood of Steel, easily falls into the role of the heroic soldier, dedicated to fighting for his cause – but how far is he willing to go to achieve his goals? Nothing in Fallout is exactly as you expect – another thing that makes this show as gripping and addictive as it is.
The show’s pre-apocalyptic setting is almost as fascinating as the post-apocalyptic storyline. The pre-war time is akin to America of the 1950s and 60s, with the music, black-and-white TV, and rampant fear of communism that characterized those decades. But there are key differences that the show slowly and teasingly reveals, including race integration, gender equality, and technological advancements. The pacing of flashbacks is well-handled and doesn’t distract from the central plot; something that is quite reminiscent of HBO’s Westworld. Given that two of the producers of Fallout, Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan (who also directed the first 3 episodes), also worked on Westworld, it wasn’t surprising to see some of the best elements of that show brought back in Fallout.
One thing that can’t be said enough is that the Fallout soundtrack is phenomenal. The 1950s style is unique, vibrant, and impactful, often contrasting the crooning or playful melody with scenes of desolation and horror. From Sheldon Allman’s Crawl Out Through The Fall Out to Don’t Fence Me In by Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters to The Ink Spots’ We Three (My Echo, My Shadow, and Me), the songs are perfectly chosen, perfectly timed, and perfectly right for this story and how it’s told.
Fallout is everything a video game adaptation should be. The writing is clever, the humor is well-timed, the characters are engaging and flawed, and there is a great feeling that there is more to learn about this world. If you haven’t watched it yet, this show should be next on your list. You won’t regret it.
Are you a fan of the Fallout video games? Tell us what your favorite game is and why. If you’ve already seen the show, check out our review (with spoilers), and leave a comment to let us know what you think. And don’t forget to sign up to our email list to get Finds of the Week and our free newsletter, PopPulse Digest, delivered straight to your inbox.
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