Possible spoilers ahead…
Well, it is safe to say that this story is worth much more than that… much more!
I’ll admit, I was very confused after episode 1. But more importantly I was intrigued and ready to learn more. Along the way, we see 3 different stories, that are intertwined in a world set 200 years in the future, after the apocalypse. Giving a retro 60’s vibe, it is as if we have been frozen in time – with a very catchy soundtrack!
We have Lucy, a vault-dweller, living happily with her whole family in Vault 32, unaware of the dangers she has been brought up in. When surface-dwellers raid their home, she goes beyond the vault to save her dad.
Now we meet the surface-dwellers. Maximus is part of the Brotherhood, a sort of religious, technological army/cult. Sent on a mission as a squire, he also begins to learn more of the surface horrors.
Finally, we have ghouls. Our main ‘friend’, aptly known as The Ghoul, also becomes part of this adventure (eventually helping Lucy and Maximus). We learn along the way that ghouls are those who were on the surface 200 years previously when the atomic bomb was dropped, therefore causing the apocalypse, and allowing them to live forever. The Ghoul is on a mission to find his wife, who used to work for a fallout shelter company.
Without wanting to give too much away, the least I can say is that this show is not only the best game adaptation to date, but also possibly the best TV show of the year! Filled with action, heartbreak, incredible sets, and mind-bending storylines, you become addicted from the very first second.
The themes of the show explore the dystopian genre, questioning the realities of war and the need to ‘save the world’. It also, not so subtly, explores the nature of hierarchies and power struggles within society, focussing on the overwhelming power of wealth, capitalism, and the patriarchy.
So, despite having never played any of the Fallout series games, this show has changed the way we can adapt video games and still represent their deeper themes. As a warning to more sensitive watchers (such as myself), the show, I imagine much like the game, can get quite gruesome. From cannibalism, to severed heads and my favourite quote, “I’m simply going to harvest your organs”, this show is not for the faint hearted.
So, get that student discount on your Amazon Prime account, and go watch this unmissable limited series. It is has been set up nicely for a second season, and you’ll want to be all caught up!