Why you should be watching Prime Video’s Fallout

Wednesday 17 April 2024 by Jonathan Victoria  Features

As a fan of the Fallout series, I was a bit hesitant to watch the new Fallout series on Prime Video. Video game-adapted shows can often be a hit or miss (looking at you, Halo) and with the deep lore that is the Fallout universe, I wasn’t sure they’d be able to properly capture the right essence on the small screen.

But I am pleased to report that after bingeing all eight episodes, they have done a great job at creating a new storyline in a different part of post-war USA, adding new bits of lore to the ever-expanding Fallout world while [mostly] keeping everything from the games intact.

That’s not just my opinion, though. The series is currently certified 93% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, has a 4.7 audience rating average on Google and was given 9/10 by IGN. So you can trust that what you’re getting into is no bomb (get it?!)

What is Fallout about?

In the case of keeping things simple and without spoiling too much, I’ll keep this to just what the TV series is about rather than the whole Fallout story.

The show follows three main characters - Lucy, Maximus and The Ghoul - who each have their own troubled pasts but meet up at various points while on their quests for the same item but for different reasons.

Lucy, played by Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets) is the main main character. She is a citizen of Vault 33 who is bored of her life in the same vault. When her father is taken by raiders, she seizes the opportunity to go surface-side in the quest to find him (very Fallout-like), not knowing a thing about the way people operate on the surface.

Along the way, she meets The Ghoul (Walton Goggins, The Hateful Eight), who has been around since the bombs dropped in 2077, and is dug up from his grave to help search for a bounty. He isn’t exactly one for making friends, but he keeps Lucy around as he needs her help at points.

Maximus (Aaron Clifton Moten, Disjointed) is a member of the Brotherhood of Steel, one of the most powerful factions in post-war America. He is sent out on his first mission into the wasteland but quickly finds out how dangerous it can be out there without help.

The trio’s stories intertwine throughout the season, with at least two of them wandering together almost at any one time.

As they progress in their quests, the story of the barren wasteland that was formerly Los Angeles starts coming together, and each must overcome different obstacles in their aim to reach their final goal.

The story being told is compelling and each actor plays their character very well, in particular Purnell as Lucy, who perfectly plays the role of a vault dweller with no idea of the dangers outside of her vault and whose naivety puts her in situations that she would never have been prepared for or been able to handle alone.

The way the final episode ends leads perfectly into the next chapter of the story, leaving off on something of a cliffhanger to keep fans excited for season two.

Does Fallout keep to the stories of the video games?

For anyone who’s a fan of the Fallout video games, don’t worry about the series retconning any prior events. 

The show is set in Los Angeles in 2296, the latest of any Fallout instalment. The original Fallout game released in 1997 is set in Southern California and references Los Angeles but doesn’t properly spend time there. It also is set in 2161, so quite some time has passed between the events of both.

There is a little bit of contention online as to how the fate of one location described in the show plays out as it does seem to contradict the events of Fallout: New Vegas, one of the most beloved entries in the series.

However, enough people have been able to make explanations as to how they both can still be canon in the Fallout universe, so no worries of New Vegas now being obsolete.

Is experience with the games required to understand the show?

Not at all. The great thing about each Fallout instalment, whether that be any of the games or the show, is that each one is set in a different city/area of post-war America and in different years.

This makes it easier to start on any one of them without need any knowledge of the previous entries.

Some things you’d recognise from the games (e.g. the Brotherhood of Steel) but you are not required to have played the games to understand the events of the show. Everything is explained.

My verdict on Fallout

If it’s not clear already, I thoroughly enjoyed all eight episodes of the season. Each story being told was given its time and didn’t take anything away from the others, and ultimately the way things end off has got me excited to see what will come next.

It is the development of the characters and the story that made it so compelling, but also seeing a new part of wasteland America in the Fallout universe was very cool.

I give it a solid 8/10, not because I’m trying to be different and not copy IGN, but because I want to leave some scope for better in the second season. I think this was a perfect introduction to the world for those who have never played the games and I think it will only get better going forward.

Where can I watch Fallout?

It should be fairly clear from the mentions but if not, Fallout is available on Prime Video, with all eight episodes of the first season out now for your viewing pleasure.

Prime Video is free with any Amazon Prime account, or if you don’t have an account, you can sign up for £8.99 a month after the initial 30-day free trial period.