Fallout Season 2 Brings New Vegas to Life Without Picking Sides

Prime Video ’s Fallout series has set a new standard for video game adaptations, blending elements from across the franchise into a fresh, original story. Rather than following a single plotline from the games, the show draws inspiration from the entire Fallout universe, creating a unique narrative that stands on its own. After the first season’s journey from Vault 33 into the harsh Wasteland, the second season heads straight for New Vegas, introducing viewers to iconic threats like Deathclaws and Radroaches, as well as infamous groups such as Caesar’s Legion and the enigmatic Robert House.

“We sort of approach it like we do a new game,”

says executive producer Todd Howard, who also serves as creative director at Bethesda Game Studios.

“Like, hey, we're starting fresh, and okay, we're going back to Vegas. Number one, we've got to honor the journey that every player had there, and maneuvering that is tricky.”

Showrunners Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet have found creative ways to navigate the complex web of New Vegas’ factions and storylines, focusing on authenticity and fan experience.

“We're fans, so [it's] what would we want to see as a fan, make it as authentic as possible, and just come at it with a lot of thought, a lot of love, [take] what was already there, but also take some swings.”

Back in the Wasteland

The first season introduced new faces while echoing the structure of the games: a Vault dweller ventures to the surface. The story followed Lucy, a naive Vault resident searching for her kidnapped father Hank; Maximus, a hopeful Brotherhood of Steel recruit; and the Ghoul, a hardened bounty hunter with a Hollywood past. Season 2 continues the journey of Lucy and the Ghoul, an uneasy pair now united in their pursuit of Hank, hoping to bring him to justice. This season also dives into flashbacks, revealing glimpses of pre-war Vegas and the Ghoul’s former life as Cooper Howard, just before the world changed forever.

Walton Goggins, who plays the Ghoul, shares,

“We get to spend more time with Cooper this season, and, and this is a man that has had the rug pulled out from underneath him. He realizes just how little control he's had over anything in his life, and, and it broke my heart.”

The show also explores Hank’s darker side, showing he was far from innocent even before his time in Vault 33. As season 1 ended, Hank, clad in stolen Brotherhood armor, left Lucy behind and set his sights on New Vegas. His motives remain a mystery, and Lucy’s brother Norm continues to face his own struggles underground. The Vault dwellers’ problems are far from over, and more are bound to surface soon.

Reimagining New Vegas

Kyle MacLachlan, who plays Hank, notes,

“The first season, [the characters] were really well-established, and then the second season, they got better. They got deeper and they got richer, and I think that's a mark of a series that is growing, that is really finding its voice and its forward movement, and I'm so excited to be part of it. It's really been fun.”

For fans of the franchise, the attention to detail in recreating New Vegas is a treat. The city has been brought to life almost exactly as it appeared in the game, from the Atomic Wrangler Casino to the fortified entrance of the Strip. Eagle-eyed viewers will spot nods to the game, like posters for pre-war entertainers and familiar landmarks.

Set pieces like Mick and Ralph’s shop stand out for their authenticity, filled with props that feel pulled straight from the game. Aaron Moten, who plays Maximus, highlights the Brotherhood’s warehouse and the Sunset Sarsaparilla factory as memorable locations. Even the classic green-skinned aliens from Fallout: New Vegas make an appearance, though it’s unclear if any will show up alive this season.

Multiple Endings, No Single Path

Fans of Fallout: New Vegas know the game offers four possible endings, none of which have been officially declared canon. Some wondered if the show would choose one outcome as the definitive story, but season 2 takes a different approach. Justin Theroux’s Robert House, Caesar’s Legion, the New California Republic, and the player-controlled Courier all have a presence, but the show doesn’t commit to any single path.

Geneva Robertson-Dworet explains,

“This season of Fallout takes place about 15 years after the events of Fallout: New Vegas. And we tried as much as possible to avoid saying, again, [that] any canonical ending is real. Instead, 15 years have gone by, and Vegas is not exactly as you remember it, because naturally, in the Wasteland, there's constantly shifts, right? There's warring factions trying to kill each other, take over each other's territory every day. So, things would not remain the same over 15 years. [There are] some things fans will recognize as very, very much the same. But other things have changed.”

The show’s success has reignited interest in the games, especially Fallout 76, which has seen a surge in players and new content inspired by the series. Todd Howard notes,

“I will say the popularity show is way more than even we expected. So it really was making sure that games are ready for all the players who are coming into them. Particularly Fallout '76 has had this resurgence of popularity, and one of the things that's influenced it is bringing [in] a character like the Ghoul, this character who lived before the bombs. And it's interesting to think that every Fallout game that you've played, he was alive somewhere in the wasteland, like you think about that. So having him come into '76 and play a role there has been really great and so much of the stuff in '76 with this update, is really inspired by season two.”

Fallout season 2 arrives on Prime Video December 17.