As time goes on, I am comfortable awarding the first season of the Fallout TV show as my favorite video game adaptation. Well, actually, that honor still belongs to the 2021 Josh Ruben horror comedy Werewolves Within, but that movie is more technically based on a video game than it is an adaptation of beloved interactive media.
Fallout has the much more difficult challenge of taking a well-known, well-liked, and dense video game universe that has existed since 1997 and condensing it down so anyone can enjoy it. But it also has to serve longtime fans of the franchise. And it also has to be interesting. And it has to be funny, too. And canon. The fact that season one worked as well as it did is a bit of a miracle.
I wanted more when I made it to the end of season one so I have been looking forward to the follow-up. I have watched the first six episodes and the short version of my review is that I (so far) have not enjoyed it as much as season one. But, I still quickly started each consecutive episode and will eagerly tune in when the final two episodes are available to stream. A (so far) weaker season of a good show, is still part of a good show.
Season two picks up where season one left off with Lucy (Ella Purnell) and The Ghoul (Walton Goggins) looking for Lucy’s dad (Kyle MachLachlan) who is hanging out in New Vegas where new-to-the-show character, Robert House (Justin Theroux) set up his empire. Maximus (Aaron Moten) is back with his Brotherhood again, but now as a celebrity, and Lucy’s home vault is still struggling and being weird as hell. And all the while my favorite character, Thaddeus (Johnny Pemberton), is off doing something unexpected.
Where Fallout season two loses me slightly, in comparison to the first season, is its pacing. In the first six episodes, not much wholly new or exciting happens. The show is already slated for a third season, which means there is room to set the table, potentially for years to come, and I am feeling that here. Lucy and The Ghoul progress and have fun moments, but don’t make much headway. Maximus is grappling with his morals and deciding if he still believes in the teachings of The Brotherhood, but doesn’t make many big moves. And Robert House has a secret plan of some kind that involves Lucy’s dad, but it’s frustratingly opaque rather than being mysterious and compelling.
With that said, however, all the aesthetic and tone elements established with the first season are all here. Lucy is charming and motivated, and becoming increasingly less naive. The Ghoul is no stranger to violence and has no problem enacting it in creative ways. The Brotherhood and everything it stands for continues to be a fascinating organization and Moten’s sympathetic and confused portrayal of Maximus is still endearing. And Thaddeus makes me laugh with just about everything he says, which leads me to arguably the reason Fallout is still my favorite video game adaptation: it’s funny.
Fallout’s world is dark and scary, but it is also absolutely absurd. Comedians primarily make up the secondary cast, and no one acknowledges how ridiculous their reality is, which makes it enjoyable television.
I wish the pacing was stronger for season two, but there is no reason not to recommend it. I suspect that with its patient table setting in the first six episodes, the final two will be exciting conclusions to an otherwise slow start.