A post-apocalyptic world with retro Americana aesthetics has won fans’ hearts for years through Bethesda’s Fallout video game series. Acting as a survivor of a nuclear holocaust called a “vault dweller,” players emerge into an action-packed ecosystem of radioactive monsters and equally toxic survivors and remnants of Atomic-Era capitalism. Society has split into opposing fringe groups — some wish to progress the wheel of time by adapting, while others uphold the remixed ideals of a time before the bombs dropped — their only common language is violence. Fallout takes narrative beats from Westerns with its wayward outlaws looking to “loot n’ shoot” anything in sight. You’re an artifact thrust into a pulp fiction landscape, and your only currency is trust.
Amazon Prime’s Fallout
Fallout’s serial success relies on its story as much as it does its TTRPG-inspired gameplay, making it one of the most beloved gaming franchises of all time. It’s no wonder that on April 10, Bethesda, in partnership with Amazon, decided to drop a Fallout television series. Every episode launched at once. It has the potential to spark larger cultural conversations surrounding nuclear violence on the heels of blockbusters like Oppenheimer and Godzilla Minus One. Fallout director Jonathan Nolan is unafraid when it comes to his art. His impressive catalog includes The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Interstellar and Westworld. Contrasting Nolan’s drama background, many of the other cast and crew members have done comedy, including one of the Fallout show’s creators, Graham Wagner.
Adapting video games to television and movies is a daunting task, but The Last of Us and The Witcher proved that it’s possible to stay true to source materials while taking creative liberties that benefit the plot. One of Fallout’s greatest strengths as a television adaptation is that it juggles four interconnected plotlines. The central protagonist is Lucy MacLean, a naive girl from Vault 33 who journeys to the surface to find her missing father. As she comes to terms with the gruesome state of the world, her perceptive brother, Norman, engages in a political plot to uncover a conspiracy within their vault. But not everyone is out for blood (at first, at least): Maximus, a Brotherhood of Steel member, befriends Lucy. He’s familiar with the “might makes right” rules of the wasteland and struggles to understand how she always sees the best in everyone. Each of the main characters subverts an archetype in a refreshing way.
Lucy is a classic fish-out-of-water akin to a Disney princess, but her kind heart and politeness actually help her to handle stressful situations by remaining diplomatic and empathetic, deescalating tension. Maximus is a scrappy young soldier representing an underdog but with an appetite for power. Norman, though unassuming in skill or stature, subverts the jaded detective archetype of old Hollywood noirs. However, one character stands above the rest when it comes to embodying classic literary tropes: The Ghoul.
Amazon Prime’s Fallout
The whole Fallout show fits the arc of most Johnny Cash or Marty Robbins songs (some of which are featured in the soundtrack), but the gunslinging ranger they’re singing about may as well be The Ghoul. He’s a Clint Eastwood-type decked in black, leather and blood. What makes him arguably the most compelling character in the series is his strange charisma. People regard this heartless bounty hunter with respect as much as disgust. Compared to the younger ones, old cowboy’s been around for 200 years — safe to say that his overall stats are high while the other characters find themselves lacking in some areas far more than others. Walton Goggins’ performance as The Ghoul is one for the books.
Amazon Prime’s Fallout
Fallout is full of details fans will love, and much of them are in the set design and visual direction. The backgrounds and lighting are blue and bold yellow, the game’s trademark color palette nodding to Vault-Tec advertisements. Product design includes Nuka-Cola, Sunset Sasparilla and other retro memorabilia from posters to billboards. There are multiple references to Harlan Ellison’s A Boy and His Dog, which is one of the biggest inspirations behind Fallout.
The love and attention put into this weird, wonderful series is evident. The casting, direction, action sequences and writing hold a lot of regard for the source material, in part due to Bethesda’s oversight and the cast’s adoration for Fallout. Now streaming on Prime TV, you can bunker down with your friends, grab some cola and tune into an experience unlike any other — whether you’re a long-time fan or know nothing about the original games, you’ll have a blast!
