by Jeff Alan, Contributing Writer
Following the widespread success of The Last of Us, which aired just over a year ago, it seems like we are two for our last two in video games being adapted into TV shows, thanks to the new Amazon Prime series, Fallout, based on the critically acclaimed game series. Fans were treated to the show with a surprise early release date, as all the episodes at once on the night of April 10. The series stars Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Walton Goggins, Moises Arias, and Kyle MacLachlan, along with several other big name cameos who pop up throughout the season.
Our narrative begins in the year 2077, in southern California: Nuclear war breaks out across the United States, dubbing the surface of the Earth a “Wasteland.” Fast forward 219 years, we enter the story to see the life of young Lucy MacLean (Purnell), an inhabitant of an underground fallout shelter called Vault 33 — there are implied to be many other vaults around the country as well. Lucy lives with her father, Hank (MacLachlan); her brother, Norm (Arias); and several dozens of other inhabitants. But when an alliance with a neighboring vault does not go as planned, Hank is kidnapped by surface dwellers, and it’s up to Lucy to step foot outside Vault 33 and rescue her father.
This is only the tip of what drives this story forward. In a distant area of the Wasteland exists the Brotherhood of Steel, a technologically advanced military organization which is tasked with preserving technology so that it doesn’t get into the hands of those who could cause another apocalypse. This is where we meet Maximus (Moten), an often picked-on squire whose job is to follow around “knights” in mechanized armored suits and help them fight, clean their armor, and do anything the knights ask them to do. Elsewhere in the Wasteland roams an immortal bounty hunter with radiation disfigurement who surface dwellers call The Ghoul, but in a past life, he was known as Cooper Howard (Goggins), actor and spokesperson for Vault-Tec, the company that designed all the Vaults across the country housing people like Lucy. Through varying circumstances, all three parties’ paths cross, leading to them realizing they are all connected in some way or another.
When I say Fallout is the next big video game adaptation to strike gold, I mean it. This series is outstanding! Having not played the games, but still having a decent amount of knowledge of everything beforehand, I can say this series is something that fan of the games and newcomers can enjoy equally! The attention to detail in terms of the set decoration, and the props used by the Vault and Wasteland inhabitants, is spot on, and the set decoration and scenery are top notch. The show does a great job of immersing you in the setting, making you feel like you’re there as well, living the lives of either community.
However, that is just the beginning of what makes the show great. The biggest draw is the acting. Purnell is wonderful as the happy-go-lucky Lucy who believes that the “Vault way” is the right way, and seeing her be a fish out of water in this lawless America is often humorous and entertaining. Another great addition is Moten, who comes in as a mere squire, but ends up fighting for his place as a hero — and not to get off topic, but I think he could be a great replacement for Jonathan Majors’ Kang in the MCU; are you listening Marvel? Goggins unsurprisingly does a stellar job at playing the emotionless, coldhearted bounty hunter. We see more of his life pre-apocalypse as the season goes, and we learn more and more about how this future world came to be. On top of those powerhouses, the supporting cast does great work in their respective roles, and even the smaller bit characters and cameos who come in do a great job, including, just to name a few, Michael Rapaport, Matt Berry, Fred Armisen, Chris Parnell, and Johnny Pemberton.
The only negative I have for this series is also a positive, if that makes sense. Fallout does a wonderful job of keeping the mystery of the world they live in alive, and it continues to add mystery to it as it goes on. But I wish it would have elaborated more on certain things it establishes. Some character moments don’t get addressed, there are gaps in some events that I wish could have been seen through more, and the show just tends to ask more questions than it answers. However, I am far from upset about it, because it is wonderful so far, and I have no doubt in my mind that it is going to continue on answer these questions, and even drop more exciting things for me to think about!
Fallout is has excellent dark comedy, action, and mystery, and an overall good story. I can’t wait to see more of it and all of the exciting Easter eggs, callbacks, and connections to the games it has in store for us in the future!
Rating: Loved It
Fallout is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video
You can read more from Jeff Alan, and follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Letterboxd