The Fallout TV series is stunning. Between the special effects, the set design, and the sheer attention to detail, the Wasteland has never looked so good. Prime Video‘s new series does a remarkable job of balancing exposition and expectations; there are enough Easter eggs to keep hardcore fans engaged, yet the writing is accessible to newcomers. Despite all that, I’m still not sure if I liked it.
The adaptation, spearheaded by producers Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, is a flawed eight-episode series; it is not perfect, yet it bears the name of the best RPG series ever made (I will die on this hill). How does one judge a good, but not amazing, TV series that—by its very nature—draws comparison to a piece of media created via lightning-in-a-bottle, generation-defining creativity by game studios Black Isle, Bethesda, and Obsidian?
Showrunners Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner opted for an original story set after the game’s timeline, which will satisfy existing fans and helps to avoid some of the most common issues with video game adaptations, but it also introduces new problems for the narrative.
Lucy (Ella Purnell) is the wide-eyed, naive Vault Dweller who must navigate the harsh Wasteland in order to save someone she loves. This is the basic plot of Fallout 3,and is very similar to the stories both in the original game and Fallout 4. Throughout the season, she goes through the typical RPG journey: she gains experience completing quests, and gradually improves her equipment along the way
The Fallout games offer players a lot of control over the narrative, allowing them the freedom to be villains if they so choose. If Lucy represents the typical “good” run in Fallout, then The Ghoul, former Hollywood Western star Cooper Howard (Walton Goggins), embodies an evil one. He shoots indiscriminately, steals, does drugs, and eats people—all actions players can take in the games.
The Ghoul also amalgamates several NPC backstories in the games. He’s a bit like Raul Tejada, a gunslinger the player can travel with in New Vegas. Cooper’s connection with Vault-Tec, and the fact that we see him as the bombs fall, brings to mind the Vault-Tec salesman from Fallout 4. The character isn’t derivative though—this an original story with a genuinely compelling character arc with the series’ strongest writing by far. Goggins brings depth to the role, crafting a villain we can’t help but root for.
As much as I enjoyed The Ghoul’s screen time, there are too many unrelated storylines weighing down the show’s plot. This is most obvious in the 70-minute premiere, which jumps between Cooper Howard in the past, Vault 33 in the show’s present, the Brotherhood of Steel base, Lucy exploring what’s outside the vault, and then The Ghoul at some unknown location. The episode was directed by Nolan and, unfortunately, it suffers from the same convoluted storytelling that eventually killed his previous series, Westworld.
At the risk of stirring up controversy: I don’t think the Fallout TV show feels enough like Fallout. After hundreds of hours exploring the nuclear wasteland across multiple titles, I know this world intimately. The pre-war scenes in the show did not feel retrofuture enough (needed more robots) and the Wasteland was unexpectedly vibrant. There weren’t mutated animals like there are in the games, and we didn’t get to see any of the iconic monsters, like radscorpions or super mutants.
The writing also felt weak compared to the games. There’s a distinct flavour to the franchise’s tone—referential humour, absurdity, and punchy satire elevate an earnest story about resilience and survival. Overall, I found the comedy in the show lacking. At one point, I cringed so hard that I had to pause the episode and recover in another room.
What’s worse is that the show undermines its own world-building with shallow characterizations for several key figures. The Brotherhood of Steel—a neo-knightly religious order that worships technology—is nigh-unrecognizable in the show, save for the iconic power armor. Gone is the militant dedication to understanding technology and a chain of order, replaced by generic fascism and buffoonery. Maximus (Aaron Moten) in particular is unlikable and poorly developed as a character— it’s hard to believe someone that stupid spent time in a classroom (even a post-apocalyptic one). To be clear: I don’t care that the Brotherhood of Steel is different in the show, I care that the show made it boring.
Despite its flaws, Fallout has piqued my interest. The first two episodes were admittedly rough, but the show does find its footing in Episode 3 and, by the finale, I was hooked. The Vault 31 mystery is genuinely intriguing, and Cooper’s pre-war arc is as suspenseful as it is tragic. I will never like this version of Fallout as much as I like just playing the games, but gosh darn it, I am anxiously awaiting Season 2.
All episodes of Fallout are now available to stream exclusively on Prime Video.
