Fallout season 2 review: A meandering return to the wasteland

by

A star rating of 3 out of 5.

The new Fallout TV series on Amazon Prime Video starts this week, and we’ve had a sneak peek at the first three episodes to share our thoughts. With eight episodes planned for the season, and new ones arriving each week, we’ll avoid spoilers as much as possible in this review.

It’s strange that the new season of Fallout hasn’t focused on New Vegas. The first season clearly hinted at Lucy and The Ghoul traveling there – we even saw the iconic Vegas sign – but after three episodes, there’s been almost nothing about it, which is disappointing.

Rather than immediately confronting Lucy’s father, Lucy and The Ghoul are taking a detour, getting caught up in various adventures along the way.

This feels very true to the spirit of a Fallout game – you get sidetracked easily – but it also comes across as a deliberate way to make the season longer and draw out the main storyline.

One potential issue is the use of flashbacks. Even if you felt Walton Goggins’ character, Cooper Howard, had fully explored his past, the show’s writers seem to think there’s more story to tell.

Cooper’s flashbacks are back, and they’re similar to those in The CW’s old Arrow series. This time, however, they’ll connect directly to what happened in season 2. It’s almost comical how his past is unfolding and catching up to him, step by step.

Honestly, the problems with these episodes mostly come down to how the story is put together. I wasn’t anticipating so many flashbacks, and I was hoping to get back to New Vegas sooner. But once I accepted those detours and focused on the main story, I really enjoyed the three episodes I’ve watched so far.

The first episode quickly catches viewers up with Lucy and The Ghoul, starting with a memorable and humorous scene involving a sniper rifle and a noose. It immediately plunges us back into the unpredictable and chaotic world of the wasteland, full of strange characters and sudden violence.

Ella Purnell and Walton Goggins continue to have incredible chemistry, even as their characters’ uneasy alliance quickly falls apart. Despite already knowing a lot about them, the second season still reveals new layers to their personalities and motivations, keeping things interesting and unpredictable.

Episodes 2 and 3 expand the story to show what Aaron Moten’s character, Maximus, has been doing, and it looks like this season will be very compelling for him. While the Brotherhood of Steel storyline wasn’t always the highlight of the first season, it’s getting a significant upgrade this year, and Moten is delivering a strong performance with his more complex scenes.

Back at Lucy’s vault, the remaining characters are getting into an exciting situation. There’s plenty of enjoyable action happening, and a new storyline focusing on Hank, played by MacLachlan, is also looking promising.

Want to see this content?

We can’t display this content because of a security measure called reCAPTCHA. To see it, please sign out of your Contentpass account.

The first three episodes of Fallout season 2 feel unfocused and slow-paced. Between juggling several different storylines and constantly delaying the main characters’ journey to New Vegas, the season gets lost in detours.

Okay, it’s not all bad. Honestly, when Kumail Nanjiani showed up, he was a total highlight – really funny and memorable! And it was cool seeing Macaulay Culkin pop in for a fun little role too. It definitely had some good moments!

The game boasts stunning visuals, exciting action, meaningful choices, and a fantastic soundtrack, with a few hidden treats for dedicated players. However, be prepared for a lengthy and involved experience – it’s a substantial journey to the finish.

Considering the Fallout world is already a distant post-apocalypse, there’s not a huge need to quickly advance the main storyline. However, as a viewer, it would be nice to see things move along a bit faster and with less wasted time.

While Fallout season 2 seems to be heading towards some major conflicts and exciting events, the beginning unfolds a bit slowly. We can tell big things are coming, but it doesn’t immediately grab your attention.

Just a quick update: I’ve now watched six out of the eight episodes in this season. My overall opinion hasn’t changed, but I can say that the show’s slower parts do eventually pay off. However, I haven’t seen the last two episodes yet, so I can’t say if everything comes together in a satisfying way.

Read more on Fallout:

  • Fallout season 2 has a “delicious idea” to avoid confirming a canon ending for New Vegas
  • Walton Goggins has arrived in Fallout 76: “We don’t really explain why he’s there”
  • Who is Justin Theroux playing in Fallout season 2? Robert House character explained

Authors

Rob LeaneGaming Editor

Rob Leane leads gaming coverage at TopMob, managing news and features for PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, mobile, and VR games. He creates content for TopMob’s website, social media, and video platforms, and also puts together the weekly gaming newsletter. Before joining TopMob, Rob worked at Den of Geek, Stealth Optional, and Dennis Publishing.

  • Visit us on Twitter

Read More

2025-12-16 17:37