I just watched Fallout Season Two

Running from December of last year to February of this year, Fallout season two was an absolute delight to watch from a horror perspective.

Yes, I know this review is late. But life moves fast, and I’m willing to bet that many of you, like me, have not yet gotten around to seeing Fallout. Maybe you’re still wondering if it’s worth your time. Or maybe you think your downtime would be better spent rewatching American Horror Story.

Again.

To this I say, I got you. I finally watched the whole season, and I can say, for sure, that it’s well worth your time.

For those who aren’t familiar with the series, Fallout is based on a wildly popular series of video games. Not being a gamer myself, I’ve never played them. But I’m familiar enough with them that I was excited to hear that they were making a show. And when season one didn’t disappoint, I was overjoyed.

And if you don’t think this show belongs on a horror review site, then I know you really didn’t see it.

Season two follows the stories of Lucy, the Ghoul, and Maximus as they try to make their way in the wasteland.

Lucy and The Ghoul travel to New Vegas in search of her father and his family. Through their journey, their already tenuous loyalties to each other are gravely tested.

Maximus, meanwhile, is doing his best to inspire change in the Brotherhood from within.

Because that always turns out well, right?

Alright, now that we’ve got the basics down, let’s talk about why this season was so much fun to watch as a horror fan.

Horror in the light of day

Mostly things that creep, hunt, and gnash their teeth against our bones come out at night. Mostly. But in Fallout, most of the horrors happen during the day. The Deathclaws, massive reptile-like creatures, have no problem ripping survivors up day or night. The Legion will attack during the day, slaughtering under the midday sun.

It’s easier to be brave during the day. There are a few horror movies or shows that have massive scenes while the sun is shining. Midsommar comes to mind. It’s harder, but I honestly feel like the violence is strong enough to overcome.

The monsters are fantastic

Let’s talk about the Deathclaws for a moment more. Actually, let’s talk about the roaches, too. Because the monster effects in this season of Fallout were fantastic.

The Deathclaws were great fun. They’re big, they’re loud, and their jaws can crush into a mecha-suit like a pistachio shell. But, if I’m being honest, the roaches were the monsters that really scared me. Especially how they went for the neck of their victims.

Swarms of anything are terrible. You never hear of a swarm of kittens or a swarm of lemonade stands. Swarms of things that have giant pinchers coming out of their mouths are even worse. So it was the roaches that caused me to, out loud, go “Eurgh!”

As always, humans are the real monsters

Finally, of course, we have to talk about the moral of the story. Because all of the horror in Fallout is the cause of man.

The monsters? Man-made. The violence? All people, fighting over resources instead of working together to survive. Worst of all was the mind control machines that Hank perfects over the course of the season.

The best thing about this was the many, many horrible ways people are horrible to each other. We see the Legion, killing with swords and guns. We see the Brotherhood killing each other with giant mechs and knives. We see the Vault dwellers at risk of dying due to a lack of water. And we see so many people brutally killed as Hank perfects his mind control chips.

Through it all, war never changes. People continue to be terrible, messy, hateful, and violent.

But they also continue to love. And some of them even manage to look out for each other. Some of them, like Lucy, do their best to cling to their humanity. That’s the real story this season. Lucy is tested, over and over again. She’s starving. She’s seeing her father for who he really is. She’s put in one situation after another where her survival depends on the death of another, and she makes a different decision. And I think that’s beautiful.

I’m excited to see what season three has to offer. So if you haven’t seen Fallout yet, go watch it. Then let me know what you think in the comments.

Want another TV show recommendation? Check out my review of Trust Me here.