“War. War Never Changes.” For the past 26 years, every “Fallout” game has used this bleak, somber line as the first words players see. Luckily, while this line still applies to nuclear wastelands, the war on adapting games into TV shows has changed drastically. Seeing the success that HBO and Netflix gained from video adaptations “The Last of Us” and “Arcane,” Amazon Prime decided to release its own adaptation of the much-beloved game, “Fallout.”
“Fallout” is a naturally appealing show. This show was produced by the creators of “Westworld,” Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. The classic blue and yellow shelter jumpsuits show us that the story is set in the wastelands of “Fallout.” At the same time, however, it is such an entertaining story that there is no doubt that the show would still be a hit without retaining the “Fallout” IP. It is important to note that the show has no direct relations with the games, so there is no barrier for entry for those who have not played the games, such as myself, to watch.
Within just a few episodes, it is obvious why Amazon Prime was willing to invest in this show. It is such a violent, ironic, dark-humored show, similar to another Prime hit show, “The Boys.” While “Fallout” eliminates a lot of the disgusting scenes you would expect from “The Boys,” it still uses the darkness of a nuclear wasteland to craft jokes that make no sense in the real world but just seem to work in the ridiculous world of “Fallout.”
The casting directors of the show did a phenomenal job. Ella Purnell portrays the character of Lucy perfectly. Lucy lives in Vault 33, one of many nuclear shelters made by Vault-Tec. She has never experienced life outside of the concrete confinements of the vault. She leaves the vault to find her father, who has been kidnapped, but she is not prepared for the bleakness of post-nuclear war California. On the surface, Lucy presents a delightful naiveness that provides many humorous moments in the story. But more importantly, this presents a unique character arc in which we see how a naive girl realizes the cruelty of the world around her and changes. Of course, she is not the only interesting character. Characters such as Maximus, played by Aaron Moten, and the ghoul, played by Walton Goggins, add depth to the story.
Every episode tells a different, unique story but they all connect to add up to the grand finale. The greatest challenge for “Fallout” was to make the world of video games into one where real actors can perform. Thanks to Amazon’s limitless cash supply, they were able to create such a world.
In conclusion, “Fallout” is a fun but dark and violent apocalypse story. It can be hailed as one of if not the best video game adaption shows of all time. The story structure is so intricate, with three different storylines surrounding three very different characters that accumulate to a fantastic ending.
