While it may not set the world on fire like those worrying nuclear bombs it is a solid start for Fallout. An accessible piece of television for passive fans who, like those watching The Witcher, may kindle some love for a historic game series. It has spawned the revival of Fallout: New Vegas and speedruns of classic instalments. But the show has done little more than remind people of a nostalgia trip. A week-long excursion in a surface-level continuation of a game series prides itself on wild writing and wilder antics in The Wasteland. Fallout promises both but remains somewhat disappointing for those wanting more than the “oh, that’s from the game” experience. Vague mush, but an exciting continuation which checks all the right boxes for devoted fans. Little flickers of life in callbacks and continuations do well to disguise the tired MacGuffin device.
But that is the essence of Fallout. It has always been a series devoted to taking or retrieving an object for an ultimately spiralling and morally changing goal. Doing well to present this with the big three Wasteland categories (Vault Dweller, Ghoul and Major Faction) is fine enough. Walton Goggins is used as a charismatic look at the past and answers the questions nobody cared to solve when playing the games. There goes the sense of wonder. But Fallout does well to tee off with this in mind and, if anything, it turns itself into a slow burn. So slow this first season all feels like a bit of time-wasting before the real adventure of the second season. There is an adamance to give solutions to viewers which cannot be anything but respected. Bethesda is at a stage where ticking all the mysterious boxes is their ace in the hole, for they squandered the faith with Fallout 76.
Instead of adapting the grimy horrors of the original series the sleek and neon green experiences, the colourful change of palette found on the new engine Fallout 4 was created with, is given exposure. It means for all the Yao Guai and ghoulish characters there is a lack of depth and detail. Those changes do little to affect the lifted materials from the series. Instead of a water purifier, it is cold fusion and by the time the first series is through it turns itself towards the act of revenge storyline found in Fallout: New Vegas. Where Fallout should use these as markers of knowing material they are instead devoted to staying in the lane of what they know the average fan will enjoy. With this lack of challenge comes an attempt to hone the gruesome and guffaw-filled moments. Cameo roles for Fred Armisen and a brief appearance from Chris Parnell should be some indication of the lighter tone taken, while veteran of the screen Kyle Maclachlan makes for good first and last-episode fodder.
Amicable chemistry is found between Lucy (Ella Purnell) and Maximus (Aaron Moten) too. Their role in The Wasteland is enjoyable if a bit stilted at times (though at least this is played with in a later episode). Moisés Arias does well to keep the keenest storyline whirring away, with his time inside Vault 33 arguably the most engaging storyline of the show, for it connects with the unconventional creepiness found in all those vaults. Fallout is keen to convince of a living, breathing waste surviving up there on the surface but there is some ground to makeup and some necessary risks to be taken, in its storytelling. For now, it serves as a comfortable evening watch with little depth to it. What the games had is replicated on a surface-level experience which does well to string along first-time Fallout viewers and those who have gunned down their fair share of Deathclaws. It may lack the real meat of its matter but the show certainly does a good job of maintaining its light entertainment value.
