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The Fallout TV series is back to its platform, and it's fair to say that viewers were pleasantly surprised by the excellence of its initial run. By illustrating the atomic-age, nuclear-ravaged United States through the perspectives of three distinct characters, it managed to capture various facets of the gamer's journey.

We followed Lucy the vault dweller, striving to do the right thing and finding that the wasteland made that incredibly hard; Brotherhood initiate Max, the militant faction new recruit, who starts doubting his cult's authority and causes significant chaos in mechanized battle suit; and the Ghoul, a standout performance who has entirely abandoned any ethical bearings out in the contaminated wilderness.

Setting the Stage for Season Two

The debut season's finale disclosed key information about who helped cause the global annihilation that sealed a population in bomb-proof bunkers for centuries. It also left plenty of questions unresolved for the upcoming chapter – and, this time, expectations are much greater.

“We’ll take ‘pretty good’ – we should print that on merchandise,” says Jonah Nolan.

“Starting the first season, people were like, ‘Just don't mess it up’,” comments a key figure from the games. “We’re over the moon with the response to the show, so this time people are arriving with more excitement and altered expectations.”

A New Vegas Vibe for the Next Installment

The second season is located in New Vegas, the setting of the beloved game Fallout: New Vegas, which is often praised for having the sharpest dialogue and cast in the series, despite the fact that it was a bit broken at launch.

“It’s more of a arid atmosphere, a Mojave vibe, that’s so integral to that game,” says the co-creator. “That parched, blasted-out Route 66 vibe of the game is so much fun to translate into the show.”

In the show's timeline, a considerable period has passed since the story of the New Vegas game by the time the characters arrive there. However, the creators hint that it does reference the player’s journey.

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is distinguished by its tactile feel – its makers insisted on real props and environments were fabricated, echoing the cobbled-together nature of the settlements in the games.

“Being a genre enthusiast, so many series I watch, I’m aware that they’re all filmed against a digital backdrop,” says another of the showrunners. “The whole point of an translation, particularly of a video game, is to appear as if it’s authentic.”

In fact, pretty much each creature you see on-screen is practical, even the legendarily scary mutated beasts known as Deathclaws. In the show, they are created using practical effects, and were apparently quite terrifying up close.

A Labor of Love

The Fallout series succeeds because it is developed by talented film-makers who are also passionate gamers, alongside the visionaries behind the franchise. This common understanding for the universe is evident in the final product.

The new batch of episodes is being released on a episode-by-episode basis rather than as a full-season drop, offering a different experience from the first season. This format will create a different weekly discussion, a dynamic the team themselves are excited to engage with.

“It's richer, it’s larger in scale, it’s more humorous, it has a lot of revelations,” teases Howard. “I am excited to seeing what people think.”