Amazon Prime's FALLOUT series starring Walton Goggins (4/12/24) 2 2

[Bosco685]

Fallout Makes the Latest Case to Kill the Binge Model

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Like pretty much everyone else this weekend, I’m watching the TV adaptation of Fallout. I’m really enjoying it, and there’s a lot about it to like, from its characters and sense of place to the way it incorporates the game’s mechanics and setting into a non-interactive format. It’s a very solid show that has the potential to be great over time, something Amazon is reportedly already giving it with a season two renewal.

 

Just one small problem, or at least one that isn’t really the fault of show: this should be a weekly series. Unlike with its other hit shows like The Boys or Invincible, Amazon elected to put out all eight episodes in one go, for reasons that aren’t entirely clear. It’s not short enough to be billed as a miniseries event, and its scope is so big that each episode runs roughly an hour or a little more. From its opening moments, Fallout feels like a prestige series, which tend to thrive with a weekly schedule that makes you put the work in to watch it.

 

Streamers are content to release their show however they like, and in theory, the all at once binge model helps viewers dictate the pace of watching a show on their own terms. But this has arguably hurt TV in a variety of ways—it’s too easy for shows to fly under the radar (and subsequently get canceled before they can really find their legs), you end up getting spoiled on something because everyone else on social media is way ahead of you, which puts you in the wrong headspace. When the first season of Luke Cage came out in 2016, I watched it all day one, and ended it feeling a little burnt out. The choice may have been mine, but Netflix punishes nearly any show that doesn’t burst onto the scene as a success. It’s one thing to marathon a few episodes of an hour-long show (or ones with 11/22-minute runtimes), and another to do an entire 13-episode season that probably could’ve benefitted from being 10 episodes.

 

[1Cool]

I’m about half way through and it’s been great so far.  Rare show that I keep thinking about parts and wanting to digest more.  Favorite new show in awhile.

[CAHokie]

Glad to see Erik Estrada make an appearance! (I like it when stars from 70's and 80's show up in new popular shows)

[Ken Aldred]

A lead character in the series who's fairly close to the look that I chose for my character in the video game.  The models provided by Bethesda in the PS4 version to select from and modify aren't great, and I ended up being happiest playing as the African-American woman, with a fairly slim build.  After a bit of deliberating, that looked the best one to me. It also seemed to fit in most sympathetically with the grand, underlying theme of the game; a vulnerable, bereft parent looking for their child in a harsh, broken world.

That said, I haven't watched the series yet, just raising an interesting parallel. Similar idea.

 

Edited April 16 by Ken Aldred

[the blob]

On 4/15/2024 at 4:25 PM, CAHokie said:

Glad to see Erik Estrada make an appearance! (I like it when stars from 70's and 80's show up in new popular shows)

Was he the father/lead hunter? I thought it might be him, but he doesn't quite look like himself anymore.

[the blob]

Wow, what season finale reveal! I know nothing about the game. I assume it isn't this nuanced?

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

On 4/16/2024 at 5:50 PM, the blob said:

I assume it isn't this nuanced?

It is an so much more.

[the blob]

On 4/14/2024 at 7:34 PM, Bosco685 said:

Fallout Makes the Latest Case to Kill the Binge Model

 

I hate to say it, but I agree, maybe they could have released two episodes a week. I'm not sure what they get out of dropping it all at once. I watched it in 4 sittings. I have prime with ads, but the ads are pretty minimal compared to Hulu and Paramount, which feel excessive at times and cause the shows to freeze up and I constantly have to go back into the app. So far Prime still runs ok with the ads.

[the blob]

On 4/16/2024 at 6:52 PM, onlyweaknesskryptonite said:

It is an so much more.

The game or the show? My kid has Fallout 4, but it doesn't seem to be one of the games he is obsessed with. He is mad I finished the season without him, but I don't have time to do this on a 12 year old's schedule where he needs to go to bed at 9:30 pm. 

Edited April 16 by the blob

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

On 4/16/2024 at 5:54 PM, the blob said:

The game or the show? My kid has Fallout 4, but it doesn't seem to be one of the games he is obsessed with. He is mad I finished the season without him, but I don't have time to do this on a 12 year old's schedule where he needs to go to bed at 9:30 pm. 

The game. There are many extremely detailed stories all throughout the wasteland. Just the same there are SO many very nuanced details not only in many of the stories of almost every character in the game, but even in many of the environments,  the monsters, etc. So many variables that almost every play through you find so many new things and even the story itself can change depending on choices throughout the game.  There are so many NPC characters that can eventually become companions and if you keep them with you certain places and parts in the storyline they will share their history that opens up even so much more. 

The first time I tried to play it I got semi overwhelmed by the amount of carp that is in some of them. Handloading rounds, breaking down almost every item in the game to different materials, modifications to weapons armor,  guns, etc,  etc, etc.. it really has so much to the game. Another issue is how many times you (depending on system) can have glitches that can also get very frustrating.  

That said if you really stick it out, explore everywhere, talk to everyone,  it has so many levels of enjoyment. ( IMO)

The reason so many find issues is that it is so massive that this isn't one of those run through in a day, week, or even a month kinda games. 

No matter which of them you play my recommendation is to make sure you get the game of the year editions as most of those come with all the expansion packs and they are definitely worth it. 

[Bosco685]

[the blob]

On 4/16/2024 at 7:46 PM, onlyweaknesskryptonite said:

The game. There are many extremely detailed stories all throughout the wasteland. Just the same there are SO many very nuanced details not only in many of the stories of almost every character in the game, but even in many of the environments,  the monsters, etc. So many variables that almost every play through you find so many new things and even the story itself can change depending on choices throughout the game.  There are so many NPC characters that can eventually become companions and if you keep them with you certain places and parts in the storyline they will share their history that opens up even so much more. 

The first time I tried to play it I got semi overwhelmed by the amount of carp that is in some of them. Handloading rounds, breaking down almost every item in the game to different materials, modifications to weapons armor,  guns, etc,  etc, etc.. it really has so much to the game. Another issue is how many times you (depending on system) can have glitches that can also get very frustrating.  

That said if you really stick it out, explore everywhere, talk to everyone,  it has so many levels of enjoyment. ( IMO)

The reason so many find issues is that it is so massive that this isn't one of those run through in a day, week, or even a month kinda games. 

No matter which of them you play my recommendation is to make sure you get the game of the year editions as most of those come with all the expansion packs and they are definitely worth it. 

What about the political backdrop/history. Is that all fleshed out in the games? I'll admit, I don't play modern games, it is all too complicated to keep track of, and it seems like with many my son is spending as much time watching the cut scenes as playing the game. 

Edited April 17 by the blob

[1Cool]

On 4/16/2024 at 6:48 PM, the blob said:

Was he the father/lead hunter? I thought it might be him, but he doesn't quite look like himself anymore.

He was the dirt sifting father in the second to last episode.  I'm about half way through that episode and can't wait to finish the season tonight.  Just keeps getting better and better with some many sub plots and layers.

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

On 4/17/2024 at 6:48 AM, the blob said:

What about the political backdrop/history. Is that all fleshed out in the games? I'll admit, I don't play modern games, it is all too complicated to keep track of, and it seems like with many my son is spending as much time watching the cut scenes as playing the game. 

Yes. It really is all gone through in vivid detail, but to really get all of it you do have to play through the games. 

It really is a TON to keep track of at first. Once you adjust it really isn't that bad. It just takes a lot of time. That was my issue originally.  Remembering that my first games were Atari and Phillips Magnavox Odyssey it really was a steep learning curve. I died countless times. There were many times it felt like episodes of " A million ways to die in the wasteland " at the same time this did make it somewhat more believable.  It definitely is a challenge.  There are tons of beautifully done cut scenes,  but with Fallout I would say there is a LOT more game play than cut scenes. Especially when you factor in how much junk and dialogue you slog through.  The first few times playing I wasn't paying as much attention to some of those details,  but later plays I was taking more time to actually make conscious decisions about dialogue as well as playing through all side quest, add ons, etc. The amount of detail they put into is simply amazing and staggering.  Same can be said for the amount of trash/junk. Each one of the Games Fallout 1-4 , New Vegas I have found each to be great in their own ways and in the end worth the time spent to go through them. The first few times I played them were on basic versions (no ad ons) I will say that once I played the ones with the expansion packs. I would highly recommend always playing the games with those. Between the weapons added as well as whole maps to new locations and added story they are definitely worth it.  Some of my favorite stories were in those. Some of my personal favorites is still New Vegas expansion "The Lonesome Road " and "Big MT" and Fallout 4's "Nuka World"

That said the entire world is so expansive and so much detail that once you have built your character strong enough to be able to wander around without the constant fear of turning the wrong way and running into certain doom, be it creatures or radiation, it is a very enjoyable game. Many of time I have just kicked on the radio (on the pip boy) and wandered the wastes.

Between this and Johnny Guitar 

Those that have played these a lot will get it, but really they have a great soundtrack when it isn't repeating some of the songs. 

[Bosco685]

 

[Bosco685]

 

[thehumantorch]

On 4/17/2024 at 7:38 AM, onlyweaknesskryptonite said:

Yes. It really is all gone through in vivid detail, but to really get all of it you do have to play through the games. 

It really is a TON to keep track of at first. Once you adjust it really isn't that bad. It just takes a lot of time. That was my issue originally.  Remembering that my first games were Atari and Phillips Magnavox Odyssey it really was a steep learning curve. I died countless times. There were many times it felt like episodes of " A million ways to die in the wasteland " at the same time this did make it somewhat more believable.  It definitely is a challenge.  There are tons of beautifully done cut scenes,  but with Fallout I would say there is a LOT more game play than cut scenes. Especially when you factor in how much junk and dialogue you slog through.  The first few times playing I wasn't paying as much attention to some of those details,  but later plays I was taking more time to actually make conscious decisions about dialogue as well as playing through all side quest, add ons, etc. The amount of detail they put into is simply amazing and staggering.  Same can be said for the amount of trash/junk. Each one of the Games Fallout 1-4 , New Vegas I have found each to be great in their own ways and in the end worth the time spent to go through them. The first few times I played them were on basic versions (no ad ons) I will say that once I played the ones with the expansion packs. I would highly recommend always playing the games with those. Between the weapons added as well as whole maps to new locations and added story they are definitely worth it.  Some of my favorite stories were in those. Some of my personal favorites is still New Vegas expansion "The Lonesome Road " and "Big MT" and Fallout 4's "Nuka World"

That said the entire world is so expansive and so much detail that once you have built your character strong enough to be able to wander around without the constant fear of turning the wrong way and running into certain doom, be it creatures or radiation, it is a very enjoyable game. Many of time I have just kicked on the radio (on the pip boy) and wandered the wastes.

Between this and Johnny Guitar 

Those that have played these a lot will get it, but really they have a great soundtrack when it isn't repeating some of the songs. 

Agreed, I would often just pick a direction and start wandering with my pipboy playing music.  Especially fallout vegas

[I like pie]

On 4/18/2024 at 6:04 PM, Bosco685 said:

 

I thought I read somewhere that it was already greenlit for season two a few days before it even released on Prime.

[Ken Aldred]

On 4/17/2024 at 3:38 PM, onlyweaknesskryptonite said:

Many of time I have just kicked on the radio (on the pip boy) and wandered the wastes.

It's surprisingly good.  Quite common in RPGs.  Riding around the country on a horse or hiking in Elder Scrolls or Witcher, on a motorbike with the radio on in GTA San Andreas, etc.

Fallout has several faction endings to play through as well, adding to its overall longevity.

 

Edited April 19 by Ken Aldred

[Bosco685]

On 4/18/2024 at 8:39 PM, I like pie said:

I thought I read somewhere that it was already greenlit for season two a few days before it even released on Prime.

Fallout Has Been Renewed For Second Season On Prime

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The series has received an official season 2 renewal.

 

The official renewal comes a full week after the series received a tax credit indicating season 2 would be moving forward, and by now most hardcore fans will have already binged the entirety of season 1 and have hopes for what's to come in season 2. Per the tax credit, filming for the second season is expected to move to California. 

It was officially confirmed by Amazon. Where before now it was reporters digging into records to determine any hints of a renewal.