6 Things We’d Love to See in ‘Fallout’ Season 2
Nothing feels quite like classic Fallout. Sure, the iconic franchise may have been inspired by existing properties like Mad Max and A Boy and His Dog —not to mention Interplay’s own Wasteland—but I dare you to find any other piece of media that comes close to matching the same level of witty post-nuclear satire present in the Fallout series on Prime Video.
This is exactly why I’ve always thought that the series was ripe for an adaptation. Unlike other popular games like Call of Duty or even The Elder Scrolls, a non-interactive Fallout would still be much more than a George Miller production with the serial numbers filed off. And luckily for long-time fans like myself, Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet’s excellent Fallout TV show proved this theory to be correct.
In fact, the show’s overwhelming success among both gamers and newcomers has already led to the confirmation of a second season. That being said, die-hard fans know that Lucy and company have only just begun to dip their toes into the toxic waters of the Fallout mythology, which is why we’ve decided to come up with this list highlighting six things that we’d love to see in Fallout Season 2!
And just in case you still haven’t finished binging Prime Video’s ironic take on post-nuclear America, please be advised that there will be some minor spoilers ahead.
With that out of the way, onto the list!
6. More Vaults, More Mysteries!
Season one may have already wrapped up most of the mysteries surrounding Vault-Tec’s corporate conspiracy, but our protagonists only actually explored two out of the 120 Vaults that survived nuclear decimation. And even then, only one of those contained something resembling the monstrous horrors that the game’s Vaults are traditionally known for.
From the plant zombie infection of Vault 22 to the Matrix-inspired horrors of Vault 112, I think a second season should provide Lucy and her trusty companions with even more Vault-based side-quests that end up revealing some kind of disturbing social experiment. Hell, they could even bring Norm along to skillfully hack some more terminals along the way.
5. The Mysterious Stranger…
The Fallout series has always worn its influences on its sleeve. That’s why it’s no surprise that Mad Max himself actually appeared in the early games as a surprise NPC known only as “The Mysterious Stranger”, a helpful badass who occasionally shows up to get the player out of a jam and then promptly rides off into the sunset (provided that you have the associated perk).
While the Mel Gibson lookalike was later retconned into an illusive figure more akin to a KGB agent than the original Road Warrior, this unexplainable cameo still remains a staple of Fallout’s quirky brand of humor and could serve as a hilarious Deus Ex Machina should the showrunners ever write themselves into a corner. Of course, they could also incorporate the Stranger into the overall plot should the show decide to delve further into secretive government conspiracies.
4. Centaurs, Mothmen, and Other Irradiated Fauna
Fallout’s rumored $153 million budget may seem like an absurd amount of money for small-screen entertainment, but that’s actually not a lot of resources when you consider that we’re talking about approximately eight hours of effects-heavy content. With that in mind, it’s easy to forgive the show’s rather tame selection of radioactive critters during our first foray into the live-action rendition of the Wasteland.
However, now that we’ve established our characters and set up a storyline that will lead the action elsewhere, I think it’s time to introduce more monsters into the mix. While the iconic Deathclaws were already teased in the final episode, I’d love to see some more monstrous fauna like the Lovecraftian Lakelurks or even the disgusting Centaurs from New Vegas, especially if they’re brought to life by big-budget practical effects.
And if the show continues to move Eastward, why not include some of the Appalachian cryptids of Fallout 76 later in the story?
3. Alien Abductions
A lot of die-hard fans criticized Bethesda for developing an entire DLC chapter about Aliens for the (mostly) grounded Fallout 3, claiming that officially adding extraterrestrials to the main lore bastardized what was once a tongue-in-cheek reference to the 50s UFO scare. And while there’s some truth to that statement, there’s no denying that UFOs and related conspiracy theories have always been a part of Fallout’s DNA. That’s why I’d love to see the show acknowledge more of the Wasteland’s potential for weirdness.
From unexplainable ray guns to cattle mutilation and even men-in-black, I think a live-action nod to goofy sci-fi wouldn’t feel out of place in Amazon Prime’s evolution of the games so long as the show continues to not take itself too seriously.
2. A Super Mutant Faction
I think it’s safe to say that Super Mutants will show up in the series eventually, with a certain giant hand having already been teased during our introduction to the Enclave, but I really hope that the writers decide to include these living weapons as a civilized faction rather than mindless monsters of the week.
Some of the best character moments in the Fallout games have been about well-intentioned Super Mutants attempting to find acceptance in a world where you’re more likely to get shot than to get a second chance at a first impression, so it would make a lot of sense for the show to depict them as gentle giants akin to fan favorites like Lily and Marcus.
1. Ron Friggin’ Perlman!!!
Like many other viewers, I adored Walton Goggins’ take on the old-west-obsessed Ghoul, but even I have to admit that it felt strange hearing Ron Perlman’s iconic “War never changes” line coming out of Goggins’ undead lips. Perlman’s sultry narration is what first introduced us to the post-nuclear playground of Fallout and continues to be a huge part of the franchise’s identity to this very day, so it seems a tad bit unfair that he wasn’t invited to be a part of the series’ first foray into live-action storytelling.
While there is a rumor that the veteran actor himself declined a possible cameo due to his commitment to last year’s SAG/AFTRA strikes, I can only hope that the second season can give Perlman a chance to shine as a proper character—or at the very least a familiar voice on a Wasteland radio station.
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