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The Fallout TV series has made a triumphant return to its platform, and it's safe to say that fans were delightfully shocked by the caliber of its debut season. By portraying the atomic-age, post-apocalyptic United States through the eyes of three separate characters, it succeeded in capturing various facets of the gamer's journey.

There was Lucy the vault dweller, attempting to uphold her morals and finding that the wasteland made that very difficult; Max, the militant faction initiate, who starts challenging his organization's dogma and causes plenty of trouble in robotic power armour; and the Ghoul, a standout performance who has long since lost any sense of morality out in the radioactive wastes.

Setting the Stage for Season Two

The debut season's conclusion revealed crucial details about who helped cause the nuclear war that sealed a society in underground vaults for centuries. It also raised several enigmas unanswered for the next installment – and, this time, hopes are significantly higher.

“We’ll take ‘pretty good’ – let’s get that on a poster,” says Jonah Nolan.

“Heading into the initial season, people were like, ‘Just don't mess it up’,” adds a key figure from the games. “We’re over the moon with the reception to the show, so this time people are bringing more eagerness and different expectations.”

A New Vegas Vibe for Season Two

The second season is located in the neon-lit city, the backdrop of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is often praised for having the best writing and personalities in the franchise, even if it was a bit broken at launch.

“It embodies a desert vibe, a Southwestern essence, that’s so essential to that game,” says Nolan. “That dusty, blasted-out iconic highway aesthetic of the game is so much enjoyable to bring into the show.”

In the series narrative, a considerable period has passed since the events of the New Vegas game by the time the characters make their way there. Nevertheless, the creators hint that it acknowledges the fan's adventure.

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is notable for its physical authenticity – its makers insisted on authentic items and sets were constructed, mirroring the cobbled-together nature of the outposts in the games.

“Being a genre enthusiast, so many productions I watch, I’m conscious that they’re all filmed against a green screen,” says co-creator Geneva Robertson-Dworet. “The key objective of an adaptation, particularly of a interactive medium, is to appear as if it’s tangible.”

In fact, pretty much everything you see on-screen is real, including the infamously terrifying irradiated monsters known as Deathclaws. In the show, they are portrayed by practical effects, and were by all accounts rather intimidating up close.

A Labor of Love

The Fallout series succeeds because it is developed by skilled directors who are also passionate gamers, in collaboration with the original creators behind the franchise. This mutual respect for the lore is apparent in the finished show.

The second season is being released on a weekly basis rather than as a binge-able batch, offering a different experience from the first season. This approach will allow for a different weekly discussion, something the showrunners themselves are excited to witness.

“It's richer, it’s more expansive, it’s funnier, it has a lot of revelations,” says Howard. “I’m looking forward to seeing what people think.”