May 1, 2026

Fallout: Finally, another great TV show

The Fallout TV series is quite good. It is an adaptation of a video game called Fallout. The developer had been considering offers to make a TV series since 2008, but seeing the failures of other adaptations put them off. The pitch had to be right. A poor adaptation was something they did not want. Todd Howard wanted to protect the reputation the studio had earned.

Nolan and Todd’s Dream

Jonathan Nolan’s work on Westworld earned him respect from Todd, who enjoyed the series. So, when Nolan came to them with a pitch, one which aligned with Todd’s vision of what a show should look like, Amazon decided to greenlight it. Todd wanted an original story set within the universe, so everything in the series is canon. Set in the future after the games take place, what we get here is an expansion of the games.

A Love Letter

It feels like a love letter to the series. Nolan being a fan helps, and the creative team behind Fallout’s input has been important too. It feels like everybody is on the same page and input has been provided at every stage. Not just that, but the writers understand things too. Not just the director, but the whole production feels like it was made “in-house.” This is what adaptations should be: expanding on what they are based on. You can tell a familiar story for a new audience, or you can tell something new that fits.

Production and Delay

I’m surprised just how good it is so far. With 8 episodes per season and a reported $152 million budget, it ain’t cheap TV to make this sort of quality. These days, budgets are very big for TV programs, and seasons are short, with just 8 episodes here per season. With the renewal of Fallout, we’re getting a Season 3 sometime, I’d say, in 2028, assuming, of course, production starts soon.

The only thing that is disappointing is the long delay between seasons, but that is how the industry is these days. With big budgets, it is hard to greenlight things for years. Spending $300 million on a show that won’t get much back in return is a big ask. Advertising revenue is declining and streaming services don’t always rely on traditional advertising. Still, the show does everything right: world-building, story, and everything else you would expect for a budget like this.

Reviews have been stellar. I consider it to be rather good and some of the best TV around. It should, with time, become a classic. Yet, I can’t help but feel like you could do more with less. You can see studios struggling with these budgets and “eyeballs.” I’m surprised they took a risk with this. The dark humor gives it a “grand old time” feel. It is an adult show with a ton of themes from the game. It explores the post-apocalypse and what happens after a nuclear war breaks out. I find myself enjoying the show because it reminds me of the game. Everything feels familiar and it does a good job bringing that world to TV.

I do have one complaint. They have switched to a weekly release over a “bulk” drop like the first season. It is meant to be doing less well compared to before, though I’m not sure if that is due to the release schedule. Yet, reviews and such are good. It is a love letter to the game series, and you can tell.

Quick Plot (No Spoilers)

So what is the series about? It follows the aftermath of the Great War of 2077 between the USA and China. We follow Lucy, Maximus, and Cooper Howard, also known as the Ghoul. The Ghoul was a Hollywood actor and a cowboy who worked with Vault-Tec before being impacted by the nuclear fallout. Lucy is from Vault 33, which is part of a trio of vaults running an experiment.

In this world, vaults were used to keep people safe or to conduct experiments. A group of companies even paid money to be cryofrozen until it was safe to come out. Tim Cain, the creator of Fallout, has praised the series. That is quite telling of just how good it is. It is not perfect and it does break the timeline a bit, but that does not really matter. After watching it, I want to revisit Fallout, mainly Fallout 4, which is currently sitting on my unfinished pile. We are eating good with these adaptations at the moment. It is perhaps the only bright spot the industry has had in recent years, especially with original stories lacking because budgets are high and revenue is getting smaller.

Verdict

Should you watch it? If you have Amazon Prime, sure. I do think it is worth watching. Would I recommend buying Amazon Prime just to watch it? That is more difficult to say. Given the value it can provide, you get the point.