4K UHD Review: FALLOUT: SEASON TWO

Home » 4K UHD Review: FALLOUT: SEASON TWO

May 17 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

Prime Video’s Fallout series is based on Bethesda Game Studios’ massively popular video game franchise of the same name. The series follows the apocalyptic aftermath of the Great War of 2077, where some survivors took refuge in fallout bunkers known as Vaults and enjoyed a somewhat peaceful, isolated life, while others stayed on the surface and were forced to deal with many different kinds of threats.

The first season of Fallout was set 219 years after the war, in 2296. Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell) left the only home she had ever known, Vault 33, to venture to the dangerous surface to traverse the wasteland of Los Angeles to find her kidnapped father, Hank (Kyle MacLachlan). Along the way, she met a squire of the Brotherhood of Steel named Maximus (Aaron Moten) and a mutated ghoul gunslinger who 200 years earlier was a famous Hollywood actor named Cooper Howard (Walton Goggins). As the first season came to a close, Lucy had managed to find her father, but learned that he was not the wholesome good guy she always thought he was. Hank had been lying to her all her life—he knew all about things on the surface, and had actually been the one responsible for the burning and destruction of Shady Sands, the city that had been home to Maximus at the time. However, Hank fled and took off again shortly after coming clean.

As the second season opens there are several factions on the surface either at war or preparing for war, not just among one another, but also civil wars within the factions. These include the Khans, the New California Republic (NCR), the Brotherhood of Steel, and the Legion. While the Ghoul and Lucy didn’t really get along when they first met, they both have a common goal of finding their families. Lucy is once again looking for her father to stop whatever evil plan he is working on, and the Ghoul believes his family may still be frozen in a secret vault that had been set up for management. So they decide to work together as they travel to New Vegas, hoping to learn the truth about Vault-Tec.

Also on the surface, Maximus is now a knight in the Brotherhood, but he is quickly growing disillusioned with the organization as a potential civil war is about to break out. And when Commonwealth liaison Paladin Xander Harkness (Kumail Nanjiani) arrives to speak with the Brotherhood of Steel, Maximus starts to see that the Brotherhood may not share the same righteous goals as he does. Also, former Brotherhood member, now-Ghoul Thaddeus (Johnny Pemberton) has found a way to make a living, running a factory of children collecting soda caps for money.

Meanwhile, back in the vault, Lucy’s younger brother Norm (Moisés Arias) has been trapped in Vault 31 after trying to investigate the truth about what happened. As he looks for a way to escape, those in management, such as Overseers Betty (Leslie Uggams) and Steph (Annabel O’Hagan) are eager to keep him silent, maintain the sttus quo, and protect the secrets.

Throughout the second season, we also learn a lot more about Cooper Howard and the events before the war. There are constant flashbacks to 2077 when Cooper is asked to spy on his wife Barb (Frances Turner), and possibly eliminate RobCo Industries CEO Robert House (Justin Theroux).

I have never played the Fallout video games, so I don’t know how closely the TV series follows the characters and events of the games. However, it is my understanding that it’s not as exact as the The Last of Us tries to be. The tone of the series is quite fun, with lots of humor throughout, despite still having real stakes for the characters.

At the core of the series is this fun cross-country adventure with odd couple Lucy and the Ghoul (now also joined by dog companion Dogmeat). Lucy is this unflappable, naive, ever-optimistic young woman, while the Ghoul is this cynical centuries-old man. So they make a really entertaining pair. As these two are on a journey to find their families, Maximus is on his own journey. He is now the highest ranking knight of the Brotherhood of Steel and is trying to figure out if he can be the leader that comes with that title, or if his morals and goals still even align with those of the Brotherhood.

One of this season’s major storylines takes place in the past, as we see a still-human Cooper Howard struggling with the task he’s been given to spy on his wife and gather intel on Robert House. We also see how this informs the Ghoul in the present. There is also a second mystery that plays out with Hank. After he leaves at the end of the first season, he is back at Vault-Tec trying to perfect some kind of mind control experiment that was started a long time ago. But what is the ultimate goal?

The second season really expands this world. We get to meet some new Vaulties and learn more about Vault 31 and its secrets. We also see some exciting new locations on the surface, such as New Vegas, and learn about some of the many factions that are fighting for power. This also brings in some interesting new characters and great guest stars. Kumail Nanjiani is a welcome addition as this seemingly-charming emissary to the Brotherhood, who may not be as nice as he initially seems. Macaulay Culkin is also a fun new addition as this Caesar (or Kai-sar)-like head of a divided faction called the Legion, who believe they are the second coming of the Roman Empire. The season also introduces some great new creatures that post a threat to our characters, such as giant Radroaches and massive horned Deathclaws.

Amazon MGM Studios/Alliance Home Entertainment have released this second season of Fallout on Amazon-Exclusive Limited Edition 4K UHD SteelBook, 4K UHD, Blu-ray & DVD. We were sent the standard 4K UHD edition for review.

The 4K Dolby Vision presentation looks nearly flawless, with a crisp, clean and highly-detailed picture, with vivid colors that bring this post-apocalyptic world to life. Special effects and creatures blend in naturally and look excellent. The Atmos audio track is also impressive, providing clear dialogue throughout and making excellent use of the stereo and surround channels to provide a fully-immersive experience, surrounding the viewer in the atmosphere of this world. The series features some fun, perfectly chosen needle-drops from the ’50s and ’60s that are a nice contrast to composer Ramin Djawadi’s haunting score (which feels very reminiscent to his work on Westworld).

The second season’s 8 episodes are split across 3 discs, which reside on a swinging tray inside a standard-sized 4K keepcase. Our review copy also included a cardboard slipcover. The bonus material can be found on the third disc and includes a commentary on the season finale episode, a pair of short promotional featurettes, a fun fake Fallout Talkshow with the cast, some RobCo Animated shorts, and a 90-minute Ghoul Log. While this is nice selection, the “Inside The Episode” featurettes for each episode that are available on HBO Max unfortunately did not make the cut for the physical release.

What’s Included:

Episodes:

All 8 episodes of the second season:
Disc 1 (2:48:54): “The Innovator”, “The Golden Rule”, “The Profligate”
Disc 2 (2:29:51): “The Demon in the Snow”, “The Wrangler”, “The Other Player”
Disc 3 (1:41:40): “The Handoff”, “The Strip”
2160p / Widescreen 2.39:1
Dolby Vision / HDR10
Audio: English Dolby Atmos, German 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English SDH, Danish, German, Spanish, French, Dutch, Norwegian, Finnish, Swedish,

Extras:

“The Strip” Commentary by Actors Kyle MacLachlan and Aaron Moten (54:08)
Stars Kyle MacLachlan (“Hank”) and Aaron Moten (“Maximus”) provide a fun, casual discussion over the season finale episode, sharing behind-the-scenes stories, but also talking about the series in general and whatever random things come to their minds.
Welcome Back To The Wasteland (2:27)
The cast and crew discuss where the characters are at in this second season, some of the new faces joining the show, and more. Includes interviews with showrunner/executive producer Geneva Robertson-Dworet, executive producer Jonathan Nolan, and stars Walton Goggins (“The Ghoul/Cooper Howard”), Ella Purnell (“Lucy”), Aaron Moten, Justin Theroux (“Robert House”) & Kyle MacLachlan.
New Vegas (2:58)
The cast and crew discuss bringing the wild and wacky world of New Vegas from the video game to life in season 2. Includes interviews with executive producers Jonathan Nolan & Todd Howard, showrunners/executive producers Graham Wagner & Geneva Robertson-Dworet, director/executive producer Lisa Joy, and stars Ella Purnell, Kyle MacLachlan, Walton Goggins & Aaron Moten.
Fallout: Fake Talkshow (22:22)
Fun, awkward interviews with the cast by the terrible snake oil salesman (Jon Daly) talkshow host. Play All, or select from:
- Ella Purnell (2:22)
- Johnny Pemberton (2:19)
- Walton Goggins (2:55)
- Aaron Moten (3:01)
- Justin Theroux (2:40)
- Macaulay Culkin (1:58)
- Kyle MacLachlan (2:15)
- Xelia Mendes-Jones (2:03)
- Frances Turner (2:45)
RobCo Animated Series (7:40)
Animated shorts from RobCo advertising the benefits of their product offerings. Play All, or select from:
- You Have Auto-Joined The RobCo Family (1:22)
- Enable Pipboy Auto-Updates For Safety Enhancements (1:10)
- Put Your Future In Safe “Handy” (Mr.) (1:16)
- Whatever Happens, Protectrons Will Be There (1:11)
- Upgrade Securitrons Or Risk Exposure To Violence (1:15)
- Enjoy Security & Comfort At The Beautiful Lucky 38 (1:23)
Fallout: The Ghoul Log* (1:29:48)
The Ghoul pops a human arm on the fire, and turns on the radio, to give viewers a festive 90 minutes yule log.

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Episodes:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Recommended

In its second season, Fallout continues to be a highly-entertaining series, which find this wonderful blend of action, humor, sci-fi, mystery and drama. This season allows many of the characters to grow a bit and experience some personal journey, but it really delves into the past in order to unlock some of the mystery of what’s going on in the present, and particularly exploring the backstory of The Ghoul/Cooper Howard. The second season also expands the world, bringing in new characters, locations and mysteries, and setting things up for the third season. Amazon’s 4K release looks and sounds amazing, and includes a solid selection of bonus material. This release comes recommended for any fan of the franchise. Superfans will likely want to pick up the Amazon-exclusive SteelBook release.