What Makes The ‘Fallout’ TV Series So Good

Fallout is out on Amazon Prime, and we are so back with top-tier video game adaptations. 

It might be a little dramatic to claim that we’re currently in the golden age of video game adaptations, but I’m nothing if not overly dramatic. Prime’s adaptation of the iconic post-apocalyptic gaming franchise Fallout has officially made its television debut and it’s so much fun. (If peculiar characters, immersive storytelling, and superb action is your idea of fun.) 

Fallout series creators Jonathan Nolan (yes, Chris Nolan’s brother and co-creator of HBO’s Westworld) and Lisa Joy (also a co-creator of Westworld) have taken key themes and concepts from the long-running game series to create their own vision of the game’s world. It’s this vision that makes adaptations like Fallout, and Netflix’s Arcane (an extremely exciting animated adaptation of League of Legends) so special for people like me who are only vaguely aware of the legacy of the original material. Which is perfectly okay! 

“I think fans get the opportunity to have a tone that they recognise, you know, that is uniquely Fallout. Straight off,” Aaron Clifton Moten (who plays Maximus in the show) told Junkee. “And I think newcomers just get to be surprised by that. It’s very different than the tones of other post-apocalyptic films and TV shows. It’s Fallout–specific.” 

Ella Purnell (Lucy) and Walton Goggins (The Ghoul) aren’t strangers to video game adaptations — they’ve appeared in Arcane and Tomb Raider respectively. They, along with Aaron, clearly appreciate what these adaptations mean to fans, while also understanding the value of bringing something new to the source material.  

“There are such great, rich, deep, dark hero’s journeys really for all of them,” Walton said. “I wasn’t around for a lot of their work, and they weren’t around for a lot of mine, though Ella and I had a lot of crossover. But I think one of the greatest joys about watching this with or without an audience is seeing what everybody else was up to.”  

“There is definitely a feeling of intimidation coming into something that’s already so well-known and so loved,” added Ella. “But I think that comes from just truly, really respecting and loving the source material and wanting to do justice to a passionate fan base. But also because our characters don’t exist in the game, there’s also a certain element of creative freedom.” 

There’s certainly a place for more committed adaptations, given the resounding success of HBO’s The Last of Us and Netflix’s One Piece. But after watching Fallout, I think I’ve officially switched sides. There’s just a little more juice in creating an entirely new story from the existing lore of a beloved franchise, with the potential to bring something fresh for both long-time fans and new ones. Plus, it makes me way more inclined to check out the original game and experience the story, rather than feeling like I’ve already seen it all in the adaptation. Guess it’s officially time to explore Fallout for myself. Wish me luck. 

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