Review of the first two episodes of the Fallout series. The wasteland refines the satire and is a faithful reflection of the games

On television everything is bad news. The news programs wonder when the nuclear attack will occur that will plunge the United States into disaster. Meanwhile, the most exemplary rich family celebrates a dream birthday. The children, exhilarated, enjoy activities and a delicious snack, without knowing that their world is going to collapse in a matter of minutes. The first bombs explode and the shock wave rages like an impetuous tornado. The good family, however, has a refuge reserved underground. This is how the Fallout series begins, of which we have already been able to enjoy the first two episodes.

The start of Bethesda games entails a special fascination, a look at fantasy worlds that invite adventure and exploration. The Fallout series reproduces that spirit, makes it its own and takes it into its own territory. Lucy (Ella Purnell) is one of the three protagonists, a young woman who knows no other life than that of Vault 33. For reasons that the viewer will soon discover, the girl will have to go outside to rescue her father, who is also the shelter supervisor. Accustomed to spending her days between walls, in an unreal and manipulable underworld, she is completely unaware of what life means outside of this safe environment. And then, the doors of the shelter open and the blinding light bursts in. When the eyes adjust, the sand of the wasteland sprinkles the skulls of the dead and the remains of a long forgotten city.

Three different protagonists and a macabre dystopia

Lucy’s ignorance and naivety contrast with her iron will. And just as part of her personality has been forged by her origins, Maximus (Aaron Moten) has endured a completely different existence. A member of the Brotherhood of Steel, time has taught him to survive the harsh elements of the wasteland. Almost fortuitously, his destiny intersects with that of Lucy and that of another main character, the lethal ghoul Cooper Howard (Walton Goggins). Special mention to Dr. Siggi (Michael Emmerson), but especially to the little dog who accompanies him and who conquers the viewer’s heart from his first appearance as a puppy.

Balancing satire, humor and drama is not always easy. The nonsense of Fallout is one of its hallmarks, but Jonathan Nolan, Claire Kilner and the rest of the creative team have managed to imprint this style on the series, which is identified not only in its aesthetic design, but also through its plots. and characters. A tone of comedy that sometimes borders on (and other times exceeds) extravagance, raw violence, with a comical and exaggerated nuance – the head explosions are literally the video game -, fun action, casual dialogues, sometimes a little ridiculous ( okidoki!) and the premise of an extraordinary adventure. Some scenes have something that creaks, but the whole thing looks very good, and yes, one of Fallout 3’s best-known musical themes is heard at several moments. Pure Fallout.

Enlarge

The first two episodes promise a lot and will appeal to both video game fans and more layman viewers. The series premieres next April 10 in the United States (April 11 at 3:00 pm in Spain) and all its episodes can be seen on Amazon Prime Video.