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The post-apocalyptic TV series has come back to its platform, and it's fair to say that audiences were agreeably astonished by the excellence of its debut season. By illustrating the retro-futuristic, nuclear-ravaged United States through the eyes of three different characters, it managed to capture different facets of the gamer's adventure.

We followed vault-dweller Lucy, trying to uphold her morals and discovering that the barren landscape made that very difficult; Brotherhood initiate Max, the militant faction new recruit, who begins to question his organization's authority and causes a lot of havoc in robotic power armour; and the Ghoul, a fan-favorite figure who has long since lost any moral compass out in the irradiated badlands.

Setting the Stage for the Second Season

The show's first season ending revealed a major secret about those responsible for the nuclear war that trapped a society in bomb-proof bunkers for hundreds of years. It also raised several enigmas unanswered for the upcoming chapter – and, now, expectations are significantly higher.

“We’ll take ‘pretty good’ – let’s get that on a poster,” says one of the series creators.

“Heading into the first season, everyone’s like, ‘Just don't mess it up’,” states Todd Howard. “We are thrilled with the feedback to the show, so now people are coming in with more excitement and altered expectations.”

The Mojave Beckons for the Next Installment

The second season is set in the neon-lit city, the backdrop of the beloved game Fallout: New Vegas, which is widely regarded for having the best writing and personalities in the series, even if it was technically flawed at launch.

“It’s more of a sun-baked feel, a Mojave vibe, that’s so integral to that game,” explains the co-creator. “That parched, blasted-out iconic highway aesthetic of the game is so much fun to translate into the show.”

In the show's timeline, a long time has passed since the story of the New Vegas game by the time the protagonists arrive there. However, the creators hint that it will honor the gamer's experience.

Crafting a Tangible World

The Fallout TV series is distinguished by its tactile feel – its creators insisted on authentic items and environments were fabricated, echoing the improvised nature of the settlements in the games.

“As a sci-fi fan, so many series I watch, I’m conscious that they’re all standing in front of a green screen,” observes co-creator Geneva Robertson-Dworet. “The primary goal of an adaptation, especially of a video game, is to feel like it’s real.”

Actually, pretty much everything you see on-screen is practical, even the infamously terrifying radioactive creatures known as the apex predators. In the show, they are created using practical effects, and were apparently rather intimidating up close.

A Labor of Love

The Fallout series succeeds because it is crafted by accomplished storytellers who are also longtime fans, with the help of the game developers behind the franchise. This common understanding for the world is apparent in the final product.

The second season is being released on a episode-by-episode basis rather than as a all-at-once release, offering a different experience from the previous season. This format will allow for a altered audience reaction, something the team themselves are eager to observe.

“It has more depth, it’s larger in scale, it’s wittier, it has a lot of surprises,” says Howard. “I’m looking forward to seeing what people think.”