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Fallout

Fallout

Let the end times roll.

2024–Ongoing2 seasonsRenewedSeason 3 upcoming17 episodes~60 min/epTV-MAMidcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

The story of haves and have-nots in a world in which there's almost nothing left to have. 200 years after the apocalypse, the gentle denizens of luxury fallout shelters are forced to return to the irradiated hellscape their ancestors left behind — and are shocked to discover an incredibly complex, gleefully weird, and highly violent universe waiting for them.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Fallout?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Fallout streaming on Prime Video.

Subscription

Free

Highlights

What stands out about Fallout?

Fallout earns 10 badges, led by Universally Loved and Top 5% of the 2020s.

Show 2 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Content

Reception

Is Fallout worth watching?

Fallout's Midcredits score is the 94th percentile of all shows, from 435K ratings across 5 sources. 93% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

94th percentile

Better received than 94% of shows

93rd percentile among Action95th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)86th
Approval (how many liked it)97th

Acclaim

Universally Loved: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

80 /100

86th percentile of all shows

87th percentile among Action89th percentile among 2020s

Critics 73 · Audience 80

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

Approval

How many liked it

93% liked it

97th percentile of all shows

96th percentile among Action97th percentile among 2020s
93% rated it 7–107% rated it 1–6

Critics 94% · Audience 96%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Reach

How many have seen it

99th percentile

433K ratings across platforms

98th percentile among Action99th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 11% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The show faithfully recreates the Fallout video game universe's retro-futuristic aesthetic, dark humor, and post-apocalyptic atmosphere.

Fans praised

  • faithful world-building that captures the game's look, tone, and feel
  • strong lead performances, especially Walton Goggins as The Ghoul
  • effective balance of dark humor, satire, and serious drama

Detractors panned

  • predictable plot and recycled Hollywood storytelling template
  • subpar acting from supporting cast, especially Maximus actor
  • poor CGI and cheap-looking plastic visual quality

What stands out

AtmosphereDivisive90

immersive wasteland and vault environments; authentic Fallout vibe

CinematographyDivisive85

stunning production design and visual storytelling; some critics call sets too clean

ActingDivisive82

Walton Goggins standout as The Ghoul; Ella Purnell praised for charm and grit; Maximus actor criticized by detractors

Effects and spectacleDivisive80

cinema-quality VFX and practical effects; detractors say CGI is terrible

CharactersDivisive78

well-drawn leads with clear arcs; side characters vivid and memorable

HumorDivisive78

darkly comic and satirical; some find it too goofy or cringey

Plot and storyDivisive72

intricate overarching story beneath surface fun; some call it predictable and aimless

PacingDivisive70

dynamic and engaging; some episodes meander mid-season

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 11 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 9 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 6 points apart
  • US vs non-US even

Episodes

2 seasons

Season 2 · 2025 · 8 episodes · 7.1 average across 8 rated episodes

  • S2E1

    The Innovator

    Dec 16, 202563 minTMDB rating 6.9
  • S2E2

    The Golden Rule

    Dec 24, 202559 minTMDB rating 6.6
  • S2E3

    The Profligate

    Dec 31, 202555 minTMDB rating 7.0
  • S2E4

    The Demon in the Snow

    Jan 7, 202649 minTMDB rating 6.9
  • S2E5

    The Wrangler

    Jan 14, 202657 minTMDB rating 7.0
  • S2E6

    The Other Player

    Jan 21, 202652 minTMDB rating 7.0
  • S2E7

    The Handoff

    Jan 27, 202651 minTMDB rating 7.2
  • S2E8

    The Strip

    Feb 3, 202657 minTMDB rating 7.8FinaleSeason best

Watch experience

What is Fallout like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Ironic, dark and intense — a relentless watch that leaves you entertained.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseAbsurdHopeful
Heaviest: late
Dark humor
Register
Wry · 7% of shows: Amused and slightly dry about it.Satirical · 5% of shows
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.SerializedNew arc each season
ToneThe show maintains a wry, satirical distance even as it depicts brutal survival in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, blending dark humor with sincere stakes.
The rideThe series maintains a tense and absurd atmosphere throughout, with the emotional weight concentrated in the later episodes as character revelations and stakes converge.
StructureThe story unfolds in a linear sequence of episodes across a continuous arc.
Episode formatFallout is a continuous, serialized story where each episode is a chapter in an overarching, multi-season arc.
Season formatEach season appears to have its own self-contained arc while continuing the same core cast and overarching story, as season one wrapped its own plot but set up a larger narrative for season two.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
FunThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe show leaves you entertained by its dark humour and action, while also pondering the satire of corporate power and survival.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestRescue
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% (this title) · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Rescue: Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).

6% of shows fit this archetype

Why this archetypeLucy, a sheltered vault-dweller, ventures into the irradiated wasteland to rescue her kidnapped father, learning to survive a lawless world.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6% (this title)
  • Survival 9% (this title): Survival 12% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% (this title) · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Survival

Survival · 12% of showsCommunity: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Deception · 6% of shows
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe series is fundamentally about surviving the post-apocalyptic wasteland, while also exploring how communities are formed and shattered by lies.
StanceThe series questions what survival costs and whether the bonds of community can withstand deception and the brutal logic of the wasteland.

The world

Far futureUrbanWildernessInstitutionalScience fiction
Orchestral modernOrchestral classicalJazzSupportive music · hybrid
Settingpost-apocalyptic Los Angeles wasteland and underground vaults
MusicThe soundtrack features mid-20th-century tunes alongside an original score that ranges from haunting to epic.

Content guide

Is Fallout okay for kids?

TV-MA

Fallout is rated TV-MA. As of August 18, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (92/100), sexual content at moderate (59/100), language at intense (73/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (61/100) and frightening material at severe (83/100). Overall it is heavier than 86% of TV-MA shows.

Ratings in 23 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada18+
  • AustraliaR 18+
  • Germany16
  • New Zealand16
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil18
  • Belgium18
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK18
  • IndiaA
  • MexicoB-15
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway18
  • PhilippinesSPG
  • PRTV-MA
  • RO18
  • Russia16+
  • SingaporeR21
  • Spain16
  • SwedenFrån 15 år
  • Türkiye18+
  • VITV-MA
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 93% of all showsHeavier than 86% of TV-MA shows
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 92%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 61%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 62%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 65%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for a TV-MA show
heavier than 85%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: violence, frightening material, language, and drug and alcohol content. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Fallout have?

MovieCove's classifier found 5 depicted content warnings in Fallout: Gun violence (severe), Animal cruelty (moderate), Animal death (moderate), plus 2 withheld here because they would spoil the plot. Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

SevereGun violence
ModerateAnimal crueltyAnimal death

Cast and crew

Who is in Fallout?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Ella Purnell
as Lucy MacLean
Best so far: Their highest-reaching show role to date — the title is too recent to say more.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Aaron Moten
as Maximus
Best so far: Their highest-reaching show role to date — the title is too recent to say more.
Walton Goggins
as Cooper Howard
Established: A standing when this show came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Moises Arias
as Norm MacLean
Best so far: Their highest-reaching show role to date — the title is too recent to say more.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Frances Turner
as Barb Howard
Kyle MacLachlan
as Overseer Hank MacLean
Established: A standing when this show came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Dave Register
as Chet
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Annabel O'Hagan
as Stephanie Harper
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Johnny Pemberton
as Thaddeus
Leslie Uggams
as Betty Pearson

More like this

What are shows like Fallout?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like Fallout include Logan's Run (1977), Falling Skies (2011) and The Walking Dead (2010).

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