Fallout: Season One: A Well-Made Adaptation That Stumbles Slightly with Its Writing (4K Steelbook)

The Show:

If ever a contemporary video game series seemed destined to receive an adaptation, "Fallout" is one of the very first ones that would come to many gamers' minds. After several "main" games and multiple spinoffs that have been praised by critics, it simply seemed a matter of time, and indeed plans for a film first arose as early as the late '90s, and even got as far as a treatment, but the film was never made. Interest was renewed later on, but it wasn't until 2020 that it was announced that the adaptation would be taking the form of a television show instead from creators Geneva Robertson-Dworet & Graham Wagner, and now, at long last, we finally get to see the result of what fans have been waiting for for over 25 years. Could this be the rare video game adaptation that was worth the wait, or is it simply yet another doomed to disappoint?

Taking place primarily in 2296, a nuclear war has ravaged Earth's surface, forcing many survivors to take refuge in bunkers known as Vaults. The show picks up a little over 200 years after the war, where we meet Lucy McLean (Ella Purnell), a dweller in Vault 33 who has agreed to an arranged marriage with a dweller from Vault 32. However, after the wedding, it is revealed that the guests from Vault 32 are actually raiders led by Lee Moldaver (Sarita Choudhury). They attack Vault 33 and kidnap Lucy's father, Overseer Hank McLean (Kyle MacLachlan), forcing Lucy to break regulations by going to the surface to try and get him back.

Meanwhile, we also meet Maximus (Aaron Moten), a member of the Brotherhood of Steel who is promoted to Squire and tasked with serving Knight Titus on a mission to hunt down a member of the Enclave, a mission that several bounty hunters are also on, causing them to attempt to recruit a ghoul that used to be actor Cooper Howard (Walton Goggins). However, he kills them all instead and goes after the bounty on his own, setting up an inevitable run-in between him, Lucy, and Maximus.

I should preface this by saying that this is yet another incredibly popular video game that I've never played any iteration of, so as far as adapting the material goes, I can only speak superficially, though based on synopses of the main games, it doesn't appear to be following any previously-established storyline. Therefore, while the show is considered canon to the game's universe, it's actually telling a new story within that universe so as to give fans of the game a little something different and unexpected.

So how do these original storylines stand up within this apocalyptic wasteland? Well, it's fair to say that the result is a little mixed, mainly in that the show does have a somewhat slow start for the first few episodes as we watch Lucy wander somewhat randomly about the surface, as well as watching Maximus getting his Squire posting and then eventually impersonating a Knight in what is easily the show's weakest storyline. Thrown into the mix is The Ghoul, who takes it upon himself to go after the same bounty that the others are after (Lucy as a bargaining chip to get her dad back, and Maximus as part of his mission), though his main goal is to earn a reward so that he can keep trading for the serum that keeps him alive.

As mentioned, they do start off rather slow, but they do eventually start colliding in somewhat interesting ways. Lucy and Maximus end up teaming up, with a certain spark forming between the two, and both of them have to deal with The Ghoul, who's a rather relentless & deadly gunman. However, the strange thing about The Ghoul is that he's a curiously dull villain that doesn't have a whole lot of personality, even though he's played by the great Walton Goggins. Luckily though, we get several fascinating flashback scenes with his character that provide him with some better material, giving Goggins a chance to shine while filling us in on how things got to where they are in the main part of the show.

Overall, the show is best described as a mixed offering. It takes quite a while for the storylines to really kick off, but it does eventually start to come to life as the characters cross paths, though it does make the somewhat odd mistake of trying to keep Lucy's home vault relevant throughout all of this, which only serves to slow things down once again as we wait to get back to the main narrative. It should also be mentioned that it's a very well-made show, with outstanding production design, costumes, visual effects, and makeup, though it really just makes you wish that they had tried a little harder with the writing to make the whole endeavor worthwhile. Having it take several episodes to really get a move on was not the best approach, and even then, having it get distracted with mostly irrelevant side-plots wasn't a great idea either.

There are indeed a lot of things to like about it, but also a few major things that ultimately hold it back just a little too much from being the engaging video game adaptation that it so badly wants to be. We can only hope that the next season will take some of these lessons to heart and deliver on the grand potential that this material has. Season one laid the groundwork, now hopefully season two will truly be able to take off.

Video/Audio:

"Fallout: Season One" comes to 4K in 2.39:1, 2160p transfers of outstanding quality. The picture is beautifully clear & sharp throughout all eight episodes, highlighting the show's incredible production design & visual effects. Likewise, the Dolby Atmos-TrueHD audio tracks are fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and Ramin Djawadi's score in excellent quality. Overall, Warner Bros. has done a remarkable job in both departments for the show's physical release.

Special Features:

Commentary: Inside Episode 1 "The End" with Jonathan Nolan and Walton Goggins

Animated Content

Becoming the Ghoul

Console to Camera

Creating the Wasteland

Inside Season One

Meet the Filmmaker (and Fanatic) Jonathan Nolan

Prosthetics & Makeup Gone Nuclear

Safe and Sound

Set Your Sets on 2296

The Costumes of Fallout

Welcome to the World of Fallout

Writing for the Wasteland

This edition comes packed with tons of fantastic featurettes, totaling over an hour, that cover pretty much every major element of the show, including adapting the game, designing the sets, costumes, makeup, music, visual effects, and much more. Definitely plenty of great material here for any fan of the show to delve into to learn all about its making.

Conclusion:

"Fallout: Season One" offers a mixed bag of a show that's very well-made, with fantastic production design, costumes, visual effects, and makeup, but falters slightly when it comes to the writing, taking quite a while to get its various storylines moving and even then having a little trouble keeping focus. It does have a lot to like about it, and it does have more success later on as the characters cross paths, but it also has some pretty big issues that ultimately end up holding it back just a little too much.

Score: 3/5

Available on 4K Steelbook starting today, exclusively from Amazon.

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