First things first: I’ve never played the games, so I can’t tell how far Prime’s Fallout series is truthful to them. I can speak as to what I think of the show, so I’ll stick to that in this review.
For those with even less knowledge of the universe than I do: in a dieselpunk, midcentury-esque future America, nuclear war erupted. A select few escaped into vaults with the plan to at some point repopulate the Earth with a perfect society. The rest of humanity was left to fend for themselves in the wasteland, and has become a slightly more colorful, slightly more Wild West, version of the dystopias we associate with franchises such as Mad Max.
Lucy (Ella Purnell), a Vaulter, is given a very good reason, thank you very much, to venture outside the safety of the vault she’s been been born and grew up in, and quickly needs to adapt and learn to survive in the wilderness. At the same time, we follow Maximus (Aaron Moten), a member of The Brotherhood of Steel. Which can best be compared to Warhammer 40K’s Space Marines and Imperial Guard with a hint of Adeptus Mechanicus mashed together. And finally Cooper Howard (Walton Goggins), a once famous Hollywood star, now a Ghoul bounty hunter. And his dog-not-his-dog.
Of course, all these characters’ paths will converge as the show progresses. Along the way, we see more of the civilization(s) within the Fallout universe, the extend of the nuclear fallout, creatures and monsters, and the tech.
It’s a pretty good watch if you’re into post-apocalyptic settings. A little less bleak than Mad Max, but oftentimes no less barbaric or brutal. It has quite a bit of political messaging that could be applied to our own tumultuous time, which is cleverly done without being overly preachy.
The plot, which I’ve been careful not to spoil for those who haven’t watched it yet, is more than adequately developed and the ending of Season 1 does make you want to watch a — hopefully — next season.
The real strength of the show lies in the personal development and goals of the lead characters, which are all excellently portrayed. As well as in the cinematography and the way it reveals things bit by bit. Also the aesthetic and the juxtaposition between the almost cheerful cookie-cutter midcentury postnuclear world and the desolate yet often brightly accented dystopian one are something that make the show not only visually attractive, but also very interesting.
I would recommend at least giving it a try for a few episodes if you think it’s something you might enjoy!
