Fallout season 1 (2024)

 


Fallout season 1 (2024)

“I'm not going back without my dad.”

“If you insist on staying, then you will have to adapt. The question is, will you still want the same things, when you have become a different animal altogether?”

“What Happened."

“It's the same thing that always happens. Everyone wants to save the world, they just disagree on how.”
-Fallout season 1 (2024)

Perhaps it is a bit presumptuous, but credit is due where credit is due. Amazon's adoption of the Fallout video game franchise, is a delight in the most apocalyptic of ways. Fallout is known for its ridiculous, albeit insightful ridiculous satire on the end of the world. The humor is sharp, and the wit is biting, and remarkably it all works to a concise degree. Because, when you reach the precipice of the Apocalypse, you realize that maybe we're all to blame, in some way or another.
Fallout, in its televised form, thrives in its ability to eloquently take shots at its many ideological combatants. That is to say, cheap shots, these are not. Yes, they may be extreme and out there in some cases, though they are all given their due. Even if that means our protagonist Lucy McLean, runs screaming the other way. For the most part however, charm is the central motivator of the show's irreverent nature. All its ridiculousness, is tastefully and respectfully achieved. In other words, Fallout's political and social commentary is the sharpened point of a witty repartee that enlivens its dying world with humanity and purpose.
The greatest joy I derived from Fallout season 1, came when I realized that the show is so innately aware of where it came from, and where it is going. Which is a strange statement, if you know where the show came from, and where it might go. You see, in its most well-known narrative outing Fallout, is and was an open world video game. A game with no real central story to speak of. Before the lorehounds come and eat me for lunch, I'm referring mostly to the game’s open-ended nature. The player character can explore and experience the world at their own pace, with the game's multitude of narrative diversions and sidequests.
It is true that in the game the main quest is often left to the wayside. Though that is no issue here. The show holds to the truth with a joyous resilience and fortitude. In the wastelands of Fallout, the journey is the true adventure, not straight-lineing it to the final destination. Showrunners, Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner, along with their team, beautifully capture the ridiculously charming irreverency of Fallout. Opening the doors to a broken world of satire laced adventure. A world where every choice has a consequence and every consequence has a choice. Which one will you choose?

Rated TV-MA for violence, blood and gore, language, sexual references and content including some nudity (Parental note, all of the sexual content is brief and contained in episodes 1, 4, and 7. Episode seven contains graphic nudity.)

I found Fallout season 1 to be visually enthralling, irreverently charming and humorously insightful. I hope in some way you do too.

Fallout season 1 is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video with a subscription. Season 1 is also available to purchase physically on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD disc


Fallout Season 1 Trailer


If you wish to explore over 150 film reviews and essays, my blog archive can be found at this link: Hour 21


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