Adapting an open-world game like "Fallout" for film or television can be a major challenge for creators due to the lack of fixed narrative structure inherent in the game format. This often leads to adaptations that fail to capture the soul of the game's success. The team working on Prime Video's adaptation of “Fallout,” however, smartly avoids this pitfall. Seasoned TV creatives such as Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy fill the “Fallout” sandbox with their own unique twists, producing a show with influences from the Bethesda games yet possessing its own unique style that borrows from different genres.
The show's post-apocalyptic theme looks into how humanity cracks under pressure, providing sharp commentary on capitalism and control in the process. The adaptation maintains the engaging strangeness of the "Fallout" games without resorting to excessive quirkiness that can derail similar projects. It provides a glance at a society stuck in a 40’s time warp but forced to survive in a hostile future, creating a unique pop culture mix reminiscent of “Westworld,” “Lost,” “Deadwood,” and old-fashioned family sitcoms. A reference to the end of the world serving as a product mirrors the entertainment industry’s current fascination with post-apocalyptic themes.
Lucy, played by Ella Purnell, is a Vault-dweller, meaning she lives underground in a community preaching peace and kindness but harboring secrets. Her pursuit to find her kidnapped father gives viewers a glimpse of the surface world, filled with monstrous creatures and weird characters. The show also has moments that reflect the unpredictability of open-world games and stays fresh by not relying too heavily on the game's combat mechanics.
The show stumbles slightly mid-season with an admirably unpredictable narrative but one that disrupts the momentum and makes the season feel longer. Despite these minor setbacks, “Fallout” climaxes promisingly enough, hinting at more exciting stories to come. The whole season reveals itself to be a Walton Goggins show, holding viewers' attention whenever his character is on screen, fleshing out the world of "Fallout" while promising to deconstruct more layers in future installments.
