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The post-apocalyptic TV series is back to streaming services, and it's safe to say that fans were delightfully shocked by the quality of its initial run. By illustrating the atomic-age, nuclear-ravaged United States through the lenses of three distinct characters, it succeeded in capturing multiple facets of the gamer's experience.

We followed Lucy the vault dweller, trying to act with integrity and discovering that the barren landscape made that very difficult; Brotherhood initiate Max, the militant faction new recruit, who starts doubting his organization's dogma and creates plenty of trouble in robotic power armour; and Walton Goggins's character, a breakout character who has entirely abandoned any ethical bearings out in the contaminated wastes.

Setting the Stage for Season Two

The show's first season conclusion disclosed a major secret about who helped cause the global annihilation that sealed a society in subterranean shelters for hundreds of years. It also raised numerous mysteries unresolved for the next installment – and, on this occasion, expectations are much greater.

“We'd gladly accept ‘not terrible’ – let’s get that on a poster,” quips the show's co-creator.

“Starting the first season, people were like, ‘Just get it right’,” adds Todd Howard. “We’re over the moon with the response to the show, so now people are bringing more enthusiasm and new expectations.”

The Mojave Beckons for Season Two

The upcoming season is taking place in the neon-lit city, the setting of the beloved game Fallout: New Vegas, which is often praised for having the most compelling narratives and personalities in the franchise, even if it was a bit broken at launch.

“It has a sun-baked feel, a Mojave vibe, that’s so integral to that game,” says the co-creator. “That parched, desolate iconic highway vibe of the game is so much fun to incorporate into the show.”

In the series narrative, a long time has elapsed since the events of the New Vegas game by the time the characters arrive there. Yet, the creators indicate that it does reference the gamer's experience.

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is distinguished by its tangible quality – its production team ensured authentic items and sets were constructed, echoing the makeshift nature of the towns in the games.

“Being a genre enthusiast, so many productions I watch, I’m aware that they’re all standing in front of a blue screen,” observes another of the showrunners. “The key objective of an translation, particularly of a video game, is to feel like it’s real.”

Actually, almost each creature you see on-screen is real, including the infamously terrifying irradiated monsters known as the apex predators. In the show, they are created using animatronics, and were reportedly quite terrifying up close.

Made by Fans, for Fans

The Fallout series works because it is crafted by talented film-makers who are also dedicated players, with the help of the game developers behind the franchise. This mutual respect for the lore is clear in the final product.

The new batch of episodes is debuting on a episode-by-episode basis rather than as a all-at-once release, marking a change from the first season. This schedule will allow for a new audience reaction, something the team themselves are looking forward to witness.

“It delves deeper, it’s bigger, it’s more humorous, it has a lot of twists,” teases Howard. “I am excited to seeing what people think.”