When Fallout premiered on Prime Video in 2024, there was ample trepidation about whether this series would deliver where other video game adaptations had failed. The program, created by Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner — and executive produced by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy — more than proved its worth.
Thanks to a focus on creating an original storyline that honors the property created by Bethesda Softworks, along with immersive world-building, unique characters and a fun tongue-in-cheek style, the series did well by the franchise’s fandom.
Now, a year and a half later, Fallout is back with Season 2. Rest assured, after viewing the first six episodes, I can attest that, once again, Fallout turns the crumbling of humanity into a rollicking good time. There are story and character details that I can’t discuss without spoiling the plot, so I won’t. That said, if you want to go into these episodes fresh, turn back now.
Aaron Moten is a standout performer in Season 2.
All this wouldn’t really matter if the show didn’t have a collection of strong heroes to root for; Fallout has three. Ella Purnell, Walton Goggins and Aaron Moten return as Lucy, The Ghoul and Maximus. Our main characters find themselves grappling with crises of identity.
I was afraid the new episodes would be a retread for the characters. While I’d have no issue watching Goggins swagger through the desert, delivering one-liners through his noseless face, I’m happy to say that each of these characters faces challenges that spark discomfort and change within them, leading the show to go into exciting, sometimes unpredictable, directions.
It’s fair to say I have a soft spot for The Ghoul; he was my MVP for the show’s first outing. In a surprising turn of events, Moten’s portrayal of Maximus and his time with the Brotherhood of Steel are a standout this time around. There’s a determined sense of morality that fuels him, even if he keeps finding himself in the most violent situations.
Lucy shares his drive to uphold justice, but Season 2 reveals the innocent, sheltered Vault Dweller has been changed by the Wasteland. Her journey through the desert, accompanied by The Ghoul, is delightful. The chemistry between Purnell and Goggins is electric. There’s plenty of comedy here, but their connection also results in heartbreak, which only makes things even more resonant.
The Ghoul, Lucy and Maximus are ready for irradiated action.
Fallout is a video game adaptation done right. It’s as sticky-sweet as a Nuka Cola, and as terrifying as an irradiated Wasteland mutant. That was a weird sentence to type, but it’s the best way I can describe the balance the show achieves. On paper, it shouldn’t work. But somehow, it does.
For a show that explores the gritty underbelly of humanity while tackling topics such as corporate warfare, the military-industrial complex, classism and the erosion of the nuclear family, it’s a truly enjoyable ride.
