Fallout Season 1 4K UHD Steelbook Review
“Fallout” is geek culture’s new TV hit.
Based on the Bethesda video game franchise of the same name, “Fallout” is a post-apocalyptic retro-futuristic series created for television by Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet. In the 8 episode debut season, the story largely takes place in the year 2296 and focuses on multiple intersecting storylines involving Lucy living in Vault 33 (an underground society), the Brotherhood of Steel member Maximus, and The Ghoul (a mutated bounty hunter). Lucy finds her world being turned upside down when Vault 33 becomes infiltrated by raiders leading to her father becoming kidnapped. Lucy winds up going above ground to find him opening up a whole new world to her. Maximus is on a quest to find Enclave member Dr. Wizgig alongside Knight Titus and later Thaddeus. The Ghoul is a bounty hunter who is also looking for Dr. Wilzig. His past in 2077 as an actor named Cooper who had a family and was a spokesperson for the company Vault-Tec also comes into play via flashbacks. Throughout the season, there are numerous plots involving creatures, cannibals, dangerous locations, other Vaults, Lucy’s brother Norm, the mysterious Moldaver, the truth behind the nuclear war and Vault-Tec.
Prior to its release in 2024, there was a lot of hype surrounding Amazon Prime Video’s “Fallout” series. To say the video game franchise has a large fanbase is an understatement and obviously the fans wanted to see a proper TV adaptation. Luckily, they get their wish as the recent trend of solid video game adaptations continues.
“Fallout” is nothing if not ambitious. There’s a lot of world building, the production values are extraordinary, there’s rich characters, and big subjects being explored here such as survival, war, and corporations. Sure, it may not have the emotional depth of other post-apoc stories, but it makes up for it with its unique blend of violence, comedy, action, and some rather dark moments. Truth be told, season 1 does feel a bit overstuffed as there is enough content here for multiple seasons. Instead, it’s all in 8 episodes with a big set-up for a 2nd season which will be based on another major video game in the series (no spoilers for those who haven’t seen it yet).
The show is at its best when it focuses on Lucy (Ella Purnell) and The Ghoul (Walton Goggins). Not only are those characters the best, but they drive the story forward. Plus, Purnell and Goggins are just absolutely perfect in the roles. There’s a reason why both of their careers have taken off in the last few years especially. The narrative stumbles when it focuses on the Brotherhood of Steel and the flashbacks to 2077. Others may disagree, but to me, it drags the show to a halt and destroys the momentum that the other arcs have. Still, even with those flaws, this is an engrossing and faithful adaptation that has much to chew on. Bring on season 2!
Note: The 4K Steelbook release is an Amazon exclusive.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 2.39:1 2160p. How does it look? About as perfect as it gets. The episodes look crystal clear. Fans will no doubt be pleased by the results.
Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? The superb sound design gets an A+ track to back it up.
Extras:
* 6 art cards
* Commentary on episode 1 by Jonathan Nolan and Walton Goggins.
* “Becoming The Ghoul”- Walton Goggins talks about his roles.
* “Safe And Sound” covers Ramin Djawadi’s score.
* “Set Your Sets On 2296” revolves around the production design and cinematography.
* “Console To Camera”- A featurette on bringing the video games to the small screen.
* “Creating The Wasteland”- A visual effects featurette
* “The Costumes Of Fallout”- The title says it all.
* “Writing For The Wasteland”- The writers/showrunners touch on adapting the material.
* “Welcome To The World Of Fallout” is all about the world building.
* “Prosthetics And Makeup Gone Nuclear”- About the makeup and practical effects.
* “Meet The Filmmaker” touches on director Jonathan Nolan and Bethesda’s Todd Howard’s work together.
* “Inside Season 1” centers around the production of the debut season.
* “Animated Vault-Tec Career Walkthrough With Bud Askins”
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