Fallout on Prime Video is a thrilling and devoted series, taking viewers on a unique journey unlike any other. Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Walton Goggins, Moisés Arias, Kyle MacLachlan, Sarita Choudhury, Michael Emerson, and many others make up the talented cast for this season. The series comes from Kilter Films and executive producers Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. Christopher Nolan directed the first three episodes. Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner serve as executive producers, writers, and co-showrunners. All eight episodes of Fallout season one will be available to watch today, April 10th at 6 p.m. PT on Prime Video.
Purnell is Lucy, an optimistic Vault-dweller with an all-American can-do spirit. Her peaceful and idealistic nature is tested when she is forced to the surface to rescue her father. Moten is Maximus, a young soldier who rises to the rank of squire in the militaristic faction called Brotherhood of Steel. He will do anything to further the Brotherhood’s goals of bringing law and order to the wasteland.
Goggins is the Ghoul, a morally ambiguous bounty hunter who holds within him a 200-year history of the post-nuclear world. These disparate parties collide when chasing an artifact from an enigmatic researcher that has the potential to radically change the power dynamic in this world.
Fallout Brings the Wasteland to Prime Video
The masterful storytelling in Fallout is brought to life by its exceptional design, character development, and cast. The first season of the series perfectly captures the oppressive nature of the vaults, but as the story progresses, the exclusivity of these shelters becomes less relevant. The show’s quality is a testament to the top-notch writing and direction, as I found myself eagerly watching episode after episode until I was exhausted.
I’ve played the games and have loved the franchise for years now. The eight episodes maintain the dichotomy between civilization and the uncivilized. Each character receives a unique direction for development. Lucy’s changing beliefs as she grows some resistance to surface-dwellers is similar to chugging some Rad-X before entering the Glowing Sea.
A poignant exploration of morals and ethics was woven throughout the episodes, impacting each character. I didn’t think I would become so engrossed by the experiences of these characters but I did. Amidst all the anger in the Wasteland, Lucy maintains a strong sense of hope. Meanwhile, her brother Norm becomes increasingly uneasy and angry amid Vault-led perfection. Decay and growth go hand-in-hand in this series both physically and emotionally.
Fallout put together a stellar cast that brought out the camp, comedy, and gut-wrenching drama in each episode. Goggins stepped into two roles that saw life before the bombs fell and centuries later in a radiated wasteland. The character of Ghoul, portrayed by Cooper Howard, serves as a representation of how the pursuit of capitalist success and greed can negatively impact the lives of those in its way. Although the first episode only reveals a glimpse of his life, I believe that his story leading up to the bomb deserves more attention in subsequent seasons.
The characters of Lucy and Maximus are both naive in different ways. Lucy’s ever-changing ideology challenges Maximus, and their growth helps them approach the season’s climax. The characters’ unique traits shape their reactions to life’s darkly comedic events and gut-punches. One person in the cast who surprised me right out of the gate was Moises Arias who played Lucy’s brother. Norm. He does an excellent job at navigating the want for clarity and the fear of what he could find.
Just because you might assume what Lucy’s journey or character development might look like, it doesn’t make it any less impactful. While I could make predictions about how she may or may not change throughout the season, Purnell’s portrayal of the character deeply resonated with me. I didn’t expect to care so much for her character or begin to see through her lens as if the series’ gameplay was right in front of me.
Individual and collective exploration of the buildings and abandoned wasteland of California revealed how much the buildings of Fallout have their unique voices in the season. The end credits and the starting logo in each episode reflected a theme and a setting that connected perfectly to the characters and storyline. In a similar vein, the characters discuss and dwell on the reality that they become products and establishments of what they believe while navigating the wasteland.
The fans of the game series are always intrigued by the mysterious elements present in them. As we delve deeper into the backstories and settings of the characters, we come to realize that there’s a lot of money to be made in the post-apocalyptic world. The phrase “war never changes” is commonly heard in Fallout 4 and other games, and, indeed, the effects of capitalism can still be seen in the wasteland.
The ProSnap camera, the Nuka Colas, the absurd Vault-Tec posters, and so much more are expertly designed for this series. The attention to detail is astounding and the music perfectly encapsulates the rollercoaster of emotions present in the games and this season’s journey. As an artist, I immediately loved the color scheme and tone used throughout the episodes. The visual illusion of joy inherent in an environment like Vault 33 matches up against the parallels of the Wasteland. The foley, music, and sound mixing echo the brutality and idyllic mid-century modern aesthetic of Fallout.
The creative team did an excellent job. They designed an alliance between the decrepit visuals of a post-apocalyptic world and the odd surge of hope present in the capitalist structures in advertisements and art of the past. Stimpacks, Jet, the town of Filly, and pretty much everything else (even the homes crumbling and filled at 90-degree angles with sand) were nearly flawless.
Even large-scale pieces of factions, such as the Power Armor or Vertibirds used by the Brotherhood of Steel, were shown careful attention. At times it felt like I was playing the game itself when watching, just a pure love and dedication to Fallout could be felt in every moment. Certain lore is expanded upon for the smaller things (creatures, survival, and more). It’s so obvious that this is a loved project.
Items like the Pip-Boy didn’t feel overused but instead, it often helped guide the story and Lucy without becoming more of a symbol to overshadow the series. The gore and bloody action are perfect for Fallout and trust me you get all the grotesque and absurd violence one loves from the games.
Any rare complaints from the season would relate to minor design flaws. Anything I found an issue with appeared more in the first episode. The appearance of some of the Brotherhood of Steel felt too theatric at times when it came to stunts. Otherwise, the faction itself had an excellent representation of eerie fascist & fundamentalist ideology in the season.
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There were a few minor issues with the visuals in the show. For example, Brahmin and other animals did not look as if they were decrepit or diseased enough for the post-apocalyptic setting. Sometimes, even sick animals appeared healthy, but fortunately, this improved as the episodes progressed. It would have been great to see a greater variety of characters, but the mere suggestion of their existence gave hope for their appearance in a future season.
Fallout does an excellent job of capturing the essence of the game’s universe and presents a captivating story that spans eight episodes. The show effectively portrays the cyclical nature of trauma and how individuals find ways to survive even in the most hopeless situations. The full force of the mystery loved by Fallout fans is brought out. Details are woven in, which pick up on questions and answers being asked. I loved every moment of this season and I hope more seasons are headed our way! You can watch all eight episodes of Fallout on Prime Video starting today at 6 PM PT.
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