There's an awful lot to like here, both for hardcore fans of the games, and new or casual viewers.
The visuals are absolutely spot on, with sets, costumes, props and many many Easter eggs all being taken directly from the games, right from the start where S. P. E. C. I. A. L. And skills are directly and cleverly referenced. The colour palette is more varied and the lighting is brighter, but this is a plus point: had it been shot in grimy, muted tones, it would have been jarring and anti-immersive.
With a score either taken from, or influenced by, the games, there's nothing to complain about there either.
The alternative-history of 2077 is equally well realised and convincing, although since it's filmed with the same palette as 2296, the flashback transitions aren't instantly obvious.
Commendably, the showrunners don't shy away from the gore and gibs of the games, with some scenes verging on body horror. These are counterpoised with comic relief, and character drama, again consistent with the source. Most of the writing and dialog is solid, with some standout scenes: it takes a brave writer and director to have two main characters talk over each other with competing narratives, but it works here. There are a lot of characters and plotlines to juggle and interweave, but credit to the writers, they knit them together in the finale.
The core cast is strong, with Ella Purnell in particular being wonderfully winning and convincing as the innocent-abroad Vault Dweller.
However, there are significant flaws which have to be addressed.
Finn - I mean, Maximus - is played competently by Aaron Moten, but he's far too old for the role. Ella Purnell is also 5 or 6 years beyond her part, but plays the ingénue more credibly, helped by those startling eyes.
The treatment of Ghouls is wildly inconsistent. The writers can't make up their minds from one episode, or even one scene, to the next, whether they're near-indestructible superhumans or not. And this does matter because it would matter in-game.
Sadly, the overarching plot for the season is a mystery box reveal which - as an original idea of CURRENT_YEAR Hollywood scriptwriters, aimed squarely at their own peers and the Modern Audience that they are convinced exists - is as infuriatingly farcical and ideologically driven as you'd imagine. It retcons an entirely new Fallout lore driven purely by virtue signalling from the most hypocritically enthusiastic beneficiaries of the very thing that the writers profess to eschew.
Tragically, the final few scenes are simply an extended "To be continued... question mark!" montage. There's no conclusion here, just a tease that might be fulfilled in 3 or 4 years. Given the hectoring that was just delivered, and the lack of any firm premise about what future seasons might entail beyond more retconning flashbacks, this is a weak and insipid way to conclude what was shaping up to be a solid season. The writers simply ran out of ideas and punted the ball.
The visuals are absolutely spot on, with sets, costumes, props and many many Easter eggs all being taken directly from the games, right from the start where S. P. E. C. I. A. L. And skills are directly and cleverly referenced. The colour palette is more varied and the lighting is brighter, but this is a plus point: had it been shot in grimy, muted tones, it would have been jarring and anti-immersive.
With a score either taken from, or influenced by, the games, there's nothing to complain about there either.
The alternative-history of 2077 is equally well realised and convincing, although since it's filmed with the same palette as 2296, the flashback transitions aren't instantly obvious.
Commendably, the showrunners don't shy away from the gore and gibs of the games, with some scenes verging on body horror. These are counterpoised with comic relief, and character drama, again consistent with the source. Most of the writing and dialog is solid, with some standout scenes: it takes a brave writer and director to have two main characters talk over each other with competing narratives, but it works here. There are a lot of characters and plotlines to juggle and interweave, but credit to the writers, they knit them together in the finale.
The core cast is strong, with Ella Purnell in particular being wonderfully winning and convincing as the innocent-abroad Vault Dweller.
However, there are significant flaws which have to be addressed.
Finn - I mean, Maximus - is played competently by Aaron Moten, but he's far too old for the role. Ella Purnell is also 5 or 6 years beyond her part, but plays the ingénue more credibly, helped by those startling eyes.
The treatment of Ghouls is wildly inconsistent. The writers can't make up their minds from one episode, or even one scene, to the next, whether they're near-indestructible superhumans or not. And this does matter because it would matter in-game.
Sadly, the overarching plot for the season is a mystery box reveal which - as an original idea of CURRENT_YEAR Hollywood scriptwriters, aimed squarely at their own peers and the Modern Audience that they are convinced exists - is as infuriatingly farcical and ideologically driven as you'd imagine. It retcons an entirely new Fallout lore driven purely by virtue signalling from the most hypocritically enthusiastic beneficiaries of the very thing that the writers profess to eschew.
Tragically, the final few scenes are simply an extended "To be continued... question mark!" montage. There's no conclusion here, just a tease that might be fulfilled in 3 or 4 years. Given the hectoring that was just delivered, and the lack of any firm premise about what future seasons might entail beyond more retconning flashbacks, this is a weak and insipid way to conclude what was shaping up to be a solid season. The writers simply ran out of ideas and punted the ball.