Summary
Bethesda’s apocalyptically famous first-person roleplaying gameFalloutis in the process of receiving the live-action treatment. Amazon decided to take the plunge and bring the video game series into a new market, making it more widely known than it already is. There’s a lot going for this series that can make it a successful TV series, but there are a few things the show needs to nail to be a faithful adaptation.
Fallout’scomedy is priceless at times and leaving it out altogether would be criminal. Unlike other post-apocalyptic video games,Falloutdoesn’t take itself as seriously. The characters are incredibly animated, some side quests are goofy, and players can design their character any way they prefer, including outlandish hairstyles.Amazon has its work cut out for itself.
Amazon’s Fallout Series has big shoes to fill
Since Bethesda releasedFallout 3, the series has become a household name among gamers.Fallout: New Vegaswent on to up the stakes with an even larger open world map, more factions to join or fight, and an entirely new setting. WhileFallout 4andFallout 76garner some protest from some gamers, the entire series is held in high regard at the same time. These fans expect Amazon to give the TV series the same kind of careBethesda gives its video game counterpart.
Every entry into theFalloutseries tells a deeply personal story that fans connect with on some level. Every character has an extensive backstory that are worth exploring. These are all aspects that will make or break Amazon’s series because if it doesn’t have the same kind of depth, it won’t feel likeFallout. The success ofHBO’sThe Last of Usproves to lifelong fanshow a video game adaptation can be done right, despite taking some liberties.
There’s a lot of material in the barren wasteland ofFalloutfor the show to pull from. The video game series has gone on to produce nine different games, including the six main RPG-style games and a few spin-offs. One thing that remains constant is the game’s humor.
The Fallout Games mix Dark Humor with Sci-fi Horror
The first thing that takes everyone by surprise in a survival game set in a post-apocalyptic future is its comedy. There are some blatant comedic moments that one wouldn’t expect, butFalloutdoesn’t exist without its special blend of dark humor and horror. InFallout 3, when the playerreturns to the vaultthey escaped at the beginning of the game, they discover the children took over and wentLord of the Flieson the adults. Several children make light of the moment, too. When there are missions titled “The Kid in the Fridge,” it’s obvious the game is having some fun.
One story that fans would love to see adapted is the “Old World Blues"story fromNew Vegas. Since the Amazon series is taking place in Los Angeles, California, it’s a definite possibility. This was a DLC mission designed as comedic relief for the game. It featured a group of mad scientists collectively known as the Think Tank. They abduct the main character, remove his brain, and subsequently lose it to an outsider named Dr. Mobius. During the character’s quest to retrieve his brain, the player learns that Dr. Mobius isn’t a bad guy at all and he’s actually preventing the Think Tank from escaping their mountainous research lab where they would go on to conduct experiments on the inhabitants of the wasteland.
It comes with a vibe similar to Mystery Science Theater 3000 and the Portal series, with brilliant chatter and banter between the characters. Not to mention, Dr. Klein of the Think Tank is constantly shouting over his other bickering colleagues who are all just floating brains in robotic bodies. This is the kind of gold that needs tofind its way into Amazon’s adaptation.
Amazon’s Fallout Series Shouldn’t Ignore the Game’s Humor
TheFalloutvideo game series has so many goldmines of jokes that it would be a crime not to include them. Sometimes the humor is subtle, under the radar, but other times, it’s big and in the player’s face. Players run across large enemies that end up being pushovers afraid of their own shadow, or a robotic butler like Codsworth says something like “The past, the present, and the future walked into a bar. It was tense.“Humor is all over the place inFallout. Even the artwork is satirical in a way with the Vaultboy artwork exhibiting a more optimistic and carefree style within the dreary, post-apocalyptic setting.
Despite the story taking place in the fallout (no pun intended) of a nuclear war where everything is bleak and everyone is fighting for their lives on a daily basis, it always finds a way to find humor. As good of a filmmaker as Jonathan Nolan is, having him and Lisa Joy as executive producers on the series doesn’t bode well for the comedy side ofFallout. The two had significant control over HBO’sWestworld, which saw little to no comedic relief.Comedy is a part ofFallout’s DNA. The series shouldn’t be a full-blown comedy on the same level asVan Wilder, but it should highlight the surrealness of the show’s setting.
It’s not uncommon for dramas in this day and age to mix comedy into the dialogue. Fans see it all the time with the likes of every MCU movie. The humor inFalloutshould be clever, though, and serve a purpose. There’s usually a commentary taking place, which is whenFalloutis at its best.
