We're certainly entering a new era of video game adaptations finding a home on television. A lot of years have gone by with adaptations on the big screen and most of them have been quite poor, which resulted in a popular expectation that they would all just fail if they were adapted. However, "The Last of Us" came out and surprised everyone with its quality, and now, it's up to "Fallout" to continue that goodwill and show us that it wasn't just a one-time fluke. And if the first episode is to be taken by its word, it seems like we might continue the streak.
The episode opens with a powerful depiction of the end of the world. It's a big and gutsy way of opening your show, and it sets up the world beautifully for people who don't have any prior knowledge of the games (like me). Afterwards, the show goes into the overall expansion of the world, cutting between three different stories that are meant to set up different aspects of the world. The three things work very separately, but it makes for some clunky editing choices throughout the episode and it feels a little disjointed at times. However, the information is conveyed with the precision that it needs to be and it keeps the audience along with the show and its mythology. The design of the episode is very beautiful and it feels like the kind of world that would remind a post-apocalyptic society of a better time. I've also been told that the design is very reminiscent of the game, so the fact that they keep it real for the fans of the games is also very special and commendable. Jonathan Nolan directs this episode and he is a very versatile director, because the look of this doesn't resemble that of "Westworld" at all, but the style is definitely the same, so his ability to adapt himself to the environment that he's in is very interesting, and he certainly works his butt of in this episode. The performances are also very good, but I'll need a bit more time to get into the characters for real.
"The End" is a good way to start this show off and it immediately tells the non-video game fans what they need to know. It sets up the world in three interesting, although disjointed segments that sell the world and the environment very well, and sets up a very interesting show to follow along with.
The episode opens with a powerful depiction of the end of the world. It's a big and gutsy way of opening your show, and it sets up the world beautifully for people who don't have any prior knowledge of the games (like me). Afterwards, the show goes into the overall expansion of the world, cutting between three different stories that are meant to set up different aspects of the world. The three things work very separately, but it makes for some clunky editing choices throughout the episode and it feels a little disjointed at times. However, the information is conveyed with the precision that it needs to be and it keeps the audience along with the show and its mythology. The design of the episode is very beautiful and it feels like the kind of world that would remind a post-apocalyptic society of a better time. I've also been told that the design is very reminiscent of the game, so the fact that they keep it real for the fans of the games is also very special and commendable. Jonathan Nolan directs this episode and he is a very versatile director, because the look of this doesn't resemble that of "Westworld" at all, but the style is definitely the same, so his ability to adapt himself to the environment that he's in is very interesting, and he certainly works his butt of in this episode. The performances are also very good, but I'll need a bit more time to get into the characters for real.
"The End" is a good way to start this show off and it immediately tells the non-video game fans what they need to know. It sets up the world in three interesting, although disjointed segments that sell the world and the environment very well, and sets up a very interesting show to follow along with.