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The Fallout TV series has come back to streaming services, and it's safe to say that fans were pleasantly surprised by the caliber of its first season. By depicting the retro-futuristic, post-apocalyptic United States through the perspectives of three different characters, it effectively portrayed multiple facets of the gamer's experience.

We followed vault-dweller Lucy, attempting to uphold her morals and finding that the ruined world made that very difficult; Max, the militant faction initiate, who starts doubting his faction's leadership and creates significant chaos in powered exoskeleton; and Walton Goggins's character, a breakout character who has long since lost any ethical bearings out in the radioactive wilderness.

Building Anticipation for Season Two

The show's first season finale revealed a major secret about the culprits behind the atomic conflict that condemned a society in subterranean shelters for hundreds of years. It also raised plenty of questions unanswered for the second season – and, now, hopes are significantly higher.

“We'd gladly accept ‘pretty good’ – we should print that on merchandise,” quips the show's co-creator.

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

The Mojave Beckons for Season Two

The new 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 personalities in the series, despite the fact that it was a bit broken at launch.

“It’s more of a sun-baked feel, a Mojave vibe, that’s so integral to that game,” says the co-creator. “That dusty, desolate Route 66 feeling of the game is so much enjoyable to bring into the show.”

In the show's timeline, a considerable period has elapsed since the story of the New Vegas game by the time the characters arrive there. However, the creators hint that it acknowledges the gamer's experience.

Crafting a Tangible World

The Fallout TV series is praised for its tactile feel – its production team prioritized physical models and sets were built, mirroring the cobbled-together nature of the settlements in the games.

“Being a genre enthusiast, so many shows I watch, I’m conscious that they’re all standing in front of a digital backdrop,” says co-creator Geneva Robertson-Dworet. “The key objective of an adaptation, particularly of a video game, is to feel like it’s tangible.”

In fact, virtually each creature you see on-screen is real, including the notoriously frightening radioactive creatures known as Deathclaws. In the show, they are brought to life with practical effects, and were reportedly rather intimidating up close.

A Labor of Love

The Fallout series works because it is developed by skilled directors who are also dedicated players, in collaboration with the visionaries behind the video games. This shared passion for the lore is clear in the finished show.

The new batch of episodes is launching on a weekly basis rather than as a binge-able batch, representing a shift from the first season. This schedule will create a new weekly discussion, something the showrunners themselves are eager to observe.

“It has more depth, it’s larger in scale, it’s more humorous, it has a lot of surprises,” teases the game director. “I am excited to seeing what people think.”