At last, it's time to head back out to the Wasteland! Tonight, Prime Video premieres the second season of Fallout, its hit post-apocalyptic sci-fi series based on the beloved video game series from Bethesda Softworks. The show's first season exceeded all expectations, becoming one of Prime's biggest original series and winning over diehard game fans and newcomers alike. Can season 2 keep up the high level of quality?
I've seen the first six episodes of Fallout season 2, and it's enough to say with confidence that the series is stronger than ever. This time around, the show brings viewers to New Vegas, an iconic location from one of the most beloved video games in the series. But this ain't your grandaddy's New Vegas; things have changed in the 15 years since the video game, and how the show interfaces with the games while also forging its own path remains a masterclass in adaptation.
Fallout season 2 review
Part of what made the first season of Fallout so good is the show's unique approach to bringing its source material to life on the small screen. Helmed by executive producer Jonathan Nolan and showrunners Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Fallout made the bold choice not to adapt any one specific installment from the iconic game franchise, but rather to tell a totally new story set later on in the timeline. All of the games are still canon in the show, and events from them are referenced.
That approach worked wonders in season 1, but in season 2 it really reaches a whole new level. Now that the show is on more familiar terrain like New Vegas, it's much more willing to tip its hat to the various games, especially, of course, 2010's Fallout: New Vegas. But these references aren't just shallow fan service — they enrich the world of the show, depicting how the Wasteland has changed and where the various factions gamers have come to know and love (or hate) are now placed on the board in the show's time period. If you are a fan of the Fallout franchise as a whole, you are going to lose your mind over some of the stuff that pops up this season.
At the same time, the fact that the show isn't tied strictly to a previously existing storyline gives it so much freedom to simply tell the best story it can on its own terms. It allows its characters, twists, and plotlines to shine in a way that your usual adaptations can't necessarily achieve. Fallout's careful balancing act between its fully original story and its ties to decades-worth of source material is something that future video game adaptations should study closely.
But perhaps we're getting ahead of ourselves. Perhaps you don't play the games at all, and don't care about how closely Fallout season 2 honors its source material. Maybe you just watched the first season because it was an entertaining post-apocalyptic romp with an outrageous sense of humor, and want to know if season 2 will scratch that same itch.
If so, fret not: Fallout season 2 is just as raucous an affair as the first season. The all-important tone of the show is as quirky and darkly hilarious as ever, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments chased by shocking bouts of extreme violence and colorful banter between characters. My favorite pairing by far this season is Lucy (Ella Purnell) and The Ghoul (Walton Goggins), who are paried up on the central quest to New Vegas. This odd couple lends itself perfectly to the Fallout tone, with plenty of jokes and funny situations as they rib each other back and forth, as well as places where things suddenly shift and put one or both of them on the back foot in a serious way. Goggins and Purnell have really settled into the characters, and they're a joy to watch in season 2.
Goggins' flashback scenes as Cooper Howard also deserve a special shoutout. These were a highlight of season 1, which left off on a sobering note when Cooper overheard his wife and the heads of several large companies making plans to cause a nuclear war for profit. But there's still plenty of space between that moment and the one where the bombs finally drop, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well Fallout continues to fill in that timeline in season 2.
Of course, Goggins and Purnell hardly carry the show alone. This is a really strong season for the show's other lead, Aaron Moten (Maximus) as well. Maximus left off in an interesting place in season 1, being elevated to a knight in the Brotherhood of Steel after it's assumed he killed Moldaver and seized the cold fusion device. Now the Brotherhood has control of cold fusion and Maximus is no longer the naive squire he once was. The moral conflict is real in this plotline, and Moten makes the most of Maximus' cold detachment and desperation for a more honorable path.
There are other standout plotlines as well. Kyle MacLachlan has a chillingly good turn as Lucy's villainous father Hank, Norm (Moisés Arias) continues to be one of the show's most intriguing characters as he navigates being locked in Vault 31, newcomer Justin Theroux gives an inspired performance as the genius antagonist Robert House, and the growing tension in Vaults 32 and 33 is a perfect breeding ground for both the show's humor and the messed up experiments of Vault-Tec. There isn't a weak link in the chain that is Fallout season 2, which makes it a blast to watch.
Fallout's practical take on the Wasteland leaps off the screen
In terms of production, Fallout season 2 is truly impressive, not just by the show's own standards, but against any other major sci-fi or fantasy production out there as well. The first season made the great choice to build practical power armor for the Brotherhood of Steel, and it made it feel so much more real than if it had opted for CGI instead.
Fallout goes even harder this season, with not only more power armor scenes, but also an admirable mix of practical and digital effects to bring together creatures like the Deathclaw, an iconic Fallout game monster. It would have been so easy for the show to opt for a fully digital Deathclaw, but by going half practical, it makes the creature feel that more present on the screen in a way that puts it beyond most other genre show monsters. Even the dragons from Game of Thrones don't quite pop out the same way as the Deathclaw does when its real face presses in close to characters we know and love.
Speaking of Thrones, there's another piece of connective tissues between Fallout and HBO's series: composer Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi has worked on plenty of series over the years, including Jonathan Nolan's own Westworld, but his work on Fallout season 2 stands out for how fresh it feels. If you've listened to a lot of Djawadi's scores, you might become accustomed to a few of his usual tricks. Fallout feels decidedly different than many of those previous scores, and the show is better for it.
There are plenty of other production highlights: the settings in both the past and future are well-realized, the costuming never misses a beat, and the writing is practically flawless, for a start. But I think I've gushed enough about Fallout for now. Watch it tonight, and decide for yourself how you feel about Prime Video's journey to New Vegas.
When does Fallout season 2 premiere?
Fallout season 2 premieres its first episode on December 16 at 9:00 p.m. ET. After that, new episodes will follow on Wednesdays at midnight PST / 3:00 a.m. ET for the rest of the season's eight-episode run, until its finale on February 4, 2026.