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FALLOUT on Prime Video is Everything This Nerd Wanted and More! (A spoiler-free review)
Fallout Origins
Fallout has come a long way since its humble MS-DOs/Windows beginnings. I played in high school and remember feeling like I had played nothing like it before. It was tough, but I was still having fun figuring it all out. And for its time, the graphics were pretty cool too. With an epic storyline, and all kinds of interesting twists and turns along the way, Fallout easily became an all-time favorite.
When I first heard in 2020 that they would be making a series, I had no possible clue what it could be like because the world of ‘Fallout’ is so rich with its storylines, characters, and environments. The Fallout (2024) series on Prime Video took a fairly canon approach with some nice embellishments.
Fallout (2024)The Story & Players
The series follows 3 characters:
Lucy MacLean
A vault dweller from Vault 33 comes to the surface to find her dad (played by Kyle McLachlan; Twin Peaks 1990). I see so much of myself in Lucy (Ella Purcell; Yellowjackets 2023). Bright-eyed optimist with no clue of how ‘the real’ world around her works. Her integrity is what drives her most, and watching her character arc unfold was just– I felt such a high level of relate.
Maximus
A Brotherhood of Steel initiate desperate to prove himself to The Brotherhood. I felt like while they had different different motivations, Maximus’ (Aaron Moten; Disjointed 2018) journey ran fairly parallel to Lucy’s. They both also have this almost child-like innocence about them but by the end of the season, they’ve grown into, I dunno, maybe teenagers? That’s some growth. Maybe I can give them early 20’s.
The Ghoul
The Ghoul (Walton Goggins; Righteous Gemstones 2019) is a pretty mysterious character from the start, so I don’t want to say much that’ll give any spoilers, but he’s a load of fun. And seems to be having the most fun despite some of the predicaments he finds himself in. Something in him makes me feel like he’s a weird warped version of the Tin-Man from Wizard of Oz. The way he grows and seemingly finds his heart, but still is who he is at his core.
The trio start on their parallel missions and eventually cross paths and discover how they can work with or use each other to reach their goals. With the character development, there’s so much complexity, but it feels, again, relatable, or at least familiar in some way.
As the series progresses, there’s no shortage of jaw-dropping moments… and man, on one of them I sobbed as if my mother died… The character development is on point, as are the actor portrayals. And I’ll be damned if ‘Fallout’ isn’t the perfect mix of weird af and hilarious.
Final Thoughts
One of the best things about ‘Fallout’ is that if post-apocalyptic stories are your jam, you’ll dig this series without ever having played the games. Meanwhile, there are plenty of goodies for fans of the games. From set design to props, they did such a fantastic job bringing the world of ‘Fallout‘ to life. I would love to wander those sets and see the magic of the props and practical effects in action.
I was not a fan of The Brotherhood of Steel, or their storylines in the games… but let me tell you… THE POWER ARMOR!!!!
(Credit: Unknown)
I could geek out all day on every aspect of the series, but I’ll spare you and just leave you with this rundown.
How to Watch
Prime Video has all 8 episodes streaming now, AND you can get Fallout 3, New Vegas (my all-time favorite), and 76 to play free on Prime! I’m not a fan of how much they’re charging for merch when just two weeks ago, any Fallout items you’d like to have were decently priced… but it is what it is.
I stress, that even if you’re not into the games, but love sci-fi and post-apocalyptic storylines, give Fallout a shot. You’ll likely find so many things you’ll love about it.
Also… Maybe give this number a try when you get to episode 6.
