Yes, I’m slow, sorry!
Now this may very well be excessive expectations. I had heard a few people say it’s this year’s Andor. IE, you should just watch it even if it’s not the sort of thing you think you’d be into. Also, I’ve never played the games
I’ve just finished the first 2 episodes, and, for me, it’s not bad, it’s a kinda interesting world … but there’s a distinctly empty feeling and awkwardness to the show for me. Sometimes scenes feel like they’re either filling time or still trying to find their rhythm. I’m not sure any of the dialogue has caught my ear (at all). I’m not sure I’ve picked up on any interesting stakes or mysteries. And I’ve often wondered about the directing (where I can’t help but wonder if Jonathan Nolan’s directing is more about trying to compete with his brother).
The soft tipping point for me was the Knight’s fight with the Ghoul (episode 2) … it just felt pointless and childish. The whole scene seemed to strangely lack any gravity or impetus. And I find myself ~2.5 hrs in and not caring about anything that’s happening. It’s a post nuclear apocalypse world, with some mutants, a naive bunker person, and a manipulative corporation or two doing sneaky shit …
… dunno … what am I missing? Should I just keep watching?
By the end of episode 2 if you’re not into it then I don’t think you’re going to get into it. I mean the big draw about the show really is how well they did with the look and the feel of everything. It just sounds like you don’t appreciate the premise, which is fine not all shows are for everybody.
It just sounds like you don’t appreciate the premise, which is fine not all shows are for everybody.
Thing is, I think I’m rather fond of the general premise, at least as I understand it. I really liked Silo for instance.
I suspect it’s more that I’m completely disconnected from the video game adaptation aspect of it and probably not even into the aesthetic and vibe of a video game adaptation.
“I loved Brokeback Mountain but find these John Wayne movies not to my taste”
Sounds like you like the setting - post apocalyptic - not necessarily the premise. Fallout is about the offbeat humour and violence. Silo is completely different (I loved Silo too).
I know pllllllllenty of people who don’t like Andor. They found it either “too Star Wars-y” or “not Star Wars-y enough”.
The world would be a boring place if we all liked the same things.
Fallout is about the offbeat humour and violence.
I am not at all opposed to offbeat humour and violence! Rather fond of it actually.
The part from the top post I think you’re missing/under-emphasising is my sense that the show feels somewhat empty and awkward. I’m only two episodes in of course, but others in this thread seem to understand where I’m coming from, so I don’t think it’s just a misaligned tastes thing. The season apparently hits its stride as it goes though, so I’ll probably persevere
And I wasn’t suggesting that I was expecting a show just like Andor, from that comparison I was only expecting something surprisingly good. And to be clear, I’m not suggesting it’s a bad show or anything, just sharing how I’m not vibing with it and curious why.
The big thing about the show, and the games is the moral ambiguity of it. It’s captured in a line that maximus says in episode 2? Or 3? Where he says “everyone wants to save the world. They just disagree how to do it.” It’s an important line because everyone has their own way of dealing with the wasteland, which isn’t inherently wrong all the time. And if you watch the ghoul, you’ll see there’s a lot more depth to him than being a comedic psychopath. Give it a little more time and you’ll connect with the characters more. Less so with Lucy, but I think she’s there more as a blank slate, to show how the world can change an otherwise good person.
There’s a lot of world-building going on in the first 2-3 episodes, and story lines start slowly drawing together after that point. It doesn’t really come together until the final episode, and that is something that’s clearly leaving a lot of room for a second season.
Yes, it helps if you understand the context that it’s all taking place in; playing the games (particularly 3, New Vegas, and 4) is very helpful to knowing some of the context that isn’t stated explicitly, but not strictly necessary.
Despite having a ton of action and violence, the plot is a fairly slow burn, and takes a while to get to the critical parts where everything really comes together. Things seem straightforward, until you realize that they aren’t.
Thing is, I’ve played most of the games, and I feel no connection to the characters, feel no reason to continue even after the first episode and I could barely get through that.
It’s all melodrama, nothing more, sadly.
I don’t see how someone who’s never played the games would find even the first episode intruiging enough to watch more.
You should watch till like the 4th episode I’d say. There is a lot happening that doesn’t have context until a bit later one. It’s an excellent story, but it is a slow burn.
I’ve never played any of the games
Things seem straightforward, until you realize that they aren’t.
Cheers! This makes sense.
That is totally fair!
This community was originally intended to be for both movies and TV, but it was a bit redundant and so we took focus off of TV. I did a search around for Fallout discussions and didn’t find anything in the sort of critical vein of my post, and it’s old enough that it falls under “discussion” more than anything news etc, so I thought it could make sense here. Happy to be criticised for this. But I feel like it’d make sense to allow retrospective “slow” TV discussion back into this community while disallowing latest TV news and trailers and the like … but I’m not speaking as a mod at all on this, just riffing. I like the people here and like discussing things here is all!
I’ve played the games, and really enjoyed the show; but I’ll admit it took a bit of time to find its path.
The thing about Fallout is that it’s deadpan tongue-in-cheek, which is hard to pull off. They got there in time.
And if you don’t start to get into it after a few more episodes, don’t sweat it.
Everyone I know who enjoyed it also played the games and was onboard by like halfway through the first episode. You probably just don’t get it without the added context of the aesthetics and humor of the games.
Ya there’s a fair amount of spectacle involved. People who played the games dig it more I think and it’s honestly made with a lot of love, but don’t feel bad if it don’t grab you. I felt similarly to the way you describe, finished it nevetheless.
